Adult learners - your time has come

While AONTAS will be running a national Adult Learners" Festival during the week February 2-6, County Cavan VEC will be showcasing the wonderful strides that have been made in terms of adult education in the county. There are different themes for each day and a varied programme of events has been formulated to offer a window of opportunity to the public to see and learn at first hand what services are on offer from the Cavan Adult Learning Centre and the Adult Education and Guidance Service. Together with Carmel Lee and Siobhan McEntee, Regina Lynch shares responsibility for Adult Basic Education and Jason Donohue looks after the Education Guidance Service in a most progressive manner. Finola Keogh from County Cavan VEC Adult Education Services told the Anglo-Celt that they will be launching several classes and programmes that are being run in the Adult Learning Centre in Cavan and throughout the county. Events include a presentation on 'BEBO and web safety for your children', an Adult Education guidance clinic and a beginners computers class. Details on web safety and other adult education programmes are available from Regina on 049-4361881, while Jason can be contacted on 049-4377001 regarding the Adult Education guidance clinic. The first of the beginners computer classes will take place today (Wednesday), February 4 and the theme is 'you are never too old to learn'. The launch of this class will take place in conjunction with Positive Age community group in Cavan.The six-week course will teach members of this group basic computer skills including how to use the internet and email. The festival website is www.adultlearnersfestival.com and you will get plenty of background information there. Alternatively contact Finola Keogh, the festival"s local link at Co Cavan VEC"s Adult Education Services on 049-4361881. John Wrenne, Cavan town John is a mature student since last year. He left school at 12 years of age because he came from a family of 13, and somebody had to go out and help his father making additional money. The Cork man came to Cavan in October, 1969 with the Army. He retired from the Army in 1998 and keeps active by his involvement with the GAA, both hurling and football. He has a great interest in computers and it is his goal to build his own website. John is married to Christine and they have one daughter, Shirley who has just received her Masters degree. John went to Fresh Start at the outset over two years ago, where Mairead McKenna was the tutor. While there, he was afforded the opportunity of attending an open day at Cavan Institute. He observed there were lots of computer courses and web development. 'I said to myself, that would suit me and I went for it and I now love the diversity of the course.' He is now the senior student representative on the Board of Management of Cavan Institute and is thrilled to have been elected by the students of the Institute. He also hopes to progress further in his education and endeavour to make up for lost time. John continues to liaise with Jason Donohue from the Adult Education guidance service and is very energised by the wonderful learning atmosphere at Cavan Institute. He also looks after the Cavan GAA website. He has completed his FETAC level 5 and is currently doing FETAC level 6. He is delighted with the fact that he got two distinctions, five merits and two passes. 'Not bad,' says John for a fella that left school at the tender age of twelve. John is doing website development using "dream weaver" and "flash" and he is also doing design. He is also doing XHTML and photoshop, film editing, final cut pro and communications. He has nothing but praise for the tutors in the Institute - Donna McCarron and Cara McDermott and Brenda Hennessy. John is a remarkable man and will be 59 years on March 16, and is the senior figure amongst all the young people in the class. It has opened up a new window of opportunity for John and it gets him out of bed in the morning. He has now applied to go to Dundalk Institute to study FETAC level 7 and will be starting as a second year student in Dundalk and all of this will progress in the direction of his ultimate objective of getting a degree. He ultimately would like to get involved in web development and design. He is being sponsored by VTOS, a programme of funding for mature students administered by Co Cavan VEC Adult Education Services. John served 30 years and 3 months in the Irish Army and worked for six years prior to that as a Groomsman in Crosshaven, County Cork. Teresa Walsh, Killymooney, Cavan Teresa lives in Cavan town and had been working for many years as a waitress and then had to give up employment due to a disability. Not a lady to let life pass her by, Teresa decided to go to Cavan Adult Learning Centre and set about studying for her Junior Cert. Teresa who is in the 40s age bracket always want to return to study. She is a married to John and they have two grown up children. She is surprised with all the knowledge she has gleaned through the 'University of Life' and is finding studying much easier and more rewarding this time around. Teresa did not know anything about computers before going to the centre and is now totally hooked on them. 'I absolutely love going on the computer now and I use it frequently in the County Library. It has opened up a whole new world for me.' This is a very ambitious woman and when the Junior Cert is completed, she hopes to progress to studying for her Leaving Certificate. She might then consider some course in Cavan Institute and she firmly believes that second chance education is 'really empowering'. Anthony Smith, Gowna Anthony is in his 20s and was was driving machinery in the construction industry and also did labouring before being laid off. He did not know where to turn after having permanent work for years but a relation gave him the impetus to get in touch with the Adult Education Centre. Anthony soon had a meeting with Jason Donohoe who is the Adult Education guidance counsellor with County Cavan VEC. He completed a programme of searching questions to ascertain new areas he could embark upon with confidence. He was about to undertake a course but due to the fact that he had a skill in panel beating, he made contact with a garage, which offered him a job. 'I am doing an apprenticeship with him at present.' Anthony (25) said that when he completed the Leaving Certificate in 2001, the construction industry was going well and he decided to go for it. He had nothing but praise for the Adult Education Centre and Jason Donohue. 'Their programme allowed me to see the bigger picture and focus on the fact that I should go for a career, which would entail using my hands,' concluded Anthony.