Waterford and Wexford Education and Training Board (WWETB) was delighted to welcome members of the community to view its new state-of-the-art education and training college at Clonard, Wexford. Staff and learners at the Wexford College of Further Education and Training were joined by Alan Corcoran and the road caster from South-East Radio who were on hand to help in spreading the word about this wonderful facility. You can listen back to the podcast by clicking the link here.
‘We were delighted with the response to our invitation to come and join us for a cup of tea and a chat’, said Kevin Lewis, Chief Executive of WWETB. ‘We sent invites to all the neighbours in the area and were delighted that so many could drop in on the day. We organised tours of the facility and some practical demonstrations and people were really amazed at the scale of the building and the facilities that are available now for education and training in Wexford town. We hope to build on this momentum and would encourage anyone who has an interest in education or training to come and talk to us. There are so many opportunities and so many different avenues to choose from’.
The Chief Executive expressed his thanks to those in the neighbouring areas for being so supportive of the College and embracing the new facility in their locality. ‘The feedback so far has been really positive’, he said. ‘People seem genuinely pleased that an education and training facility is on their doorstep and the support received by WWETB staff and learners moving into the building has been amazing. It is intended to be a welcoming College, where everyone is welcome, and I think that we are achieving that.’
Barbara Anne Murphy, Chairperson of WWETB, extended a special thanks to the learners that shared their stories on the day, about their journeys through further education and the transformative impact it has had on so many lives. ‘It’s wonderful to hear the impact that quality education and training experiences can have on people of all ages. We are so fortunate in Wexford to have the investment behind us from SOLAS and the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to open this new College. The range of opportunities for local people is staggering’.
The new College offers leading apprenticeship programmes, Post Leaving Cert programmes, and many full-time and part-time courses. Often, people have local commitments that limits their ability to travel elsewhere to do courses, like sport and family commitments. The difficulty in securing accommodation is also a significant challenge to studying away from home. Given the skills shortages that Ireland currently faces, Wexford is now well placed to provide quality education and training to support many industries and trades. Wexford is a vibrant community, with many industries located here. WWETB is keen to ensure that its programmes are aligned to the needs of the community and also aligned to the needs of industry, not just locally, but nationally too.
Please click here to listen to the Community Day Podcast.
