New home for Cootehill Youth

Cootehill Youth reach formally acknowledged the opening of their new premises with an official ribbon cutting this morning. The honour of marking the education centre's inauguration fell to Cllr Clifford Kelly.

Cootehill Youthreach Co-ordinator, Mike Durkan, explained the significance of the event: “It's an important day because we are marking the movement from Market Street to out new premises. This year Youthreach will be 20 years in Cootehill. Solas granted funding for a new building last year. It's important that the community and the county know we are open for business.”

Youthreach is the full-time training and education programme for early school leavers aged between 15 and 20 years. It offers a flexible and dynamic programme of integrated general education, vocational training and work experience.

The Cootehill programmes is one of three, along with Cavan town and Kingscourt, in the county. The service recent returned to providing education training to learners who set personal and educational goals to increase self-esteem, skill and their knowledge base. Targeted at young people looking for an alternative to traditional secondary school the programme has grown in popularity since it was first established in 1988.

Mr Durkan says the 2020 Cootehill learners are settling in to the new location: “We are up and running for the last number of weeks. We have the capacity of more students. We deliver Level 3 and 4 QQI certified courses for students who have not worked out in secondary school. We still have limited spaces if there are students interested in joining.”

The Youthreach Co-ordinator says the new building is proving to be very popular: “It's well resourced. We got additional funding for technology. Every learner and staff member have their own device.

“Recruitment has not been a problem. On March 11 when the world changed and the national lockdown came into place there was an initial difference. It was difficult to have a seamless transition from classroom to self directed learning at home,” Mr Durkan told the Celt.

“Everybody, staff to learners alike, had to equip themselves with TEAMS and develop an appropriate skill set. It was a learning curve for everyone, but thankfully everyone put their shoulder to the wheel and we have come out the other side equipped for blended learning,” he said of the way the program has had to adapt to Covid restrictions.

The Coothill programme holds up the aspirations of the national plan of promoting independence, personal autonomy and a pattern of lifelong learning. Youthreach aims to integrate learners into further education and training opportunities and promote active citizenship and social inclusion.