Picture: Minister for Further and Higher Education James Lawless and Senator Alison Comyn pictured during a visit to Drogheda
Drogheda Youthreach was among the local education and training centres visited by Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science James Lawless during a visit to the town.
The Minister also visited Drogheda College Donore FET Campus, meeting students, apprentices and staff and hearing about the different pathways available into education, training and employment.
Senator Alison Comyn said the visit gave local services an opportunity to show the range of pathways available to young people outside the traditional school-to-university route.
Youthreach is a second-chance education and training programme for young people aged 16 to 20 who have left school with few or no qualifications. LMETB says the programme is designed to help learners progress into further education, training and employment.
‘A wonderfully warm and supportive community’
Comyn said the visit to Drogheda Youthreach was particularly significant and described it as the first visit to the centre by a Government Minister.
“I have known Youthreach for many years, going back to my days as a journalist with the Drogheda Independent, and I have always had enormous admiration for what happens behind those doors.
“David Carry and the team have created a wonderfully warm and supportive community where young people get the opportunity to flourish. Over the years I have heard incredible stories from students who have overcome significant challenges and gone on to achieve things they might once have thought were beyond them.
“Minister Lawless heard some of those stories on Thursday. Muireann spoke about her own journey and how much she has flourished since arriving at Youthreach two years ago. She now heads up the student council. That is what Youthreach can do.”
Call for improved accommodation
Comyn also used the visit to raise the need for further investment in the Youthreach centre, including the replacement of prefabricated accommodation.
“The students and staff deserve facilities which match the quality of the work taking place there. I want the Minister to remember the people he met and what they need, and I will continue pursuing improved accommodation for them.”
No new funding commitment for the Youthreach accommodation was included in the material supplied, so any future investment remains to be confirmed.
More than 300 apprentices trained each year
Minister Lawless also visited Drogheda College Donore FET Campus, which specialises in electrical apprenticeship training.
The facility was established as a dedicated electrical apprenticeship hub and has capacity to train more than 300 apprentices annually. Government sources previously described the centre as a response to demand for skilled workers and a recommendation arising from the wider Drogheda implementation process.
LMETB has described the campus as a flagship apprenticeship facility, with more than 300 apprentices trained during its early intakes.
Comyn said Drogheda is now playing an important role in apprenticeship training across the region.
“Drogheda is now an important centre for apprenticeship training, attracting apprentices from across the North East and beyond.
“We need electricians and skilled craftspeople in sectors crying out for workers. These are not second-choice careers. They are skilled, respected careers offering young people a genuine and viable future.
“For too long there was an assumption that the only successful route after school was directly into university. Youthreach, further education and apprenticeships show there are different routes – and for many young people, the right routes.”
Further investment in Drogheda FET
The Minister’s visit comes as further investment in Drogheda’s further education infrastructure progresses.
In June, Minister Lawless gave approval for a major new capital project at Drogheda Institute of Further Education to proceed to tender.
The planned development will include additional training spaces for dental nursing and pharmacy technicians, computer rooms and other facilities.
Comyn said she hoped the visit would help keep Drogheda’s education and training needs on the Government agenda.
“I was enormously proud to show Minister Lawless what Drogheda is achieving and I look forward to working with him to secure the investment these centres need to continue growing and changing lives.”
