AONTAS and LMETB making Dundalk learners' voices heard

The Learner Forum With AONTAS and LMETB took place on Wednesday 22 March 2023 in City North Hotel, Gormanston, Co. Meath.

LMETB learners were invited to share their experiences of FET courses and meet other learners from different provisions around the two counties. The learners who decided to represent LMETB Adult Learning Service in Dundalk, were very excited boarding the bus to Gormanstown.

All four learners have been with the service for several years and have progressed through a range of courses and levels while there. This gave them breath of knowledge to represent their peers in the service.

This forum is seen as very important in the LMETB calendar as it provides a unique opportunity for learners to have an input into the services they are engaged with. The Adult Learning Service says that the unique opportunity to hear the learners’ voices is invaluable in helping the LMETB plan and adjust their courses in line with the learners needs.

AONTAS run the event every year in partnership with LMETB. The students who participated in the workshops reflected the views of many of their peers and the facilitated sessions ensured inclusion of learners of all ability levels. The learners who went to the event said they felt valued and listened to in their groups and made very worthwhile contributions.

Sean, one of the learners who went, said “it was a great day out. I enjoyed the workshop especially because others from my class were in the same workshop. I came to the service over four years ago starting in a one-to-one class and I am now doing an Intensive literacy and numeracy class for six hours a week. I never miss my classes”.

Bernie and Glenda are also in the same class, and they really enjoyed the whole experience. They enjoyed meeting learners from other centres and said the food provided for lunch was very good. The smiles of all the learners in the photos tell the story of how successful the day out was.

The bus from Dundalk also included several learners on various courses in O’Fiaich College. Again, this provided an opportunity for learners to meet others who had progressed to other parts of the service.

If you are interested in any of the opportunities in the Adult Learning Service in Dundalk, please contact them by phone 0429353591, email alslouth@lmetb.ie or simply drop in to Adult Learning Service, Chapel Street, Dundalk (A91 E0AW).