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AONTAS Update...
10 August 2010 Issue Number 45 Welcome Welcome to the AONTAS Update! The AONTAS Update is a weekly resource designed to keep members informed about current lifelong learning issues as well as what’s happening in AONTAS! Please let us know what you think of the bulletin by taking a short survey here.
Weekly Survey The reintroduction of fees for higher education may be endorsed by a strategy group examining higher education. Do you agree with the In June 2010, the Tanáiste announced details of a number of ‘Labour Market reintroduction of fees for higher Activation Measures’ by providers within the public, private and statutory education? Click here to let us sector. Different levels of accreditation are offered, and subjects on offer vary know. from engineering to web design, aquaculture to enterprise. Many of the courses are currently recruiting. For more information about what’s available in your area, visit the information section of the AONTAS website: http://www.aontas.com/information/ Each week, we will include a short poll / survey in the AONTAS The Update will be e-mailed to members every Tuesday afternoon. If you have Update. This is just one difficulty viewing the Update in your e-mail window, download as a PDF by opportunity for members to let clicking here. Members are very welcome to contribute and if you have us know your opinions on the anything for inclusion, please e-mail it to Eleonora Peruffo current issues! (eperuffo@aontas.com) by 5pm on Monday afternoon.
POLICY
PROMOTION
MEMBERSHIP
Adult Education News
Adult Learners’ Festival News Events Publications & Websites
AONTAS News Membership News AONTAS Membership
INFORMATION Education & Training Opportunities International News
POLICY ADULT EDUCATION NEWS DIT rushes to create 900 extra places for jobless Education Minister Mary Coughlan has announced an extra €12m for 33 providers to run courses which will benefit 5,000 unemployed people. Thirdlevel institutions, VECs, private providers and not-for-profit organisations were contacted. DIT itself has received €3m with which to create an extra 900 college places. A full list of approved programmes will be available by August 12 on www.dit.ie/upskill. (Irish Independent, 07/08/2010) Anger at State’s silence on ‘brain drain’ CSO figures show there were 68,600 unemployed graduates in March, compared with 25,400 at the same time in 2008 which has led to the Government being accused of allowing a graduate ‘brain drain’ to occur. The jobs problem is greater for males, who account for 60pc of out-of-work graduates, up from 56pc two years ago. (Irish Independent, 03/08/2010) Students opt for engineering and science in hope of finding work Following an analysis by the HEA on this year’s CAO applications, trends have shown that growing numbers of students are choosing to study engineering, computing and science. Science is currently the top choice for 7pc of applicants for level 8 courses, compared with 5.4pc in 2007.Computing attracted 1,835 first preferences in 2007, 3.3pc of the total, but this year it has risen to 3,163, or 4.7pc. The number of students making engineering their first choice has risen from 3.8pc to 4.3pc. (Irish Independent, 03/08/10) Parents struggling as cost of education hits €70,000 A survey carried out by schooldays.ie has shown that the cost of educating a child from primary school to college graduation is nearing the €70,000 mark. The total cost of primary education to a parent works out at €13,528 per child, while the five or six years of secondary schooling totals €14,112 on average. But higher education is the most expensive, working out at an average of €41,851 per graduate. (Irish Independent, 05/08/10) More students struggle to make ends meet at college According to the fifth annual survey carried out by DIT Office Campus Life it costs on average €7,470 for a student living away from home and €3,789 for those living at home. This figure does not include the student registration fee of €1,500. (Irish Independent, 06/08/10) School-leavers facing tougher competition for college places The latest CAO figures have shown mature applicants are up by more than a sixth, from 12,593 a year ago to 14,696, making up 19% of all CAO applicants, up from 17% a year ago. There is also a 26% rise in applicants with awards
from Post-Leaving Certificate and other further education courses to over 18,500 people, or almost one-in-four applications. (Irish Examiner, 07/08/10) Retrain in science, IT and sales, say experts According to a panel of recruitment and academic experts the areas the longterm unemployed should be considering re-training in are science, accountancy, sales, information technology, biotechnology and pharmaceutical services. Ed Walsh, founding president of the University of Limerick, has advised people to re-skill as much as they can and to leave the country if they still can’t find employment. (Irish Examiner, 07/08/10)
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PROMOTION ADULT LEARNERS FESTIVAL NEWS Adult Learners’ Festival 2011-Date for your Diary The Adult Learners’ Festival 2011 takes place from 21st to 25th February 2011. The Festival, now in its fifth year is a nationwide celebration of adult learning coordinated by AONTAS – The National Adult Learning Organisation. Planning is well underway for the 2011 Festival and further information will be circulated in the coming weeks. Adult Learners’ Festival 2010 Report This report contains an in depth look at the organisation of the Adult Learners’ Festival 2010 as well as key outcomes and recommendations for future Festivals. The report is intended to be a companion document to the Adult Learners’ Festival Explore Magazine which provides a snapshot of the celebrations during the 2010 Festival week. Click here to read the full report. In the coming weeks more information will be available on www.adultlearnersfestival.com
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Events A debate to identify the choices civil society could rally behind. The ‘Claiming Our Future’ event takes place in the Industries Hall of the RDS in Dublin on 30th October 2010. People from a wide range of civil society sectors are meeting to stake our claim to, and articulate our vision of, Ireland’s future. Trade union, cultural, community, developing world, disability, rural, environmental, migrant worker, student and youth groups are amongst those taking part. Please click here to see the document seeking to support debate in
PUBLICATIONS & WEBSITES St Margaret‘s Travellers Women’s group in collaboration with FAS, LTI and the ballymun Adult read and Write scheme published a book entitled “Traveller Traditions- a book of stories, poems, cures and recipes”. ******
the build up to the event which will in turn shape deliberations at the event.
****** AONTAS is putting together the next issue of the magazine Explore. The next issue will profile some of the new Activation Measures, give an overview of the AONTAS Strategic Planning Process, and an update on the latest policy development in adult education. Do you have an idea for a feature, news from your project that you would like to share, or a policy issue that you would like to raise? If you would like to write a short article, or suggest an idea for an article, then contact Niamh Farren, Communications Officer, nfarren@aontas.com or on 01 406 8220.
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MEMBERSHIP AONTAS NEWS st
CEN meeting-21 October 2010 The next CEN meeting will take place on Thursday 21st October in The Carmichael Centre, North Brunswick Street, Dublin 7. Registration will take place at 9.45am and we will finish up with lunch at 1.15pm. The agenda for the day and further information will be available shortly. Please click on the link to register. http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/QCGYHBG
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MEMBERSHIP NEWS We are currently planning to change from posting invoices and statements to sending them by email, enabling us to improve efficiency. In order to ensure that we have your current contact details, please complete our online form.
AONTAS MEMBERSHIP Any organisation, group or individual that is involved, or interested, in adult and community education may apply for membership. If you feel that you would benefit both in your practice and personally from AONTAS join our vibrant organisation today! ******
Click here or go to http://www.aontas.com/membership/ at your earliest convenience and fill in the form in our Existing Members section If you have any questions regarding this email, please contact Dympna Larkin at dlarkin@aontas.com or phone 01 4068220.
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INFORMATION
EDUCATION & TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES Labour Market Activation Measures In June 2010, the Tanáiste announced details of a number of ‘Labour Market Activation Measures’ by providers within the public, private and statutory sector. Different levels of accreditation are offered, and subjects on offer vary from engineering to web design, aquaculture to enterprise. Many of the courses are currently recruiting. For more information about what’s available in your area, visit the information section of the AONTAS website. ****** Courses at UCD The UCD Adult Education Centre offers a wide range of part-time evening and day-time courses. The 2010-2011 programme is now available.Please click here for more information: http://www.ucd.ie/adulted/
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Information Booklet If you are interested in returning to education why not contact our Information Referral Service on 01 4068220. Alternatively, download a copy of the Information Booklet by clicking here *****
International News 9th Transformative Learning Conference-call for Papers The theme for the conference is Transformative Learning in Time of Crisis: Individual and Collective Challenges. The emergence of crisis represents both an opportunity and a challenge for professionals in the field of education. The aim of this conference is to provide an opportunity to reinterpret through the lens of transformative learning theories the nature of contemporary political, economic, social, psychological, cultural or environmental crisis, as experienced individually and collectively. Keynote speakers and plenary sessions will center on the conference theme. In addition to sessions dealing with individual and collective experiences of crisis, proposals are invited on all dimensions of research, theory and practice dealing with transformative learning. The organizers invite you to submit proposals in four categories: paper presentations, innovative experiential sessions, symposia and roundtable. Proposal deadline is 1 Nov. 2010; paper deadline is 15 April 2011. More information available here: http://www.tlcathens2011.gr/tlc_athens_call.pdf Website: http://www.tlcathens2011.gr/
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Back to Contents AONTAS is the National Adult Learning Organisation. It is a non-governmental organisation that exists to ensure that every adult in Ireland has access to appropriate and affordable learning opportunities throughout their lives, thus enabling them to participate in the economic, social, civic and cultural development of Irish society. For further information visit www.aontas.com or www.adultlearnersfestival.com. Apologies for any cross posting. If you no longer wish to receive information from AONTAS, please e-mail mail@aontas.com.
AONTAS – The National Adult Learning Organisation 83 – 87 Main Street, Ranelagh, Dublin 6W Ph 01 4068220«Fax 014068227«E-mail mail@aontas.com Company Registration: 80958 Charity Registration: 6719