Kildare and Wicklow ETB 'creating futures'

EDUCATION and Training Boards Ireland’s (ETBI) held its FET National Conference in Cavan (25-26 February) which brought together over 300 Further Education and Training (FET) leaders and practitioners.

The conference, themed “creating futures” included an address by Minister of State at the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Marian Harkin TD.

It also included a focus on prison education, as well as keynote addresses from apprentice electrician - and current Rose of Tralee - Katelyn Cummins, and economist and broadcaster David McWilliams.

ETBI is the national representative association for its members – Ireland’s 16 Education and Training Boards (ETBs) — and negotiates on behalf of the ETB sector at various forums both within the education sector, the wider public service and at EU level.

Its mission is to lead and advance the continued development of education, training and youth work in Ireland and its vision is to harness the strength of the sector to influence and promote collaboration and collective effort.

The 16 ETBs are the leading state providers of education and training in Ireland.

Collectively, they have responsibility for 30 community national schools and 250 post primary schools with over 117,000 students.

ETB post-primary schools are the largest provider of education through the medium of Irish with 48 schools, and are the largest provider of multi-denominational education in Ireland.

ETBs also deliver Further Education and Training to over 226,000 FET learners each year across 500 plus learner locations and play a central role in the delivery of apprenticeships and traineeships in partnership with employers, and employs over 32,000 people and with a combined annual spend in excess of €2bn.