Adult and Further Education

County Wicklow Adult Basic Education Service

The Adult Basic Education (ABE) Service has been operating in its present form since September 1998. The service operates from six Adult Learning Centres based around Co. Wicklow in Arklow, Baltinglass, Bray, Blessington, Carnew and Wicklow Town. The service originates from a community based action and as such values involvement with local communities.

The ABE Service offers part-time classes to adults who want to improve their basic skills and take that first step back into education. Help is given with reading, writing, spelling, basic maths and basic computers.

The ABE Service is student centred and it is the student who controls the decision-making process in relation to his or her own learning.

Tuition is one to one or in small groups at flexible times, day or evening, to suit the student. All tuition is free of charge and is confidential.

Junior Certificate and Leaving Certificate courses are available in selected Adult Learning Centres (see local region) and courses certified by FETAC (Further Education and Training Awards Council) are available in all six centres. A FETAC course is not exam based and offers a wide ranging choice of subjects such as:

Communications, Maths, Computers, Art, Personal Effectiveness, Food & Nutrition, Child Development & Play, Work Orientation.

Other modules may be provided depending on the interest within a Centre.
Courses for those with Special Needs

The Adult Learning Centres are involved in joint activities with statutory and voluntary agencies such as National Learning Network (NLN), Lalor Centre (KARE), Kilmullen Enterprise Centre (Newcastle Hospital), Health Service Executive (Sonas House) and the Chesire Homes.
Developments in Workplace Basic Education

The ABE Service works closely with local employers and FÁS to deliver basic skills programmes to people at work. These programmes benefit both the employee and employer and have proved successful through Workplace Programmes run with Wicklow County Council, Superquinn and Kerry Foods and Wamfler to date.
Family Learning

Family learning programmes are aimed at supporting the educational needs of families and helping parents meet their own needs. The programmes may include such activities as:
Storytelling with Storysacks, Homework support, Stress management, Fun Reading and Maths Activities.

To respond to the needs of those who require English classes, courses in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) are offered in the Centres.

One to one tuition is delivered by volunteer tutors, following completion of a training course of twenty hours in adult basic education and interview. Volunteers are requested to make a commitment for 18 months of two hours a week. Training is delivered locally.

County Wicklow Adult Learning Centres