Nenagh CTC Learners bask in glow of sunshine and success

Under the warmth of glorious sunshine, the Learners and staff of Nenagh Community Training Centre (CTC), St John’s Place, descended upon the Pastoral Centre on Tuesday, March 26th, for their 2019 Certificate Award Ceremony.

An amazing 43 Learners received certification across a range of subjects and levels comprising both Major and Minor awards. Several past Learners were unable to attend the ceremony as they have already moved on to further education or employment.

Nenagh CTC has gone from strength to strength in recent years, adding a number of exciting new courses to a suite of existing qualifications. The most recent addition has been a VTCT Diploma in Hair and Beauty with a brand new qualification, Introduction to Woodcraft and Home Improvement Skills (QQI Level 4) coming this month.

The Certificate Award Ceremony was launched with a montage of images from the past year at Nenagh CTC, set to the upbeat message of Queen’s 'Don’t Stop Me Now'. In his opening address to the event, Dr Conor Reidy of the CTC Board of Management urged the Learners to reflect upon the significance of this moment in their intellectual and academic journey. This was 'their' moment and a reflection of their effort, strength and capabilities. He stressed that certification opens doors not only to further education but also to employment and, by extension, enhanced economic status. Above all, he noted, this was a moment in which each and every Learner should take pride in their achievement.

Dr Reidy also paid tribute to the enormous strides made by the Nenagh CTC Manager Rose Shanahan and her outstanding team of educators and support staff. He credited their enthusiastic embrace of the changes of the last three years whereby they have welcomed a new era in a spirit of teamwork and resourcefulness. Together, he said, they have enhanced the educative value of Nenagh CTC and facilitated the realisation of exciting new potentials for the Learners, themselves and the community of North Tipperary.

Matthew Ryan, Training Services Manager of Tipperary ETB, also paid tribute to the work at Nenagh CTC. Addressing the Learners directly, he reminded them that their education and training journey should not necessarily end when their programme of work at the centre is concluded. He noted that Tipperary ETB offers hundreds of courses across a broad range of skillsets and his organisation will always stand ready to serve those who graduate from Nenagh CTC.

Rose Shanahan, Manager of Nenagh CTC, congratulated her Learners on achieving certification. She reminded them that “education is the passport to the future and tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today”. The Learners effectively serve as ambassadors and this day, she said, is an essential part of their learning journey and is one to be embraced with joy and pride.

Also taking place at the ceremony was the launch of Issue 2 of the Nenagh CTC newsletter, 'The Inside Story'. Produced and edited exclusively in-house by the Learners under the leadership of a professional editor, the 12-page newsletter is printed by Guardian Print (part of the Nenagh Guardian). Hard copies will be available locally and at the centre, with the e-version accessible at www.nenaghctc.com

Among some of the more exciting ventures taking place at Nenagh CTC this spring and summer is the centre’s involvement in the Limerick-based Ilen Boat Project’s 2019 Community and Schools Educational Programme. Rose and her team will reveal much more about this amazing work in the coming weeks but for now, she teases us, “woodcraft created at Nenagh CTC will sail from Limerick City to West Greenland this July”.

Nenagh CTC provides integrated education, training and work experience to young people aged between 16 and 21. The centre provides a fresh opportunity to attain nationally recognised qualifications at your own pace and with the assistance of supportive staff. It delivers a range of vocationally focused training programmes offering QQI accreditation at Major Award Levels 3 and 4 along with VTCT AND other industry recognised certifications. If you are interested in achieving one of these qualifications while receiving a training allowance then give Nenagh CTC a call on 067-32832 or email roses@nenaghctc.com

You can also check the centre out on Facebook or just drop in and ask for Rose.

 

There are more photos from the presentation ceremony in this week's Guardian