Kerry Education & Training Board (Kerry ETB) are pleased to announce Mr. Brendan Griffin TD, Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport will launch our Education and Training Strategy 2018-2022 at Kerry ETB’s Cappanalea Outdoor and Education Training Centre at 10 am on Friday the 9th March 2018.
Kerry ETB was established on July 1st 2013 and the development of this strategy provided an opportunity to chart the strategic direction for Kerry ETB over the next five years. The ETBs services includes primary, post primary and a wide range of further education and training programmes.
The mission of Kerry ETB is to create and promote the development of a lifelong learning society in Kerry, so that all who live there have access to the education and training required to fulfil their potential and meet their personal, social, cultural, economic and civic needs.
In developing this Strategy, the methodology adopted was designed to ensure extensive internal and external consultation including, ETB board members, learners, students, managers, staff, parents, industry and key community partners and agencies.
The Strategy emphasises the role of Kerry ETB in promoting a holistic education and training experience that spans the full spectrum of life-long learning. Key to the development of the strategy was the commitment to the organisations core values of Respect, Quality, Inclusion, Equality and Learning. The Strategy aims to promote a shared vision across all of Kerry ETB’s programmes, centres, colleges, schools and services. This shared vision will help to ensure an integrated and seamless approach to the provision of education and training opportunities across the county.
The Strategy has identified nine Strategic Goals: –
1) Nationally and Internationally recognised and Quality Assured Programmes.
2) Quality Teaching and Learning.
3) Innovative Education and Training Responses.
4) Access and Progression.
5) Develop Productive Partnerships.
6) Stakeholder Engagement.
7) Effectiveness and Accountability in Governance and Leadership.
8) Marketing, Branding and Communication.
9) Enhancing the Working and Learning Environment.
Each strategic goal has a key number of associated actions. Progress with the implementation of the strategy will be measured annually by the implementation plans. The successful implementation of the strategy will require a shared ownership across the organisation with each school, center and programme utilising the strategic objective as the key drivers for their local planning and development.
The Chairperson of Kerry ETB, Cllr. Jim Finucane in welcoming the publication of the strategy stated: “I am delighted with the publication of the Kerry ETB Strategy Statement 2018-2022. The ETB is a key provider of education and training opportunities across county Kerry and the successful implementation of this strategy will ensure the continued successful development of the organisation over the next five years. I wish to thank the Chief Executive Officer, the Directors and all involved in the development of the Strategy Statement and I look forward to its implementation”.
The Chief Executive Office of Kerry ETB, Mr. Colm Mc Evoystated: “I am confident that the strategic goals set out in the Strategy Statement are grounded in the organisations core values of Respect, Learning, Quality, Inclusion and Equality and set out a clear strategic path for their development until 2022. Kerry ETB is a large geographically dispersed organisation with over 1,100 staff, delivering education and training programmes from our twenty eight centres to over 15,000 students/learners annually. Our annual budget is in excess of €52 million making the ETB a key contributor the local economy. I look forward to working with the Board, the Directors, School and Centre Management and all the Staff in leading the implementation of the strategy over the next five year”
Ann O’Dwyer Director of Schools, Youth and Music stated that “Kerry ETB Primary and Post Primary schools, Youth Work and Music provision look forward to implementing this strategy over the next 5 years. It is the ambition of all our schools to achieve the “highly effective school” standards of teaching and learning, school management and ICT integration as set out by the Department of Education and Skills Inspectorate in the “Looking at our Schools Quality Framework for Primary and Post Primary Schools.” Kerry ETB schools are fully implementing the new Junior Cycle and will have commenced the implementation of the new Senior Cycle during the life of this strategy. We will also continue to prioritise the health and wellbeing of students through the full implementation of the DES Wellbeing Programme and also the ongoing development of the Student Support Teams. It is also envisaged that we will develop 3-4 additional Community National Schools in order to provide for diversity and inclusion in the primary sector. Kerry ETB will also work with our partner Kerry County Council, schools and music bodies to establish Music Generation in Kerry over the coming years. It is our plan to support the continued development of both targeted and generic youth work programmes across the county, based on the needs identified in the recent youth work audit. Kerry ETB will support the improvement of the Irish language through our work the relevant agencies on the implementation of the various Irish Plans across the county as well as continuing to prioritise oral language acquisition on our 8 schools.
The Kerry ETB Director of Further Education and Training, Mr Owen O Donnell stated: “Further Education and Training has gone through seismic change over the last few years with the creation of the Education and Training Boards. Kerry ETB aims to continue at the forefront of this change with the development of our Further Education and Training provision to offer the highest quality education and training opportunities possible to our learners and Industry in Kerry. The Strategic Goals outlined in the Kerry ETB 2018-2022 Strategy will act as a road map for the ongoing transformation of the Further Education and Training provision within Kerry. Kerry ETB has several projects in development for new apprenticeships and courses including the upgrading of facilities countywide. I look forward to working with our team in Kerry ETB in the implementation of this Strategic plan“
The Kerry ETB Director of Organisation Support & Development, Ms Maria Brennan stated: “This Strategy Statement was developed following an extensive consultation process with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders. The nine goals which will plot our course over the next five years are the product of numerous workshops, interviews and questionnaires. A planning and monitoring process will be put in place to evaluate the effectiveness of the Strategy and ensure realisation of our goals. I look forward to the full implementation of the strategy and ensuring the continued development of Kerry ETB as a leader in Education and Training provision in Kerry”.
ENDS
For further information, please contact Marion O Toole at motoole@kerryetb.ie or 066 7121488
