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  • Foreign Language Assistants Scheme

    Foreign Language Assistants Scheme

    It was recently announced that there is to be a 25% increase in the number of Foreign Language Assistants in Post Primary Schools. The role of these assistants is to enhance and support the teaching and learning of Spanish, German, French and Italian in the classroom. The announcement included the commitment by the government to double the existing number of Foreign Language Assistants by 2026.

    The role of a Foreign Language Assistant is to support foreign language teachers by promoting a communicative approach to the teaching of the language. The scheme is reciprocal, also allowing Irish students or qualified teachers to act as English language Assistants to spend time teaching in other countries.

    The fluency and authenticity of the Assistants as native speakers should enable them to:

    • Help students to understand the spoken language
    • Encourage students to speak the foreign language (suggested activities: pair-work, role-play, games, competitions etc.) and to improve their pronunciation
    • Encourage and assist students in reading authentic and fictional written texts appropriate to their level
    • Give students a better understanding of the way of life and customs of the foreign country

    Foreign Language Assistants Scheme

    The Foreign Language Assistants scheme currently allows post-primary schools to apply to host a native speaker of French, German, Spanish or Italian from 1 October to 31 May each year. The scheme is designed to assist students enrolled in participating schools to appreciate a foreign language as a living language and not just a ‘school language’.  Assistants are assigned to schools generally from 1st October to 31st May, and are paid a monthly allowance. They are normally timetabled for 12 hours per week over four days.

    The number of Assistants in schools during the 2017/18 school year was 110 and this will increase to approximately 140 for the coming school year, covering the same number of schools.

    The Foreign Languages Strategy sets out a roadmap to put Ireland in the top ten countries in Europe for the teaching and learning of foreign languages, through 100 actions targeted at improving efficiency, diversity and immersion. A Foreign Languages Advisory Group (FLAG) has been established to oversee and drive implementation of the strategy, including increasing awareness of the benefits of language learning. Other areas where progress is being made under the strategy include:

    • An Audit of foreign language provision in schools has been completed by the Post-Primary Languages Initiative (PPLI);
    • New Junior Cycle subject specifications for Modern Foreign Languages (French, German, Spanish and Italian), which have an increased emphasis on oral language and project work, have been introduced to schools and will be examined for the first time in 2020;
    • Junior Cycle short courses in Chinese Language and Culture, Japanese, Russian, Polish as a heritage language and in Lithuanian as a heritage language have been made available to schools and support one of the main aims of the strategy, which is to diversify the range of languages available to students in post-primary school. The Polish course is currently being piloted by the PPLI, and the Lithuanian course will be piloted from September 2018 in schools that have expressed an interest;
    • Korean will be introduced as a TY module in a number of schools for the first time from September 2018, with teachers deployed by the PPLI to the schools;
    • The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) will commence work on developing a subject specification for Leaving Certificate Mandarin Chinese in autumn 2018, for introduction to schools in September 2020;
    • Leaving Certificate subject specifications for heritage languages (Lithuanian, Polish and Portuguese) – aimed at mother-tongue speakers of these languages, will also be developed by the NCCA for introduction to schools from September 2020;
    • Support to teachers who wish to up-skill in languages that they are not currently teaching.

    Further details regarding the Foreign Language Assistant Scheme are available on the Department of Education and Skills website:

    https://www.education.ie/en/Education-Staff/Services/foreign-teacher-exchange/Foreign-Language-Assistant-Scheme.html 

  • Evening Courses Cork

    Evening Courses Cork

    Whether it’s toning up in a Zumba class, studying to improve your chances of getting that promotion you’ve been after or learning a completely new language, there are lots of part time and evening courses available in Cork city and county.

    Below is a sample of what’s on offer:

    Cork College of Commerce provides a generous selection of evening courses ranging from QQI level 5/6 courses in subjects such as Event Management and Digital Marketing. It also offers courses in Leaving Certificate subjects such as Irish and English and a range of other business related courses. Visit www.corkcollegeofcommerce.ie

    Ballincollig Community School commence their classes in January and September each year. They offer courses in the following areas; arts and crafts, community and education, computers, cookery, hobbies and skills, languages, social and development and sports and exercise. Visit www.bcsadulted.ie

    The Irish Film Academy holds a 6 month Acting for the Camera evening course. Entry is by interview only. More details can be found at www.irishfilmacademy.com

    West Cork College begins its new term of classes in January and again in September. The college offers evening courses in literature based activities including photography, Irish cinema and Philosophy. Visit www.westcorkcollege.ie for more information.

    With the wealth of options that are out there, there’s no excuse for anyone not to sign up for a course, what better way to spend the long nights than learning something new in an enjoyable atmosphere with like minded people.

    View some evening courses in Cork at http://localhost:10004/courses/cork/part-time-and-evening/

  • Film & Media Courses with Kilroys College

    Film & Media Courses with Kilroys College

    Kilroy’s College has launched a suite of film-making training courses in partnership with the Irish Film School. The Irish Film School was set up in January 2018 by iconic film director John Boorman and leading film producer and financier Kieran Corrigan.

    They provide professional training courses in filmmaking, film production, visual FX and the business of film. The training courses have been carefully designed by the founders who lead a team of accomplished instructors, including Hollywood legend Roger Corman and Academy Award winning VFX house DNEG.

    These courses will help students to develop the creative, technical and business filmmaking skills needed for today’s dynamic global film industry. They will also be able to network with fellow students, instructors and industry professionals during each course.

    Expert Instructors

    These intensive, hands-on classes are taught by the world’s most experienced film and TV professionals. Instructors are fully qualified, active members of the film industry in all fields of filmmaking: directing, producing, screenwriting, visual FX, cinematography, lighting, sound, editing, post-production and more.

    IFS instructors also work at the business end of the film industry in the domains of finance, legal, tax, insurance, sales and distribution.

    Training Courses

    Kilroy’s College, in partnership with the Irish Film School, will be running five short, intensive training courses in autumn 2018 and spring/summer 2019 in Dublin, London and Beijing.

    • Filmmaking with John Boorman. Work includes: Queen & Country (2014), The Tailor of Panama (2001), Hope and Glory (1987), Excalibur (1982), Deliverance (1972), Point Blank (1967)
    • Business of Film with Kieran Corrigan. Work includes: Supervized (2018), We Have Always Lived in the Castle (2018), Queen & Country (2014), Country of My Skull (2004), The Tailor of Panama, The General (1998), Thumbelina (1994)
    • Film & TV Production with US film and TV line producer Tom Kane. Work includes: Crossfire Trail (2001), Prizzi’s Honor (1985), The Flamingo Kid (1984), Raging Bull (1980), Kramer v Kramer (1979)
    • VFX with Academy Award winners DNEG. Work includes: Mission Impossible – Fallout (2018), Blade Runner 2049 (2017), Dunkirk (2017), Ex Machina (2014 )
    • Smart Filmmaking with iconic Hollywood director Roger Corman. Work includes: Death Race 2050 (2016), Frankenstein Unbound (1990), Little Shop of Horrors (1960), Attack of the Crab Monsters (1957)

    Advisory Groups

    Irish Film School have partnered with leading industry advisory groups: Merlin Films, Great Point Media, DNEG, New Horizons, China Film and Kilroy’s College to ensure that the training programmes deliver the most up-to-date skills and best experience.

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  • Erasmus Plus – Application Workshops, September

    Erasmus Plus – Application Workshops, September

    If you are planning to apply for Erasmus+ funding before the 04 October deadline, then don’t miss the upcoming application workshops taking place in Dublin in the coming weeks. These workshops cover Youth, School Education and Vocational Education and Training (VET) and places can be booked on the relevant one via Eventbrite links below.

    Erasmus+ Youth in Action KA2 Application Workshop

    If you are planning to apply for a Youth Strategic Partnership supporting cooperation for innovation or the exchange of good practices, register for the following workshop:

    07 September, Léargas Training Rooms, Dublin

    This workshop focuses on:

    Youth Strategic Partnerships supporting the Exchange of Good Practices
    Youth Strategic Partnerships supporting Cooperation for Innovation

    • https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/erasmus-ka2-application-workshop-youth-field-tickets-47810178531

    Erasmus+ Youth in Action KA1 and KA3 Application Workshop

    If you are planning a youth exchange, youth worker mobility, or meetings between young people and decision makers, this is the workshop for you.  Register in Dublin via the following link:

    13 September, Léargas Training Rooms, Dublin

    At these workshops we will be supporting you in preparing Erasmus+ applications for the following types of projects and it’s recommended that you have a concrete project to bring on the day:

    Youth Exchange or Youth Worker Mobility Project (KA105)
    Youth Volunteering – including EVS (KA125)
    Support for Policy Reform ( KA347)

    • https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/erasmus-youth-ka105-ka347-application-workshop-dublin-tickets-47262213553

    Erasmus+ School Education KA1 Application Workshop

    If you work in the School Education field and are applying for a Staff Mobility project, this is the workshop of you. Register for our workshop in Dublin West Education Centre here:

    15 September, Léargas Training Rooms, Dublin

    • https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/erasmus-schools-application-workshop-dublin-west-education-centre-tickets-48487416167

    Erasmus+ VET KA1 Application Workshop

    If you work in the Vocational Education and Training field and are applying for a Mobility of Learners and Staff project, this is the workshop of you. Register for our workshop in Dublin here:

    18 September, Léargas Training Rooms, Dublin

    • https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/erasmus-vet-application-workshop-dublin-tickets-47911322054?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

     

    For queries, please contact: clientservices@leargas.ie

  • About the CAO

    About the CAO

    The Central Applications Office (CAO) is the organisation responsible for overseeing undergraduate applications to colleges and universities in Ireland.

    The primary mission of the Central Applications Office is to centrally process applications in a fair and efficient manner. The colleges and universities delegate the administration of admissions to the Central Applications Office; colleges and universities retain full control of admissions.

    The CAO awards points to students based on their achievements in the Leaving Certificate examination. A student’s points are calculated according to these tables, counting their best six subjects only (resulting in a maximum score of 625 points since 2012 with the introduction of the extra 25 points awarded to those who sit the honours mathematics exam and pass). If a student has sat the Leaving Certificate examination on more than one occasion, their points are calculated according to their best year’s performance. Students’ points are used as a queuing system for over-subscribed courses, with the available places offered to those students ranked highest by the points scale.

    CAO points

    More information about the CAO can be viewed on the CAO website

  • New Tour Guiding Course with Stillorgan College

    New Tour Guiding Course with Stillorgan College

    The purpose of this award (which was developed in collaboration with Fáilte Ireland) is to enable learners to acquire the relevant knowledge, skills and competencies to work effectively as a Tourist Guide in the greater Dublin Region and surrounding area.

    It also provides learners with the necessary business skills needed to start their own tour guiding business.

    On successful completion of the course students will be able to:

    • Plan and implement themed tour itineraries in Dublin and the surrounding areas.
    • Demonstrate an understanding and knowledge of Irish cultural and heritage in Dublin and surrounding areas.
    • Develop a range of communication, information and customer care skills.
    • Become confident in using digital media skills to promote tourism products and services to target potential customers.
    • Manage and conduct tours on as a self-employed guide or work for an incoming tour operator.
    • Implement best safety and environmental practices.
    • Implement tour management skills and techniques.

    One Year – 2 days per week for those students who wish to achieve the Regional Tour Guiding Award.
    For those students who wish to also achieve the Level 6 Award in Business, the course is full-time.

    Leads to NFQ Level 6 QQI Special Purpose Award in Regional Tour Guiding (6S20233)
    plus option to achieve NFQ Level 6 QQI Award in Business (6M4985)

    Entry Requirements

    The course is targeted at students who have a genuine interest in working as a Tour Guide. Prior qualifications or experience in this area would be an advantage, but are not required. Since places are limited, applicants will be interviewed. Tour guiding is particularly suited to people who are good communicators, are outgoing and who enjoy interacting with others. Planning and organisational skills are important skills and fluency in a second language is an advantage.

    Progression

    Those students who achieve the full Level 6 Business Award will have the option to progress to a large number of courses in Higher Education including:

    • DIT 412 Tourism Marketing
    • DIT International Hospitality Management
    • DT413 Event Management
    • TA015 International Hospitality & Tourism
    • TA 026 International Hospitality & Tourism Management
    • DL822 Cultural Enterprise

    Click to View more details and courses from Stillorgan College

  • Ballroom Dancing, Malahide, Tuesday Evenings

    Ballroom Dancing, Malahide, Tuesday Evenings

    Commencing on Tuesday 2nd October 2018 and running for 10 weeks.

    BALLROOM DANCING

    Have you ever wished you could get up and dance a Waltz / Quick Step / Jive / Tango / Cha Cha Cha?

    Are you watching Strictly Come Dancing and wish you could try that? About to get married? Anxious about your first dance?

    Or, just attending a wedding or function and don’t want to be left sitting all night?

    If so why not try the Ballroom Dancing classes at Malahide Community School in Dublin?

    From the total beginner up, Michele will teach you step by step in a fun and relaxed atmosphere.
    Beginners: 7.30-8.30pm
    Improvers: 8.30-9.30pm

    Tutor: Michele Carpenter I.P.T.O.S.D.S. and U.K.A. Qualified Cost: €85
    Course Code: 204

    Registration for Malahide CS courses is available by going onto their school website http://malahidecsadulted.ie/ and clicking on the ‘Enrol Here’ button, by postal registration using the form on the inside cover of the printed Programme or on the walk-in enrolment night on Monday 17th September, 7:30pm – 9.00pm. Students can meet the course tutors at this session. Complimentary tea/coffee will also be available at this enrolment/open evening.

    View more course listings from Malahide Community School

  • SMART Consent Report Explores Workshops on Sexual Consent in Third Level Education

    SMART Consent Report Explores Workshops on Sexual Consent in Third Level Education

    The Minister of State for Higher Education, Mary Mitchell O’Connor, TD, has launched a research report on sexual consent among third level students carried out by the NUI Galway SMART Consent research team in collaboration with their partners at four colleges.

    The report, ‘Are Consent Workshops Sustainable and Feasible in Third Level Institutions?’ includes surveys with over 3,500 students conducted at NUI Galway consent workshops held at four colleges nationally. The new education and awareness campaign, Consent=OMFG (Ongoing, Mutual, Freely Given), includes four short interactive films on consent.

    The Minister said ‘All institutions have a duty of care to their students and I am delighted to see many of them integrate and support these empowerment and preventative initiatives, such as mandatory consent workshops. As Minister it falls to me to ensure that providing excellence in education depends also on providing a safe learning environment, free from sexual harassment, assault and the fear or threat of it. Therefore I welcome Dr.Pádraig MacNeela’s report. It is a timely piece of research given that the National Council on Curriculum and Assessment is carrying out a major review of the relationships and sexuality curriculum.”

    The report authors will disseminate their findings, Dr Pádraig MacNeela, who leads the SMART Consent initiative, Dr Siobhán O’Higgins, and Kate Dawson, Child & Youth Research PhD candidate, all from the School of Psychology, alongside Dr Charlotte McIvor and students from the O’Donoghue Centre for Drama, Theatre & Performance who will preview one of the Consent=OMFG consent films.

    The report builds on a programme of research since 2013 that has explored the meaning of consent among college students, tested the effectiveness of the SMART Consent workshop, and surveyed students on sexual consent behaviours and attitudes (see www.nuigalway.ie/smartconsent )

    The surveys included in the report shed light on important consent-related issues, including:

    • Sexual harassment: In a survey of 632 students, 54% of First Year women students report experiencing sexual hostility or crude gender harassment at some point since starting college, rising to 64% among Second Year women students, and 70% of women students in Third Year or a subsequent year; the comparable figures for men are: 25%, 37%, and 40%.
    • Perceptions of sex education at school: In a survey of 2,150 students, 71% of women and 63% of men said they were dissatisfied with the sexual health education they received at school (14% of women and 17% of men were neutral on this question; 15% of women and 20% of men were satisfied with their sexual health education at school).
    • More lesbian, gay, and bisexual students felt that their sexual health education at school did not cover the topics they are most interested in (75%), compared with heterosexual students (66%).

    Perceptions of alcohol and capacity to give consent: In a survey, 753 students read 1 of 2 versions of a consent story where both characters were drinking: 20% considered the female character too drunk to give consent in the story where she consumed 14 standard drinks, while 33% considered the female character too drunk in the version where she consumed 28 standard drinks. 14% of the students considered the male character too drunk to give consent after 14 standard drinks, and 30% considered him too drunk after 28 standard drinks.
    Commenting on the findings, Dr Pádraig MacNeela at NUI Galway said: “The survey findings show that the social environment in which consent takes place among college students is often unsupportive – most women experience harassment, a large majority of all students are dissatisfied with their sexual health education at school, and social norms for drinking minimise the true impact of alcohol on the capacity to give consent.”

    Dr Siobhán O’Higgins said: “the SMART Consent workshop is strongly associated with students feeling knowledgeable and skilled about sexual consent. The discussion and peer engagement strategies we use mean it is a workshop, not a class. We encourage students to find their own positive approach to consent, but also know that a full response to this issue involves action outside workshops too, to change the culture in college and society”.

    At the launch, Dr Charlotte McIvor will preview one of the 4 short interactive consent films she has developed with her theatre students for a new multimedia campaign that will help address this culture change. The film series was collaboratively written and researched by NUI Galway Drama and Theatre Studies students led by Dr. McIvor. Each interactive film gives the viewer control over characters’ decisions at key points, leading to three possible endings to each film. The four films (co-directed by McIvor and Mick Ruane) portray sexual encounters from heterosexual and LGBTQ perspectives, as well as long-term and casual sexual relationships. Dr. McIvor offers: “We wanted to use film to capture the complexity of how consent is negotiated between partners and portray just how many decision points there are actually are within any given sexual encounter.”

    The first film, “Tom and Julie,” can be viewed via this link: www.nuigalway.ie/consent=omfg/. The other three films will be made available publicly on the NUI Galway website and YouTube by staggered release in autumn 2018 as part of the Consent=OMFG campaign.

    The research in the report has been supported by the NUI Galway Student Project Fund, and the PhD in Child & Youth Research.

    To read the full report on SMART Consent, visit: www.nuigalway.ie/smartconsent

  • Safepass Amendment 2018

    Safepass Amendment 2018

    The HSA (Health and Safety Authority) has issued a draft document outlining proposed amendments to Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) (Amendment) Regulations 2018.

    The purpose of these Regulations are as follows;

    • To make specific provisions in relation to the expiry of SafePass cards and requirements for renewals.
    • To amend the references to the Safety Awareness Scheme following the dissolution of FÁS and the establishment of SOLAS as the agency of the State responsible for the management of that scheme
    • To change any other references to FÁS to SOLAS and similarly change references to FETAC to QQI following the establishment of the Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI).

    Recently a High Court case was taken against SOLAS challenging their right to require retraining or reassessment for their Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) training. The challenge was based largely on the fact that no specific requirements for retraining or reassessment are contained in the SHWW (Construction) Regulations 2013. The challenge was successful and SOLAS have now removed the requirements for retraining and reassessment when renewing CSCS training cards.

    The objective of this amendment is to provide a statutory basis for the requirement to renew SafePass cards through training / re-assessment every four years. Under the proposed amendments the requirement for the issue of a valid safety awareness registration card are successful completion of any one of the following within 4 years preceding application for same:
    (a) the SOLAS Safe Pass training programme
    (b) an equivalent safety awareness scheme approved by SOLAS
    (c) an equivalent safety awareness scheme

    The draft document is available at the following link – Draft Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction)(Amendment) Regulations 2018.

    About SafePass
    Safe Pass is a safety awareness training programme for construction workers. It is a one-day programme that allows them to work on construction sites without being a risk to themselves or others. Employers are required by law to ensure that employees on construction sites carry Safe Pass cards. As a result, employers must ensure that all employees are properly trained.

    The Safe Pass programme is operated and managed by SOLAS and aims to:

    • Raise the standard of safety awareness in the construction industry.
    • Ensure that all construction site workers undergo basic health and safety awareness training to prevent accidents and avoid health hazards.
    • Maintain a register of personnel who have completed the Safe Pass programme.
    • Provide all Safe Pass participants with a Safe Pass registration card to confirm that the holders have attended a formal course in health and safety awareness.

    All workers in the construction sector, including apprentices, trainees and on-site security workers, must have received safety awareness training and have a Safe Pass registration card before they can work on construction sites.

    Every contractor (or other person working on their behalf) is required by law to ensure that everyone under their direct control on a construction site has received Safe Pass training and has been issued with a current Safe Pass registration card. Under health and safety legislation, employers are required to allow their employees paid time off from work to attend safety awareness training.

    There are FAQs about the Safe Pass programme on the Health and Safety Authority website.

    Content of the Safe Pass programme
    The training modules in the Safe Pass programme are:

    • Site safety, site safety legislation and site accident reporting.
    • Introduction to risk assessment.
    • Risk assessment for working at height, working with electricity and when excavating.
    • General site safety, including the use of construction equipment and the safe use of vehicles.
    • Personal safety, using personal protective equipment, working with noise and vibrations, manual handling and personal health and welfare.

    Costs
    Generally the employer pays for the one-day Safe Pass course. Under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 2005, employers must allow employees’ paid time off from their duties for safety awareness training.

    You are not required to reimburse your employer for the cost of the course if you leave your job, (unless you have signed something in your contract of employment stating you will reimburse any training fees incurred before you have given a certain period of service).

    If you are unemployed, and have been offered a job on a construction site but need to have a Safe Pass Card before you start work, your local Intreo Centre may be able to help with the fee for the training.

    Some of the information on this page has been reproduced under licence from ©Citizensinformation.ie