St. Mel's Training Centre

Below are a few examples of the work that takes place here in the Centre.

Domestic Science

In the welI equipped kitchen at the Training Centre, the girls are taught cooking, baking, meal preparation and planning. hygiene and home budgeting. These classes are in fact really in-house training as almost all are practical and geared to the successful running of a home or a small catering business.

Arts and Crafts

Great attention is given to enhancing the talents of the girls at the centre and the Arts and Craft room is where this talent is put on display. As well as sewing and dressmaking, knitting crochet and needlework, Trainees also manufacture items such as soft toys, quilts, bean bags, cushions, knitted hats and jumpers and various other articles. These skills which are taught will be with the Trainees all their lives and should prove to be useful to them always.

Hairdressing

The hairdressing salon which is on the premises is fully equipped and up to date so as to enable the fully qualified Stylist to pass on the skills and experience to the Trainees in the proper and approved manner. This class has proved to be highly popular and the level of achievement is particularly high.

Metal-Work and Car Maintenance

This class passes on the engineering skills which form the basis of most engineering trades. The Trainees are instructed in welding, forge-work, fabrication (manufacture of items from steel), car engine and body maintenance. Again the emphasis is on the practical aspect and Trainees strip and assemble engines on fully set up training equipment in a modern workshop. A recent addition to the equipment is a manual engineering lathe which will improve the valuable training given. Also, the enterprising teacher, Ken Martin has successfully received sanction from Dept of Education and Longford Community Resources for a computer numerically controlled Lathe and a computer numerically controlled Milling Machine - the value of this equipment is well in excess of £20,000.

Wood Crafts and Carpentry

The trainees learn the art of working with wood from the rough timber to the finished product. It is here that some Trainees excel and many examples of the skill acquired can be viewed on Open Day which is held traditionally in November. Products such as multi-timbered lamp shade holders to household furniture, all top quality wood products.

Literacy, Numeracy and Computer Skills

Trainees, both male and female, also avail of the services of a qualified teacher to enhance their Literacy and Numeracy skills and standards. Also they are taught computer skills which a number of Trainees, both past and present, have reached a standard which enabled them to sit the Pitmans Institute examinations and pass them. These examinations are recognised world wide. The pupils of this class also produce a quarterly magazine being responsible for production, content and distribution, the results of which is a magazine of a very high standard.

Stained Glass Module

A very valuable addition to the afore-mentioned subjects is a Stained Glass Module. The male trainees are now manufacturing stained glass products of a very high standard. The class has proved to be a great success, both in new skills acquired and pride of workmanship which leads to a greater confidence among trainees.

NCVA Assessment

All teachers now use National Council for Vocational Awards Assessment System. Trainees were recently successfully assessed at Foundation Level in the following modules:-

• Communications
• Food and Cookery
• Engineering Work shop Processes
• Caring for Children
• Wood craft.

Ironing and Car Valeting Services.

These services are staffed by a Community Employment Scheme of twelve people, composed mainly of ex-trainees. It is one of our initiatives to help with the unemployment problem among Travellers.

The ironing service which has being ongoing for a number of years provides a service which is of benefit to the general public. It is of immense value to relieve the workload of a working parent. The ironing service is cost effective, fast and efficient.

The car valeting service provides the garage sales team and the private motorist with a very high quality valeting service. The car valeting team is very experienced and will tackle any vehicle and bring out the best. We have many satisfied repeat custoniers and this service is growing.

The C.E. Scheme is also responsible for the production of the weekly newsletter which is widely distributed throughout the Longford area. The newsletter is being produced for eight years now and is a very important part of the community life of Travellers here in Longford. It deals with many Travellers issues and helps to give to Travellers a sense of their own worth. It receives coverage every week in the local newspapers.

The participants on the Scheme also look after the maintenance of the ntire building. This C.E. Scheme is, of course, sponsored by FAS and is of vital importance to the work of the Centre.

Other initiatives in the pipe-line are a proposed Hurley-manufacturing enterprise which will employ two former trainees before the end of this year (‘98), and a Community Youth Training Project which will employ ten former trainees to building a Community Centre/Dressing Rooms on the site of the new pitch.

Sporting and Cultural

On the sporting front, the Centre is a very busy place with no less than three soccer teams more or less operating out of the Centre. St. Mel’s Shamrocks, St. Mel’s Rovers and Longford Wanderers all take part in the District League and compete in many cup competitions with some distinction. There are also 5 a-side teams and 7 a - side also. There is also a fully equipped gym with weight training classes under a qualified instructor and this gym also doubles as a recreation room with pool and soccer tables and many other games available. The sporting side of this is funded by the National Lottery.

In matters of culture the Centre is not found lacking with the Trainees visiting various educational exhibitions and theatres, attending plays with an educational value. A recent play which was "No Need To Argue Any More", dealt with Alzheimer’s Disease.

For further infomation on the Training Centre ring 043 - 46220

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[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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