All the hard work pays off for graduating Youthreach students

ALMOST 80 students from 12 Youthreach centres across the county, including Fermoy, Macroom and Ballincollig, were honoured for their outstanding individual achievements at a recent graduation ceremony.

The students were awarded certificates across a variety of disciplines, including general learning, IT/communications, employability skills and culinary skills, representing the scope of courses available through the Youthreach programme.

A national programme aimed at encouraging early school leavers back into education, it is an important element of the Cork Education and Training Board’s (CETB) Further Education and Training (FET) initiative, specifically targeting young people aged 16-20 who are not in mainstream education or who have left education without any qualifications.

Youthreach provides small group tuition in a supported environment where students have the flexibility to follow their interests, with a strong focus on progression to further education and employment in Youthreach Centres. Some centres offer the Work Wise Skills programme which facilitates students undertaking work for three days a week.

This helped one student from Youthreach Macroom, Dean Cronin, commence an apprenticeship in panel beating, having graduated with a Level 4 award in Employment Skills.

Many of the students from the ‘Class of 2019’, included all of the 11 graduates from Macroom Youthreach who have taken up places at St John’s College, have progressed to either employment or further education with the CETB.

Presenting the graduates with their awards CETB director of further education and training, John Fitzgibbons, said great credit was also due to the coordinators and staff at their Youthreach centres.

“Today’s event marks the achievement of learners across our 12 centres - the completion of their courses and the awarding of their QQI certificates,” said Mr Fitzgibbons

“We are proud of how each one of our centres delivers an education and training programme for young people that is designed to meet their needs, and allows them to develop as individuals and prepares them to progress on to further studies or enter employment.”

Photos: Jim Coughlan. Karolina Grzybowska, Aoibheann Rice and Roisin Flanagan, Ballincollig Youthreach, at the Youthreach ‘Class of 2019’ Cork graduation ceremony in the Radisson Blu Hotel.

John Fitzgibbons ,Cork ETB, presenting Ethan Ward from Macroom Youthreach with his QQI Level 4 Employment Skills certificate.

Pictured waiting to receive their certificates are Havilla Carmo Pereira and Shawne Gottsch, Fermoy Youthreach QQI Level 4 General Learnin graduates.

John Fitzgibbons, Cork ETB, presenting Seanadh O’Sullivan from Ballincollig Youthreach with her QQI Level 4 Employment Skills certificate.

Sora Barnett, Macroom Youthreach Employment Skills graduate with Felix Barnett.

Linton Lombard, Macroom Youthreach QQI General Learning graduate and Carmel Lombard.

Ballincollig Youthreach graduates Danny O’Reilly Ryan and Luke Milner.

Havilla Carmo Pereira and Shawne Gottsch, Fermoy Youthreach General Learning graduates.