Northwest Express Education Feature August 2011

education tď€ˆaining

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Courses & Classes Training & Colleges Transport

Childcare Courses: Taking Care Of The Future

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hild care professionals have an incredibly important job – nurturing children and looking after their safety and wellbeing. As such it is important that people this direction are well prepared and receive adequate training.

The majority of childcare training courses available similar core topics, these include child development, early childhood education and communication. These days IT training is also included to a certain extent. This may only be simple computer skills, but a basic knowledge is required in order to operate some computer based learning systems that some childcare groups and companies employ.

Childcare Courses Ireland Childcare courses, regardless of the nature of the content and the manner of teaching employed at the various col-

leges, can be quite comprehensive these days.

There are certain laws and guidelines that everyone in this profession has to adhere to, and as a result these form an important part of any course. Modules on caring for children, appropriate behaviour, occupational first aid and a general introduction to working in childcare are all necessary and any good course will include them.

The other essential element of any good childcare course is work experience.

Whether the course itself lasts one, two or three years, there should be an element of work experience to introduce you to the unpredictable world of work! This is most definitely the fun element! The length of the placement all depends on the individual col-

lege & the length of the course. Some placements may last just weeks, whereas others will require you to send an entire year working. This information will be available to you before you enrol on the course and the experience you would like can often determine which course you go for!

In terms of the career prospects on offer for individuals looking to complete a childcare course, there are a wide range of options. Some people choose to go on to teaching, others become a nanny in a private home or work in a day care centre. There would also be options to work with disabled or disadvantaged children which can be an extremely rewarding career choice for suitable candidates.

www.moatebusinesscollege.com Telephone: 090-6481178

Improve your prospects of Employment

Take the MBC ‌..

Business Professional Nat. Cert. in Administration Award: FETAC Level 6 Register on or before Friday September 30th For further details visit ww.moatebusinesscollege.com or phone Frances at 090-6481178

Adult Learning; A second chance

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HORT courses at night schools, vocational courses designed to give people a trade or enhance existing skills and attending university courses on a full or part time basis are all forms of adult learning.

Adult learning courses usually last between eight weeks and nine months, depending on the nature of the course and the content. For example, a skills course to enhance administration skills will probably last longer than one covering cake decoration.

Adult learning courses usually require an individual to attend two to three times a week for one or two hour classes.

Adult Learning, further education The classes can be scheduled at any time of day but are most commonly run as evening courses to help people to arrange them around their working patterns or their other commitments, such as caring for children. There may also be two versions of the

same course running simultaneously, one in the day and one in the evening, to give more flexibility & cater for a those with differing schedules.

In terms of the course content to be found on adult learning schemes, it varies in relation to the course itself, but the majority of the work and assessment is classroom based with a practical exam or regular exam at the end of the course. However, the typical course content for adult learning varies depending on area of study.

In terms of career progression, adult learning courses can considerably enhance your career prospects. A good number of the courses are designed to introduce you to new skills related to your existing career or enhance those that you already have. The ones that can supplement your existing knowledge can enhance your employability for future jobs elsewhere or indeed enhance your position within the company, thus making your promotion prospects more real.

Education is the future at Anne Tobin Beauty College

Ballybrit, Galway. Tel: 091-764131 Email: info@cuirtnarasai.com - www.cuirtnarasai.com

ATTENTION GMIT STUDENTS Cúirt Na Rásaí GMIT and Cluain Mhuire Student Apartments

Are now taking bookings for 2011 2 Bedroom Apartment (3 double beds) 4 Bedroom Apartments (6 double beds) Single Rooms from 75 p/week Twin Rooms Sharing from 50 per person/week

www.cuirtnarasai.com

BOOK NOW

ANNE Tobin Beauty College is Mayo’s most prestigious and longest established Beauty and Holistic College. It is an excellent facility which caters specifically for Beauty and Body therapies. The college boasts a spacious modern practical room, 2 large classrooms and a canteen area for all students.

ITEC HOLISTIC MASSAGE COURSE Massage is a combination of various movements used to manipulate the soft tissues to relax, stimulate and rehabilitate the whole body or part of it.

This course is designed as the first stepping stone on the road to a Holistic Therapies career. This course covers Anatomy & Physiology of the body, including the systems of the body, its muscles and bones and also a full body Holistic massage routine. From this course you can continue your career into Reflexology, Sports Massage, Indian Head Massage treatments, Hot stone Massage treatments, Aromatherapy and many more.

ITEC SPORTS MASSAGE COURSE Sports Massage is the use of massage for the treatment and prevention of sports injuries. It can be used as part of a training programme to help prevent injury, as part of rehabilitation programme to treat injury, as part of a warmup for an event and as part of the wind-down

after the event.

Sports massage like other forms of massage helps improve the suppleness and flexibility of muscles and joints. It improves lymph and blood circulation and assists the body systems in functioning at their optimum level. Sports massages also speeds up healing of damaged or overworked tissue, increases fitness capabilities and performance, prevents future injuries by treating weak or problem areas, improves muscle suppleness, flexibility and mobility. Sports Massage combines classic Swedish Massage movements with other more advanced techniques such as lymph drainage, compression, fractioning, neuro-muscular technique, muscle energy technique, soft tissue release and connective tissue release.

ITEC MAKE-UP ARTISTRY COURSE Fashion, Media and Theatre Make-up Course commencing Autumn 2011 at Anne Tobin Beauty College. For those who already have a qualification in make-up or beauty therapy and wish to further their knowledge and career in the area, this higher level diploma course is an excellent option.

This course covers fashion/trend and editorial looks, special effects, prosthetics, body art and film/TV make-up. The school trainers are highly experienced make-up artists who have worked with the BBC and film companies in England and internationally.

Other courses available at Anne Tobin Beauty College: ITEC/CIBTAC Beauty Therapy ITEC/CIBTAC Beauty Specialist ITEC Reflexology ITEC Diploma in Lecturing......and many more.

Anne Tobin Beauty College, Castlebar, Co. Mayo. Phone 094 90 23000 Website www.annetobinbeautycollege.ie annetobinbeautycollege@eircom.net

RED DOOR BOOKSHOP NOW OPEN 22 High Street, Sligo

Buy your Primary and Secondary Books early this year to avoid the September rush, while at the same time droping in your unwanted books and uniforms for re-sale.

We also stock a large selection of Third Level Books and School Uniforms Open Daily 9.30am to 5.30pm For Further information phone

086-1080903

Become a Lifeguard in Moate Business College

THE Sport and Leisure course in Moate Business College introduced a new module Lifeguarding to the course this year. The Lifeguard course is a Fetac Level 6 module and is certified by the Irish Water Safety.

Students who successfully complete both

the practical and theory exam can work as a lifeguard in the leisure industry. Students must be a competent swimmer with the ability to swim a variety of strokes and be confident in the deep end to partake in the module. Students learn a variety of skills including CPR, stroke development, a variety of rescue strokes and techniques.

This module helps students develop personal and professional skills and qualities which they can continue to use in the future. Included below are some pictures of students practising some rescue strokes and techniques. www.moatebusinesscollege.com Telephone: 090-6481178

TIMLIN’S  Pearse Street, Ballina. Est 1948 

Order your school uniform for 2011 from us now Over 60 Years Experience in Schoolwear Quality Irish Made Uniforms by Skippy, Deerpark and others

Prices guaranteed same as or cheaper than 2010

Expert Personal Attention

Telephone/Fax: (096) 22320 www.petertimlin.ie

FULLY STOCKED ART SHOP RELOCATION OFFERS course length. For subjects like languages and music, private tutors (check the local papers) can produce tailor made classes at affordable prices, especially if you can form a group to study together.

Dublin is an obvious centre for Ireland’s evening courses, offering a huge variety of topics at varying levels over dozens of institutions, large and small.

Elsewhere, the better known colleges in Galway, Limerick, Cork and Dundalk all offer impressive evening options, as do private schools in Waterford, Sligo and Roscommon (amongst many other areas). If you’re based in a more remote area, you may be able to find more limited courses on offer at local schools or through private tutors, but will have to travel or enrol on a distance learn-

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re you looking for a career change? Making up lost time?

Do you need a slip of paper to get that promotion, or maybe you want a new hobby, or to develop your language skills? Whatever your aims, you probably have too many responsibilities to drop everything and head off back to college. Entering full time education can mean hefty debts, a struggle to make ends meet and disconnection from a successful career path: a serious lifestyle commitment.

Evening courses, on the other hand, might take up a small chunk of free time and a little cash, but don’t require you to drastically change your life.

Evening courses might not require the same sacrifices as going full time, but that doesn’t limit what you can achieve: it’s possible to spend your evenings doing anything, right up to becoming a doctor, though it’ll take a little longer than the intensive route.

Another major benefit of an evening education is an entirely different learning environment.With many students having been out of formal education for significant periods of time, group classes tend to produce a more mature atmosphere. Students understand each other’s apprehension when it comes to learning, and many describe their classmates as supportive and dedicated. Many late night time students arrive after a full days work, have limited time to complete assignments and juggle numerous other responsibilities in their lives, but still enjoy complete courses, and do so successfully. Students tend to come from a much wider range of age groups: age, as they say, is no barrier to learning.

If you’re looking to gain a high level qualification you’ll have to plan ahead, as most providers of university-level courses run their evening courses on a similar schedule to the universities

themselves, commencing in September or January each year. You’ll also need to think carefully about your long term future, as undertaking a high level evening course may require you to live near to the learning centre for a substantial amount of time.

When studying in the evening, for example, PhDs regularly take at least 6 years to complete. Most universities now run a few of their regular courses with night time options, so your local university is a great place to start the search. By signing up with a major university, you’ll gain access to the extensive facilities (and perks) available to the full time students, and benefit from the universities reputation. Most courses at this level require prior lower level qualifications or extensive relevant experience, though if you’re doing something with

a business focus, decent management experience is often more than enough.

If you want that advanced qualification, but the universities are just too far away (or you prefer to move at your own pace) there’s always the study from home option.This market is dominated by the likes of the Open University, whose courses include almost anything that can be done without extensive onsite tutoring.

Advanced photography, design and innovation, criminology and even a PGCE (teaching qualification) are all available. Whilst there are some time restrictions, courses run by centres like the OU are by far the most flexible, as you’ll able to do everything from your own living room, largely as and when you want to.You might not ever meet your tutors, but they will act as useful hands on guides via the Internet. Should it all get too much, you’ll even have the option to leave it alone for a few months.

For most people, the thought of a full on diploma, let alone masters or PhD, might be too much to contemplate. If you’re looking for something a little less long term and a little less strenuous, commonly available options include short courses, many only a few weeks in length, these cover subjects such as languages (at all levels), writing (a subject in which the Irish Writer’s Centre in Dublin attracts particularly prestigious evening lecturers), philosophy, music, child care and film studies. Universities are an equally valuable resource in these kind of areas, though you may find that smaller, private schools and specialised centres offer more flexibility when it comes to schedules and

SLIGO

ing course to experience more in depth and intensive subject matter.

Just for fun, or as an exercise in CV building and personal development, the large and varied selection of evening courses on offer around Ireland are likely to fulfil your educational needs without interfering with your career. From cheap, large-group courses lasting a few weeks to a full on doctorate that can take several years, there’s plenty on offer to please everyone.

PAINTS UP TO 40% OFF EASELS 15-50% OFF CANVASES 30% OFF

CARD MAKING SUPPLIES - JEWELLERY MAKING - 3D MODELLING & SCULPTURE - DESIGN & SIGN WRITING SUPPLIES

GREAT CLEARANCES! Moving to Harmony Hill, Sligo in September

43 High St, Sligo.

Tel/Fax: 071-9143158 artsupply@eircom.net ANNE TOBIN BEAUTY COLLEGE & CLINIC Moneen, Castlebar, Co.Mayo. Phone: 094 9023000 Email: annetobinbeautycollege@eircom.net Web: www.annetobinbeautycollege.ie

NOW ENROLLING for AUTUMN ITEC/CIBTAC/CIDESCO Full time Beauty Therapy Course ITEC/CIBTAC Part Time Beauty Specialist Course ITEC Holistic Massage Course ITEC Sports Massage Course ITEC Anatomy & Physiology Course ITEC Reflexology Course

ITEC Electrolysis Course ITEC Make-up Artistry Course ITEC Spa Therapies Course Nail Technology Course Indian Head Massage Course Hot Stone Massage Course NEW ** Upstyling and Blowdrying courses

Contact the college for more information and to arrange an interview.

Tutors required for Beauty and Hairdressing courses.

Please forward your CV to college.

Student Transport / Weekend Service Donegal / Ballyshannon / Bundoran / Sligo / Roscommon / Carrick / Limerick

For further details Tel: 071-9641059

Learning Another Language I f it’s opportunity you’re looking for, if you want to shake up how you see the world, or even just see more of it, then maybe it’s time to learn another language. There is no doubt acquiring a second or third language can be challenging, but there are huge benefits for work, pleasure, and health reasons.

Career opportunities skyrocket when you have another language. In these tough economic times people need to make their CVs unique and significant.

Multi-lingual employees are more bang for their buck for their employers, and many companies reward staff who use the additional languages in their career with higher salaries.

Irish companies need people with second languages to create and maintain business in and with foreign-speaking countries. European languages such as German, French, or Spanish are in huge demand as the economy in Continental Europe improves, and as both Africa and South America become more open to foreign business. Meanwhile foreign companies need employees who speak their language as well as English to help expand their businesses into Ireland and other English-speaking countries. Not only are the European languages in demand, but so are Mandarin, Hindi, Russian, Japanese, and Arabic. Irish

employees with second languages are in particular demand as Ireland has a strong positive image abroad that people are aware of and can relate to. The demand for Multi-lingual Irish employees has never been higher. french, spanish, german and other languages courses in Dublin and Ireland Of course second languages aren’t just for work. Knowing the language of the country you are travelling in can make your holiday much easier to enjoy, and connects people in a social and cultural way. By speaking the local language you are more likely to be treated better because the locals see that you’ve made

an effort to learn their language. This makes a difference in the way you see the world and other people. When learning a foreign language you also gain insight into the culture and character of a people. In a sense, language can be considered as the verbal expression of culture.

But it’s not all just work and play, learning another language is good for you and has been shown to improve memory and cognitive skills. Often when learning a second language many people discover they start paying more attention to English grammar and expand their vocabulary.

TREACY COACHES BALLINA Thursday 25th August 6.00pm – 9pm All Student daily & weekend services to Sligo All Student weekend services to GALWAY Special Friday Service departing to Sligo IT at 1pm weekly Also, Daily Service to SLIGO - departs Ballina at 7.30am and departs SLIGO IT at 5.15pm Monday to Friday

Enquiries to Tel: 096-22563

We offer our services nationwide Our services include: Safety Consultancy Safety Statements Risk Assessments Construction Site Safety Site Audits Site Documentation Safety Files

Roadworks Traffic Managment Plans Signing, Lighting & Guarding Locating Underground Services Machine Training Excavator, Telescopic, Dumper, Crane, Scaffolding, Forklift & Cherry Picker, Confined Space, Slinger, Signaller

Training Safepass (weekly) FETAC Occ. First-Aid Office Safety IOSH Managing Safety Manual Handling/Patient handling Fire Safety Fetac Health and Safety awareness Abrasive wheels Patient Handling Safety Representative Driver CPC

Driver CPC

Sat 6th Aug

Dungloe

Occ. First-Aid

10th – 12th Aug

Letterkenny

Driver CPC

Sat 3rd Sept

Donegal

Infant First-Aid

Tues 16th Aug

Letterkenny

SafePass

Sat 6th Aug

Letterkenny

SafePass

Sat 20th Aug

Ballybofey

SafePass

Weds 31st Aug

Ballybofey

Colab Building, LYIT, Port Road, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal T: 074-9127786 F: 074-9127756 E: info@safetechirl.com www.safetechirl.com

Further Education Courses 2011-2012 Beauty Care • Hairdressing Level 5 • Hairdressing with Cosmetic Make-up & Manicure – Level 6 City and Guilds • Complementary Therapies and Massage • Make-Up-Artistry Business and Computing • Business Administration/Computer Studies • Business and Legal Studies • Computer Applications and Programming • Tourism Studies and Event Management Care and Social Studies • Applied Social Studies • Community Development Level 6 • Childcare and Pre-School Education

• Childcare level 6 • Nursing Studies Media Studies • Print Journalism and Photography Design • Architectural Technology • Art and Design • Furniture Design • Interior Design Science and Services • Occupational Health and Safety • Veterinary Assistant • Security Studies • Engineering Technology • Horticulture

These courses are 1 and 2 year full-time courses starting in September and are accredited by FETAC, DES, City and Guilds and ITEC. Students can progress from these courses to Higher Education courses in Universities and Institutes of Technology.

It is essential for all students who have already applied for courses to attend at the college on Thursday 25th August to obtain an interview time for the following week.

Email: scfe@sligovec.ie Website: www.ballinodecollege.com

ECDL Courses

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running ten urrently courses that range in difficulty from absolute beginner to advanced programmer, the European Computer Driving License (ECDL) is run as a selection of not-for-profit qualifications, with the aim of empowering individuals and companies by teaching essential skills in modern computer technology. The courses are designed to account for anybody and everybody, from those sitting down in front of a computer for the first time to those looking to lay the foundations for a career in web design, or working with digital images.

The more advanced ECDL courses even allow you to train as an IT Instructor.

A major benefit of ECDL’s nonprofit status, of course, is that you’ll be receiving professional training at a cost far below the typical market value. The courses are internationally recognized, currently running in 148 countries and 41 languages worldwide, and therefore provide a highly transferrable skill set that’s well established amongst employers as a good demonstration of necessary modern IT skills. Each course features a regularly updated syllabus that takes into account the

European Computer Driving License

ever-changing world of computing (the syllabus is currently on it’s 5th revision), and so won’t leave you lagging behind the times, and is taught by a highly qualified instructor who’s able to give plenty of hands on assistance.

Both individuals and employees can access ECDL courses, making them an affordable way for companies to enhance the skills of its workforce as well as an exercise in personal development. While the content at the easier end of the spectrum is fairly self explanatory (using the Internet, email and common programs), the complexities of web design and system usage are targeted skills for people aiming to develop a career in – or at least a strong understanding of -IT, and targeted at individuals with an undergraduate level of education.

ECDL Courses cover the following areas: • Beginner: Computers for beginners; Internet and Email.

• Intermediate: Essential Computer Skills.

• Advanced: Advanced Computer Skills; 2D Computer Aided Design; Website Creation; Working with Digital Images; Health Informatics System Usage.

• Professional: The standard for IT professionals; IT Training Skills.

Courses are structured in a format that first teaches the material, and then requires students to demonstrate their understanding of it in a series of modular tests (or, for the shorter classes, with a single test). Completion of a course can take anything from 8 hours to hundreds of hours, depending on both the course and the candidate’s ability.

To give an example, the intermediate level ‘Essential Computer Skills’ course requires candidates (by the completion of the course) to have a good knowledge of the use of File Management,Word Processing, Spreadsheets, Databases, Web Browsing and Presentations, and comes with plenty of online

practice tests and training materials to get candidates started. A typical candidate might be expected to take a few hours to complete each of the seven modules.

To examine any one of these courses in more details, head over to the downloads section of the Irish EDCL website, where you can get hold a series of syllabi and program brochures giving an extremely thorough overview of exactly what’s on offer. The Irish office also runs a series of free, helpful seminars in order to assist HR, Training and IT managers in finding the correct course for their staff, and identifying the areas in which their business’ technological outlook needs to improve.

Sligo College of Further Education (SCFE) - The North West’s largest provider of Further Education opportunities

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LIGO College of Further Education (SCFE) - The North West’s largest provider of Further Education opportunities At this time of gloom and doom it is gratifying to witness the continued success and development of Sligo College of Further Education. Over the past four years numbers have increased fivefold, millions have been invested in facilities and the range and diversity of courses is changing and increasing every year to meet the needs of students throughout the region and beyond.

Mr Joe Carolan, Principal of the College is not surprised at these developments. He attributes the success of the College to a number of factors including the dedication, professionalism and enthusiasm of his staff, the huge ongoing investment in facilities, its

links and proximity to Sligo Institute of Technology and its capacity to respond to the needs of industry and Higher Education Institutions throughout Ireland and abroad.

SCFE now offers over twenty different courses in areas as diverse as Social Studies, Nursing, Childcare, Business,Tourism, Design, Art, Hairdressing and Beauty, Complementary Therapies, Science, Engineering, Veterinary, Horticulture, Services and Media Studies. All our courses offer students of all ages an alternative route into Third Level education and opportunities to acquire new skills for direct entry into employment. In one year students can attain up to 400 points which can then be used to access many third level courses though the Central Applications Office.

John Staunton Coach Travel Ballintubber, Co. Mayo - Tel: 087-2600152

ATTENTION STUDENTS Bus Service Commencing September

Sligo to Castlebar I.T Departs 9.25pm every Sunday from Markievicz Road, Sligo Returns 12 mid-day, every Friday from Castlebar I.T. to Sligo Ballintubber P.O. via Castlebar 6.50pm, Sligo I.T Service departs every Sunday Returns every Friday, from Sligo I.T at 2pm - Ballintubber P.O. For further information contact John on

087-2600152

LICENSED SERVICE - RETURN SERVICE ON FRIDAY

Students without Leaving Certificate mathematics will be offered the option of studying a PLC mathematics module to fulfil the entry requirements for Third Level Colleges.

Continuous assessment by means of assignments and project work is a feature of all courses. This reduces the stress and pressure associated with a single terminal examination and ensures that students who work consistently throughout the year are rewarded.

The Department of Education and Skills has invested over 3 million in the college in the past three years and Sligo College of Further Education now has facilities that rank among the very best in the country. A large new extension has been added. The College also has a number of new lecture theatres, a fully equipped Hairdressing Salon, a Beauty

and Complementary Therapies facility and an Animal Grooming room. In addition the College now has six modern computer suites encompassing state of the art technology and can now offer students full catering facilities in its recently refurbished canteen. SCFE is expected to again significantly increase numbers this September and maintain its position as the dominant Further Education College in the Northwest.

In these difficult times it is gratifying to see the tremendous strides that Sligo College of Further Education has made over the past few years. It is now recognised as the Regional Further Education College for the North West. The College has first class facilities, highly experienced and dedicated staff and is now in a position to continue to play a pivotal role in the continued development of Further Education for counties Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Roscommon, Mayo and beyond.

Residences still available for academic year 2011/2012 Premium, bright, spacious & affordable accommodation.

Accommodation on average 1,750 p.a. cheaper than in Sligo town

Use of gymnasium, broadband internet use and private car parking space included in rent

Convenience store, deli, coffee dock, laundrette and more on campus.

Submit your application for a residence not later than Friday, August 31st 2012, and enter the ‘750 club’ draw to be held on Thursday, September 20th, 2012.

The first 10 names drawn will receive a ‘rent credit’ in the sum of 750 each.

Bus Connections available to and from IT Sligo.

Late Night bus service from Sligo City. (inc. Sunday night) SASR is a Section 50, PRTB and BER Compliant Undertaking.

Residents who re-apply for a residence in academic year 2012/2013 on or before May 31, 2012 will enter a draw for ‘Paris Summer ‘12 including return flights, hotel accommodation and spending money for a 3-night stay.

On

Paris Summer 2012 Per An

TH Lough Gill, Sligo, Republic of Ireland Tel: +353 7191 19911/72100 Fax: +353 7191 19922

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