Programs » Back to Education Initiative

The Back To Education Initiative

MFG-Meitheal Mhúscraí receives funding from the Back to Education Initiative under the Dept. of Education and Science. The BTEI provides opportunities for second chance education to adult learners and early school leavers who want to upgrade their skills. The initiative allows learners to combine education with family, caring or work responsibilities The overall aim of the BTEI is to: Increase the participation of young people and adults with less than upper second level education in a range of flexible learning opportunities. More specifically the BTEI seeks to:

Offer a wider range of choices, which are appropriate to the particular circumstances of learners
Expand provision of courses leading to certification or accreditation at FETAC Level 3 and Level 4 or equivalent
Offer a bridge from literacy to other programmes
Increase participation in ICT skills training
Promote greater synergy between different forms of provision
Increase participation of the hard-to-reach client groups
Develop work-based education and training so that people in employment can attend part-time courses and gain qualifications
Address the skill needs of those in employment, not in the labour market, unemployed or under-employed
Target specific skill needs, especially in ICT, Childcare, Healthcare, Sales, Basic Education and other areas where there are shortages

Part-time programmes under the BTEI are intended to make further education more accessible generally. A high priority is to target the individuals and groups that experience particular and acute barriers to participation and are more difficult to engage in the formal learning process. These include:

Adults and young people aged over 16 who left school with low or no formal qualifications or low literacy levels
The long-term unemployed and those at risk of becoming long-term unemployed, especially those in the older age groups
Those not in work but not eligible to be on the Live Register
Those in the workplace with basic skills needs
Disadvantaged women who have particular experience of barriers to participation
Disadvantaged men, including those experiencing rural isolation
Lone Parents and others with caring responsibilities that may prohibit their participation in full time courses
Travellers
Homeless People
Substance Misusers
Ex-offenders
People with Disabilities
People for whom English is not the mother tongue, who require literacy and language supports

Back to Education Initiative

The Back To Education Initiative

Offer a wider range of choices, which are appropriate to the particular circumstances of learners

Expand provision of courses leading to certification or accreditation at FETAC Level 3 and Level 4 or equivalent

Offer a bridge from literacy to other programmes

Increase participation in ICT skills training

Promote greater synergy between different forms of provision

Increase participation of the hard-to-reach client groups

Develop work-based education and training so that people in employment can attend part-time courses and gain qualifications

Address the skill needs of those in employment, not in the labour market, unemployed or under-employed

Target specific skill needs, especially in ICT, Childcare, Healthcare, Sales, Basic Education and other areas where there are shortages

Adults and young people aged over 16 who left school with low or no formal qualifications or low literacy levels

The long-term unemployed and those at risk of becoming long-term unemployed, especially those in the older age groups

Those not in work but not eligible to be on the Live Register

Those in the workplace with basic skills needs

Disadvantaged women who have particular experience of barriers to participation

Disadvantaged men, including those experiencing rural isolation

Lone Parents and others with caring responsibilities that may prohibit their participation in full time courses

Travellers

Homeless People

Substance Misusers

Ex-offenders

People with Disabilities

People for whom English is not the mother tongue, who require literacy and language supports