Fealeside Senior Traveller Training Centre

Fealeside Training Centre
Mountmahon Industrial Estate
Abbeyfeale
Co. Limerick
Phone / Fax: 068 31494

Principal/Director Mary Horgan
Co-Principal/Director Marie Killowry

Mission Statement

To provide quality education, training and development opportunities to Travellers. To enable the students to empower themselves to develop their full potential, so that they can operate effectively within society.

Board of Management

There are 3-4 BOM meetings per year.

Staff

Mary Horgan/Marie Killowry (Joint Directors)
Nancy Condon (Teacher)
Bridie Ahern (Teacher)
Laura O'Sullivan (Teacher)
Marina Collins (Teacher)
Sean Shiels (Teacher)
Marie Neary (Teacher)
Imelda Noonan (Administrator)

Learners Council

The centre has developed a Learners' Council, which is regarded, by the staff team and the learners, as an appropriate forum for learners to make suggestions and express opinions on issues that arise in the day to day running of the Centre. The council gives learners an opportunity to have their say in how the centre should operate, and it instils a sense of ownership of the Programme. There are approximately six meetings a year.

Location of Centre

The Fealeside STTC is located in the town of Abbeyfeale, Co. Limerick.
It is in Mountmahon Industrial Estate, close to the town's main street, and serves both the town itself, and the catchment area of Abbeyfeale.
The Centre is near the towns Secondary School and both the boys and girls national schools.

Enrolment

Enrolment as of 1st September 2010 is 12 students

Communications with Immediate School Community

This includes pupils, parents, national schools, general public, local business, etc. Also mention the methods of communication in each specific case, e.g. 'phone call, letter, form, brochure, etc., and the purpose of the communication.

There is a wide variety of communication with the wider Abbeyfeale community.
Phone contact/ meetings with staff /advocate are maintained with schools community projects local day care centre with a view to securing work placements.
Brochures are used by the students when advertising Open days in the centre and in organising the Hair & Beauty salon for use by the wider community.
There is communication with the Business community in Abbeyfeale which consists of Phone contact/ meetings with staff /advocate with a view to securing work placements for students. Fundraising events are held periodically in the centre with money raised going to local charities in the community.

Centre Development Planning Initiatives

During 2009-2010 the second Centre Development plan was developed as part of the Quality Framework Initiative.
The plan was developed through a consultation process with the Learners, the Centre Staff, Co-ordinators, V.E.C. Management, and representatives of other key organisations in the community.

Innovations and Developments

During 2009-2010 a number of meetings were held between staff in UL and centre staff to look at the issue of engagement from Travellers in County Limerick with the University of Limerick.
Learners met with the UL team on the project in their own centres so that they could have an opportunity to be involved with them in devising a programme. This ensured greater ownership and buy in from the learners.
A Six Week Access Programme was planned with UL STTC staff and Learners and Ann-Marie Garrihy. The Students attended the University one day a week, which afforded them the opportunity to experience life on a university campus.
During their access programme learners engaged with staff from a number of departments in UL such as such as the Music Centre, Nomad Project and the Health Promotion Unit.
It is envisaged that during 2010-2011 a Post Leaving Cert programme will be developed which will allow two students's the opportunity to attend lectures in UL for one day a week.

Highlights of the Year

During the Centre Development Planning Process, students and staff conducted market research within Abbeyfeale this market research involved students in the design of survey questions designed to inform us as practitioners on the ground moving forward from the closure of the STTC. This survey on the need for an Adult Education facility in the local area of Abbeyfeale was conducted during the week ended 12 March 2010. Strategic locations were selected in the area and questionnaires were distributed to a sample target groups and collected immediately.
The survey examined demographic employment and education levels of those surveyed. The findings show a very real need and demand for an Adult Education and lifelong learning centre in Abbeyfeale.

[St. Catherine's Carlow] [St. Joseph's Ennis] [St. Finbarr's Blackpool] [St. Fiachra's Letterkenny] [St. Joseph's Finglas] [Cara Park Coolock] [St. Oliver's Clondalkin] [St. Basil's Tallaght]
[Sandy Road Galway] [Madonna House Ballinasloe] [Ballygar Galway] [St. Brendan's Loughrea] [St. Benin's Tuam] [St Anne's Killarney] [St. Canice's Portlaoise] [St. Joseph's Carrick-on-Shannon] [Fealeside Abbeyfeale] [Riverside Rathkeale] [St. Mel's Longford] [Tara Dundalk]
[St. Catherine's Ballina] [Navan] [Birr] [St. Colmcille's Tullamore] [Roscommon]
[Youth Dev Proj Thurles] [Shannon Bank Athlone] [Mullingar] [Ross Youth New Ross]
[St. Kieran's Bray] [Centre of Education Wicklow]
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