Among those at the Education and Training Board Further Education and Training Conference 2024, in Athlone Springs were Antonine Healy, Director Further Education and Training Longford Westmeath Education and Training Board, Andrew Brownlee, Chief Executive SOLAS, broadcaster Sonya Lennon, Dr Carol Gildea, Department of Education, Andrina Wafer, Quality and Qualifications Ireland, Triin Laasie Oige, Ministry of Education, Estonia.

LWETB director was featured speaker at national conference

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Among those at the Education and Training Board Further Education and Training Conference 2024, in Athlone Springs were Antonine Healy, Director Further Education and Training Longford Westmeath Education and Training Board, Andrew Brownlee, Chief Executive SOLAS, broadcaster Sonya Lennon, Dr Carol Gildea, Department of Education, Andrina Wafer, Quality and Qualifications Ireland, Triin Laasie Oige, Ministry of Education, Estonia. Marc O'Sullivan

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James Reilly, Longford Westmeath Education and Training Board, at the Education and Training Board Further Education and Training Conference in Athlone Springs.

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Attending the Education and Training Board Further Education and Training Conference 2024, in Athlone Springs, were Antonine Healy, director Further Education and Training Longford Westmeath Education and Training Board, and delegates from LWETB. Marc O'Sullivan

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At the Education and Training Board Further Education and Training Conference 2024, in Athlone Springs was Deborah Murphy, Longford Westmeath Education and Training Board.

Published: Thu 7 Mar 2024, 9:51 AM

Last updated: Thu 7 Mar 2024, 9:55 AM

Antonine Healy, director of Further Education and Training at Longford Westmeath Education and Training Board (LWETB), was a featured speaker at this year’s Education and Training Boards Ireland (ETBI) Further Education and Training (FET) conference, which welcomed 250 delegates from across Ireland to Athlone last week.

Also contributing to the conference from LWETB was Deborah Murphy, a tutor for speakers of other languages, and James Reilly, tutor at LWETB and former FET learner, on a panel discussing the pathway from FET learner to FET practitioner.

The event brought together 250 representatives from across the sector and featured a line-up of more than 30 speakers.

Simon Harris, Minister of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, gave the official ministerial conference address on the Thursday.

Speaking ahead of the event, Minister Harris said: “Over recent years we have worked hard to ensure no one is left behind when it comes to education. No matter who you are, what your background is or what your interests are, you get an opportunity to reach your full potential.

“This conference is a timely opportunity. The impact ETBs have had on the learners but also on the wider communities they serve has been transformative.

“This two-day event is an invaluable opportunity to come together to learn from each other, to discuss the challenges and opportunities in the year ahead”.

Dr Joseph Collins, director of Further Education and Training (FET) at ETBI, said: “We can see clearly that Minister Harris has made significant inroads in developing an integrated, coherent and well-articulated further and higher education system in which there are no dead ends for learners.

"We have pathways from school to FET, within FET, between further and higher education, pathways into work and lifelong pathways which can bring people back to learning at any stage of their career or life.”