Dáil debates
Tuesday, 25 June 2019
Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions
Youthreach Programme Review
6:00 pm
Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source
The participation rate in Youthreach centres has reduced for several reasons, including full employment. There are still, however, gaps among young Travellers and migrants. Are we equipping them with the proper education to given them the skills to advance to third level or apprenticeship programmes? SOLAS has a key role to play in all of this. It is working with the third level sector and mainstream secondary school sector. It will have a key role in these recommendations. Practising politicians have an idea that the solution is to send everybody to third level. That is one part of the solution. We have to create positive awareness of apprenticeships.
I recently visited the Combilift company in County Monaghan. It was like being in a university complex, seeing young women doing apprenticeships there and their feeling of satisfaction with them. We will have to continue with the engagement by industry with the second level sector and Youthreach.
Mark McNeill
Posted on 9 Jun 2020 1:49 pm (Report this comment)
As a resource worker in Youthreach who additionally is a qualified teacher and who teaches students the same weekly hours as fellow teachers for less pay and less annual leave and suffering burn out is there any a way forward to have equality in this sector. I have just completed 4 years in DCU to be able to receive my teaching council number which Is not now required as I work in Youthreach as Youthreach is not a “recognized school”. I know there is a lot of unrest amongst Youthreach staff in relation to the above issues. If this could be taken seriously would be greatly appreciated. The “students” we cater for are still students who are attending school just not the mainstream school which once September 2020 comes round will not be a normal school environment for any student. Main stream schools with their smaller classroom numbers will soon be able to cate4 better for their SEN students and be just like Youthreach,