79 adult learners from Cork came together on the first day of Spring in Ballincollig last Thursday (1st) for a regional meeting of the National Further Education and Training (FET) Learner Forum. Learners came together to share their personal experiences of Further Education and Training and suggested improvements to ensure learners thrive in a further education setting.
This meeting was one of a series of regional meetings that will take place across the country this year. During the meeting, adult learners expressed an increase in confidence and empowerment to voice their concerns locally. Migrant learners were keen to praise their tutors and how welcome they made them feel, while also sharing a real love of Ireland with them.
Some of the concerns raised by Cork learners included a high demand for certain courses, the rising costs of food and beverages at centres, as well as a lack of tutors to run disability-friendly courses. However, there were many suggestions shared on how to address these issues, including more online course options, greater awareness of the learner council and circulating financial information to participants earlier in the process.
Ultimately, adult learners were hugely positive about the learner forum, saying it was an excellent opportunity for problem solving through peer support.
If you are thinking of going back to education, you can find further information on www.aontas.com. You can also check out the range of programmes available at the Waterford and Wexford Educational Training Board https://www.wwetb.ie/fet/course-finder/
 for a regional meeting of the National Further Education and Training (FET) Learner Forum. Learners came together to share their personal experiences of Further Education and Training and suggested improvements to ensure learners thrive in a further education setting.){kind=link}