DONEGAL ETB has appointed Orla Winters as a new Community Education Facilitator to its Further Education and Training (FET) Service to cover An Ghaeltacht, West and South Donegal.
Her colleague, fellow Community Education Facilitator Catherine Friel, continues to cover Inishowen, South and East Donegal.
The Community Education Support Programme supports the delivery of adult education courses in the community through the provision of funding for tuition costs and support in the setting up of courses.
The programme hopes to encourage adults with few/no qualifications to take part in educational activities, in order to build their confidence as individuals and to help in the development of their community. Around 4,000 adults take part in community education courses around the county each year.
Originally from Ballyshannon, Orla attended the Sacred Heart Secondary school there before progressing to St. Patrick’s College, Maynooth and completing a B.A. (Hons) and an M.A. in Irish History. Orla joined Donegal ETB in 2006 as an Adult Literacy Tutor. Since then she has delivered and developed a wide variety of courses at different QQI levels across the county.
Orla said: “I am so thrilled and excited to be taking up this new role within Donegal ETB. Having worked in the Further Education Service for over fifteen years, I understand the huge importance of providing as wide a variety of educational experiences as possible at a local level. I look forward to working with local community groups and voluntary organisations and promoting life-long learning throughout An Ghaeltacht, West and South Donegal.”
In congratulating Orla on her appointment, Donegal ETB’s Director of FET, Cróna Gallagher said, “I would like to congratulate Orla on her appointment. She brings a wealth of experience to the position and I have every confidence that she’ll make a significant contribution to further development of community education across the county.”
Orla took up her appointment in recent weeks.
Further information on Donegal ETB’s Community Education Support Service can be found on its website (https://www.donegaletb.ie/feature/programmes/community-education-2/).
