Gaeilge
Donegal ETB has announced a programme of events for College Awareness Week taking place from 19-24 November.
College Awareness Week (#CAW18) aims to promote and celebrate the benefits of going to college and to support students of all ages to become ‘college ready’. It aims to inspire and inform all students about the importance of having a post-secondary education plan. It advocates for students to have the choice to pursue the course best suited to their interests, abilities and dreams, whether that is a Further Education and Training (FET) course such as a Post-Leaving Certificate (PLC) course or an apprenticeship or a university degree.
As the largest education and training provider in the county, with almost 26,000 learners completing courses with it in 2017, Donegal ETB’s schools and Further Education and Training (FET) Service hopes to raise awareness amongst its own students and learners and the general public about the wide range of further education and training opportunities it can provide throughout the county as well as other further, higher and employment opportunities.
The programme for the week kicks off with a focus on careers in the HSE (such as first response, psychologist, midwives, ambulance and environmental health) for its Errigal College Transition Year (TY) students on Monday 19 November. Throughout the week its Coláiste Ailigh teachers will host a ‘Teachers Pathways Poster Campaign’ for their students with teachers displaying posters showing their college/university pathways. Its Sixth year students will also talk to First year students about their upcoming college choices throughout the week. Abbey Vocational School students will visit the National Fisheries College of Ireland in Greencastle.
On 20 November, Donegal ETB’s Deele College in Raphoe will host ‘From STEM to Start-ups: Making Career Connections at Deele’, featuring thirty representatives from traditional and innovative industries, including the ETB’s own Apprenticeship Service, to enable them to learn about the vast array of careers and the benefits of college. Its Crana College students will benefit from a ‘Role Model’ day which involves past students, parents and friends from all walks of life talking to current students about their career journey in a series of small group discussions where students will hear exactly what their job is like and how they got there.
Throughout the week Donegal ETB’s Further Education and Training (FET) Service will host open days in its Ballyshannon FET Centre on Tuesday 20 November (2.00-4.00pm), its Buncrana Youthreach Centre on Wednesday 21 November (10.00am-12.00pm) and its Gaoth Dobhair Training centre on Thursday 22 November (2.00-6.00pm). These are open to the public who are encouraged to come along and find out what some of Donegal ETB’s FET centres have to offer.
Donegal ETB’s FET Service has also organised an information session of for its FET learners in Donegal Town on Higher Education course progression options available to them at both Letterkenny IT and IT Sligo, while its Gortahork Youthreach programme will host a series of talks for its learners throughout the week including talks from Donegal ETB’s own Apprenticeship team, North West Regional College, Gartan Outdoor Education Centre, as well as former learners talking about their experiences and journey through college. Learners will also visit Letterkenny IT and Donegal ETB’s Gaoth Dobhair Training Centre.
You can check out the full range of College Awareness Week events taking place in Donegal here: https://www.collegeaware.ie/events/events-by-county/?county=Donegal and keep an eye on Donegal ETB’s social media accounts during the week (@DonegalETB) and through the hashtag #CAW18.
