National Learning Network – Swords

This rehabilitative foundation programme is designed for young adults with mild learning difficulties. Designed to provide a mix of social skills, personal effectiveness, career exploration and vocational skills sampling which enables students to make realistic choices for training and employment based on their individual strengths and abilities.

Literacy and numeracy needs are also addressed to enable students to participate fully in their community. Opportunities to demonstrate the skills, knowledge, and competencies learned in the training centres are identified within the community in efforts to encourage students to participate fully as active citizens in their own locality and move towards living independently.

Based in our satellite centre in Balbriggan, Reach is a flexible rehabilitative training course for people who have experienced social isolation as a result of a severe and enduring mental illness. It provides participants with the opportunity to develop the level of social and personal skills and independence necessary to achieve integration into the community.

The aim of the programme is to empower participants to make positive changes in their lives and to experience health and social gains. The programme also aims to support participants in progressing to community integration, further education/training or employment.

The aim of the Vocational Skills Foundation (VSF) programme is to provide a combination of personal effectiveness training coupled with career exploration and vocational skills sampling.

This training is based on meeting the needs of students, to enable them to make realistic vocational choices for training or employment based on their individual strengths and abilities. The programme integrates supports surrounding literacy and numeracy throughout the training schedule and assessment techniques on the programme. Opportunities to demonstrate the skills, knowledge, and competencies learned in the training centre are identified within the community in efforts to encourage students to progress to further training/education at a higher level or to progress to open employment.

This programme is designed for students who would like the opportunity to make a new beginning, build their confidence and explore career opportunities. It provides students with an environment to achieve greater levels of personal development, to develop IT and business skills and to explore employment or further education opportunities. Students will be supported in progressing to QQI Levels 4 and 5 courses locally or to further education or training of choice. The programme also aims to provide students with the opportunity to address personal effectiveness and social skills issues.

*This course is available in Swords and in our satellite centre in Coolock

The IT & Office / Business Skills course has been designed to give participants an opportunity to gain skills that will enable them to secure employment in an administrative capacity or to move on to third level education. Participants will work towards achieving a QQI Level 4 major award in Office Skills.. This may include the completion of the ECDL for those participants who do not already have one.

Students progress through the programme at a pace which is suited to their individual needs and abilities. Students’ progress will be planned with each individual through the Individual Action Planning (IAP) and monthly review processes. Skills needed in the workplace are acquired through a combination of practical demonstration, instruction, supervised practice, etc.

Based in our satellite centre in Balbriggan, Delvin is a flexible mental health recovery programme for people who have experienced social isolation.

It provides participants with the opportunity to develop the level of social and personal skills and independence necessary to achieve integration into the community.

By accessing this service over a long period, participants will have: developed their social network appropriate to their stated individual needs. Reviewed their current occupational status and explored options for change or expansion. Researched local social and recreational activities available to them and made informed choices to ensure continuity of activities post service and demonstrated a level of communication skills necessary to sustain their continuing community integration. Achieved the level of independence necessary to participate fully in their chosen community activities.

This course combines classroom and on-the-job training, to give students real-life experience in a job that the student wants.  Students can get a job at any time, when they find the right job.

Modules include lnformation Technology Skills, Career Planning, Teamworking, Customer Service, Communications, Work Experience, Personal Effectiveness, Workplace Safety, Induction, Assessment & Goal Setting, Time Management & Planning, Vocational Skills, Host Company Work Experience, Manual Handling & a wide range of others.