A young Letterkenny man has animated his future after finding a stress-free alternative to the Leaving Cert in Youthreach.
Callum Barry, 19, is in his first year of an Animation degree at ATU Donegal with ambitions to travel after graduation.
Despite not enjoying traditional schooling, Callum gained a range of QQI qualifications and life skills through Youthreach, a free education, training and work experience programme provided through Donegal ETB’s Further Education and Training (FET) Service.
Youthreach offers practical education for young people aged 16-20, with six centres across Donegal.
Callum enrolled in the two-year programme at 16, seeking an escape from the pressures of secondary school exams.
“I just wasn’t happy in school,” he said. “I was told Youthreach was a very relaxed programme and the teachers are very nice and that’s what I got, if not more.”
The small class sizes and varied learning styles made a big difference for Callum, who also faced some personal challenges.
“It’s a lot better than school because I can go in there and not have to do 101 things at once, I can relax. If I had an issue, I could bring it up with someone,” he said.
Youthreach places more of a focus on practical projects and portfolios than traditional exams. Subjects include core skills like English, Maths, and Computing, alongside hands-on learning in areas like arts and crafts, woodwork, hairdressing, and more.
Callum has fond memories of health education as well as days out trampolining, zip lining and educational visits to museums.
He used the work experience element of the programme to explore various career paths, including community work at Donegal Youth Service, culinary arts in a local kitchen, and retail at a comic book shop.
Youthreach gave Callum the building blocks to do an Access course at ATU Donegal and spend a year preparing for a degree. A career guidance class is offered as part of Youthreach for students to look at their employment and learning opportunities now and the possibilities in the future.
“I wanted to go to ATU since I joined,” Callum said.
“A friend at Youthreach talked me into doing Animation, I really loved art and I think if he wasn’t in Youthreach I probably wouldn’t have done it.”
Callum is now studying with a goal of getting an Honours degree and eventually working in the cartoon industry in Australia.
For those considering Youthreach as an alternative path to university, Callum offers this advice from his own journey: “If you are really unhappy in school and you are stressed about exams, I would suggest it because your mental health comes before anything else.
“I used to stress all the time about exams and studying didn’t really work well with me. With Youthreach, it’s nice to have a relaxed place where I could ask all the questions and because of that I was able to pass my exams.”
The staff at Youthreach also helped Callum feel supported every step of the way, for which he is forever grateful.
“I like to think Youthreach is like an extension of my family. When I went in there I felt anxious and shy but it felt like all the teachers had motherly and fatherly roles,” he said.
“If you are going in there, expect it to feel very family-orientated. You feel like you are being taken care of by these people who actually want to help.
“They really help you through some tough times. I really appreciate everything they did for me.”
Donegal ETB’s six Youthreach centres are now enrolling. If you, or someone you know, is thinking about joining the programme, you can find more information at this link: http://www.donegaletb.ie/youthreach.
For any enquiries, fill out the online web form and the team will get back to you: https://www.donegaletb.ie/donegal-youthreach-enquiry-form/.
You can also call the Youthreach Centres on the following numbers:
- Ballyshannon (Pernille) – 071 98 51286 or apply online here
- Buncrana/Glengad (Jayne) – 074 93 62626 or apply online here
- Gort an Choirce (Caitriona) – 074 91 35218 or apply online here
- Letterkenny (Gillian) – 074 91 22585 or apply online here
- Lifford (Aidan) – 074 91 22585 or apply online here
Facebook: DonegalYouthreach
Twitter @DonegalYR
YouTube: Donegal Youthreach Programme
Youthreach is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union.
