Youth and Education

Freemount Youth Space was created with the support of LEADER funding to provide a safe, inclusive space for children and teenagers in the region. training with AgriKids for the schools in the greater Duhallow and Mid Cork regions with 30 schools participating. AgriKids positively engages, educates and empowers children to become Farm Safety Ambassadors. This engaging approach to farm safety education will serve to continually empower children to be safer farmers in the future and as the approach also requires and includes the input of parents and guardians, children are sharing the learning outcomes with all.

Empowering Parents Webinar

IRD Duhallow Youth and Education Working Group organised an Empowering Parents Webinar to address the current emerging needs of families to survive the stress attached to the Covid-19 crisis. The webinar was facilitated by Deirdre Holland Hannon; a mom of two and Behaviour Specialist. The training supported parents to understand that children are unique individuals who express their feelings and emotions through their behaviour. Deirdre took parents through the Empowering Parents Approach to nurturing positive behaviour by using tried and tested techniques such as: Wipe the Slate Clean Approach, managing and reacting to strong emotions, a Positive Approach to unwanted behaviour and tools to support feelings of unpredictability and uncertainty.

Technology, Social Media and Family Life Webinar

The prevalence of technology on a macro and micro level in the modern world cannot be overstated. Throughout every aspect of our lives we are faced with the complexities and necessities of technological solutions and interventions in relation to communication, learning and recreation. For the younger generations upcoming this has become a way of life. High levels of screen time has the potential to create social disconnection within families, whereby children become increasingly disassociated from their families and increasingly attached to online gaming, and in some cases chatting online. Technology and screens now dominate family life and this is especially the case since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. In this talk, Professor John Sharry presented practical principles for establishing healthy family habits around using technology in the home.

Adolescent Anxiety Management – A Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Parents Programme

Parents are the primary teachers and nurturers- this programme aimed to equip parents with the knowledge to understand the importance of their children ’ s well-being. Positive well-being is critical to ensuring children reach their potential, grow and sustain meaningful social relationships, care for themselves, learn effectively and contribute to society. IRD Duhallow Youth and Education working group received funding from Tusla to run the Adolescent Anxiety Management Programme. Facilitated by Noreen Horan, Clinical Psychologist, and Kay O’ Sullivan, Mental Health Nurse and CBT Therapist, this interactive, educational 2-week online programme used a very practical Cognitive Behavioural Therapeutic (CBT) approach to help parents support their adolescents in managing their anxieties.

Mini First Aid Course for Kids

First aid training is a vital life skill and provides children with the knowledge base for dealing with medical emergencies they may be faced with. IRD Duhallow held a Mini First Aid Course for Kids aged between 8-11 also organised two days in Shrone National School. In the 3 ½ hour session, children learned to deal with bumps, burns, breaks and bleeding, carry out CPR and deal with choking. The class was practical, with lots of fun and involved lots of activities for the children to enjoy.

The children of Newmarket Afterschools had noticed a very tired bee in the grass that was struggling to fly so they offered it some sugary water to help revive it; here is Molly Fitzgerald, Orlaith Cahill, Sophie Sheehan, Danny Fitzgerald, Ruby Fleming and Isla Hughes observing the bee.

Employment and Training

The COVID-19 crisis has continued to have a significant impact on the labour market in Duhallow and right across the country over the last year. IRD Duhallow Employment and Training Service has continued to provide support in Employment, Training and Educational opportunities around the Duhallow area during the pandemic. The global pandemic has had a significant impact on workers over the last year and there is a high unemployment rate in the area. While the standard measure of Monthly Unemployment was 5.8% in April 2021, the COVID-19 Adjusted Measure of Unemployment could indicate a rate as high as 22.4% if all claimants of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) were classified as unemployed. This alternative measure is down from 23.8% in March 2021 and from 30.5% in April 2020. As we have seen an increase in the number of people registering to our IRD Duhallow Job Centre we have organised a range of initiatives with the aim of supporting people who are both short and long term unemployed, to secure and sustain full time paid employment.

Adult and Second Chance Education Bursaries

IRD Duhallow Employment and Training Working Group has allocated a number of grants to individuals to facilitate access and entry to further and higherlevel education. IRD Duhallow is cognisant that the contribution which education can make to social and economic change and to enhancing the everyday lives of adults cannot be overstated. It is clear that rural dwellers face many barriers when trying access to higher education such as poor broadband infrastructure, the infrequency of public transport and of course the financial constraints that people face. In the last year, 6 individuals have received funding from this measure under our SICAP programme. The availability of these bursaries has allowed these individuals to continue their education and become trained in various disciplines including: 1. Masters of Education Programme in Mary Immaculate College,

Limerick 2. Level 5 Animal Care, Mallow College 3. QQI Level 5 Early Childhood Education 4. General Nursing Course at UCC 5. Business Studies Level 5 6. Year 2 BMBS programme at the University of Limerick, School of

Medicine

The working group is aware that bursaries are a crucial way of facilitating access and entry to further education and training opportunities and ultimately help to improve the circumstances of those who receive them.

Job Centre

IRD Duhallow ’ s Job Centre has continued to provide a range of services and supports to both Jobseekers and Employers in the region throughout the last year and the coordinators have adapted to restrictions during the year by providing a person centred approach both online and in person where needed. With higher levels of unemployment evident in the region due to COVID-19 these services were more important than ever to assist individuals with CV’ s, job application forms, mock interviews and online interviews, which have been new to people. Online interview skills and Career advice workshops were organised to support people to seek employment. The Job centre coordinators have actively worked with local employers in the area to help them find the right candidate for positions in the area and recognise the fact that recruitment, upskilling and maintaining staff can take up more and more time for employers. For this reason, the Job Centre assists employers with recruiting and promoting the best people to serve the current and future employment needs. During the pandemic remote support and guidance was provided for individuals on applying for vacant positions and advice was also provided to individuals on for those wishing to upskill.

Community Education and Lifelong Learning

IRD Duhallow strongly embraces the opportunity to support the most educationally disadvantaged and those at risk of experiencing social exclusion through an array of targeted community education initiatives. In a year like no other, IRD Duhallow successfully pivoted lifelong learning offerings during the COVID-19 pandemic bringing most of the courses and workshop offerings online. This aimed to equip learners with new skills, boosting their confidence and career progression opportunities promoting social inclusion. Over 100 individuals in the last year have been supported through SICAP Goal 2 – providing lifelong learning opportunities through a range of different programmes including: Personal Development, First Aid, Managing Childhood anxiety, basic Irish Sign Language, QQL Level 3 Sign Language, Anger Management workshops, Introduction to Feng Shui, Self Defence classes for women, Kids basic first aid, baby reflexology, gardening on a budget, Confident online communication, backyard astronomy, Introduction to journaling and vision boards and a kitchen cupboard spa workshop, to name but a few of the programmes delivered. The continuous demand for these courses show their need in the area and the positive feedback received from participants following their workshop/training course is a reinforcement for how community education and lifelong learning contributes to empowering people to develop their confidence and for promoting social inclusion.

Maria Brennan pleased to be receiving a Bursary for her studies in General Nursing in University College Cork funded through IRD Duhallow ’ s SICAP programme

Stephanie Moynihan & Jackie Kelly of IRD Duhallow conducting a mock interview with Emma Mueller practising interview skills and techniques Rachel Twomey, Aaron O’Callaghan, Josh O’Keeffe, Hugh O’Connor and Nicole Ferris delighted to be completing their student placements with IRD Duhallow.