Community Groups Serving Kilkenny
Kilkenny Information Age /Newpark Close Presentation of IT Awards 2001
Newpark Close Family Resource Centre was the venue for the presentation of IT awards to community members from Newpark Close, Bishop Birch, O'Loughlin Court and Loughboy.The awards being presented included the ECDL, the ECDL tester and Joint Examination IT Teaching Diploma in Information Technology.
Since receiving their computer IT networks the communities of Newpark Close, Bishop Birch, O'Loughlin Court and Loughboy have been very proactive in developing and promoting information technology in their centres. A training program was developed and now each centre offers a range of computer courses including Introductory to computers and the ECDL modules. The training is carried out by a number of IT trainers based in the communities and to date 300 people have accessed the IT training facilities. Those attending the courses may opt to use the Fás multimedia self-training courses or the tutor lead IT classes, which tends to suit people accessing computers for the first time. Details of courses are available from each centre and courses are priced to suit all income levels.
This community IT initiative is a partnership project between Kilkenny Information Age, Fás and Kilkenny Information Technology Community Action Team, which comprises of community representatives. All partners have been engaged in contributing various skills, resources and finance to developing and implementing this cross community IT initiative in these communities.
The project begun in earnest fifteen months ago when Kilkenny Information Age provided the funding to equip each of the centres with computer IT equipment and in conjunction with Fás facilitated the appointment of an IT co-ordinator. Fás also provided the Multimedia software and other employment grants. Each community management committee is responsible for providing the IT trainers and the administration of the centres. Newpark Close is the accredited ECDL Centre, from which all the exams are processed and the centre is managed by Ms Nora Webster who is chairperson of the Kilkenny Information Technology Community Action Team. The centre has to date issued 90 ECDL skill cards.
In addition, this IT initiative has created employment for five people, who are currently employed as IT trainers in each of the centres. The work experience gained has proved invaluable and has benefited many of the previous incumbents of this position in securing employment in schools and industry. Having access to IT facilities within the community centres has created an awareness of the potential benefits of ICT and is contributing to integrating IT into community activities. Many of the children attending summer camps in the these communities had IT classes incorporated into the activity program.
Another objective was to give the IT trainers a recognised teachers qualification and last year Kilkenny Information Age organised a year long course, the Joint Examination Board Diploma in IT, that qualifies holders of the diploma to provide IT training in any organisation. Eight participants have successfully completed the course and four of these are community representatives.Deputy John Mc Guinness, Chairman of Kilkenny Information complimented the centres on the success of their IT initiatives and congratulated the recipients of the various awards. In addressing the award recipients, he encouraged them to use the ECDL as a starting point to further study and stated that this would be beneficial in the long run in seeking worth while employment.
The long term objective is to make this project viable and presently community representatives are preparing an application to have this project funded under a Social Economy programme aimed at sustaining ICT activity long term.
ECDL Driving Test recipients
Ms Emma Sheppard, Ms Josephine Dalton, Ms Rita Lennon, Ms Sharon Scanlon, Mr Graham Scanlon, Mr Vicent Hayes, Ms Mary Donnelly, Mr Kevin O'Gorman, Mr Michael Manning, Ms Janet Hanrahan, Mr Damian Brett, Ms Anne Dowling, Mr Gerard Burke, Ms Geraldine Rodgers, Ms Jane Corcoran, Ms Helen Walsh, Ms Angela Malone, Ms Joann Doyle.
JEB IT Teacher's Diploma
Ms Josephine Dalton, Ms Helen Maher, Ms Patricia Ann Maher, Ms Sharon Scanlon.
ECDL Testers
Ms Nora Webster, Ms Geraldine Rodgers, Ms Josephine Dalton, Mr Gerard Burke, Mr Vincent Hayes, Ms Sharon Scanlon, Ms Rita Lennon, Mr Quintan Hallissey.
