Longford Westmeath ETB takes to the stage at annual education conference in Athlone

This year’s Education and Training Boards Ireland (ETBI) Further Education and Training conference welcomed 250 delegates from across Ireland to the Athlone Springs Hotel last week.

Director of Further Education and Training at Longford Westmeath Education and Training Board (LWETB), Antonine Healy, was a featured speaker at this year’s conference ‘Pathways – Pathways to FET, Pathways in FET, Pathways from FET.’

Also contributing to the conference from LWETB was Deborah Murphy, a tutor for speakers of other languages, and tutor at LWETB and former FET learner, James Reilly, on a panel discussing the pathway from FET learner to FET practitioner.

The event brought together over 250 representatives from across the sector and featured a line-up of over 30 speakers. Minister of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris, addressed the conference on Thursday last giving the official Ministerial conference address.

Speaking ahead of the event, Minister Harris said: “Over recent years we have worked incredibly hard to ensure no one is left behind when it comes to education. No matter who you are, what your background is or what your interests are you get an opportunity to reach your full potential. This conference is a timely opportunity. The impact ETBs have had on the learners but also on the wider communities they serve has been transformative. This two-day event is an invaluable opportunity to come together to learn from each other, to discuss the challenges and opportunities in the year ahead.”

Commenting on the future of education, General Secretary of ETBI, Paddy Lavelle said: “The FET Strategy – Future FET Transforming Learning, acknowledges the key role of FET in driving both economic development and social cohesion. This roadmap for the sector is built around three core pillars of building skills; fostering inclusion; and facilitating pathways. This conference deals with one of those three Pillars - pathways.”

Director of Further Education and Training (FET) at ETBI, Dr Joseph Collins, said: “We can see clearly that Minister Harris has made significant inroads in developing an integrated, coherent and well-articulated further and higher education system in which there are no dead ends for learners. We have pathways from school to FET, within FET, between further and higher education, pathways into work and lifelong pathways which can bring people back to learning at any stage of their career or life.”

The conference took place over two days, with a full line-up of keynote speakers and panel discussions. Some of the highlights from the agenda included inputs from:

Director of the Further Education and Training Research Centre at Dublin City University, Dr Justin Rami.

Chair of the International Panel at the Transformation Office in DFHERIS, David Jones.

Designer, broadcaster, campaigner and former FET learner, Sonya Lennon.

Author and motivational speaker, from University College Dublin, David Delaney.