It's back to school time for teachers, lecturers and educators in more than one way

WIT’s Department of Education continuing professional development programmes have been designed for practitioners working across the education spectrum to address CPD needs

A range of flexible learning courses for educators  on offer at Waterford Institute of Technology’s (WIT) Department of Education means it many people working in school and adult education will be returning to studies this September themselves.

WIT runs a  number of Teaching Council-approved continuing professional development programmes and attracts students from far and wide on its variety of courses for people working in education or interested in a career in adult/further education.

Dr Helen Murphy, the Head of the Department of Education welcomes people in education or interested in education to contact the Department of Education at WIT to find out which course can help them to reach their personal or professional development goals. 

“Our programmes are flexible, responsive and connect teaching with practice. We have been working with adult learners for over 30 years and have a long history of supporting adult education. We offer programmes from NFQ Level 6 up to NFQ Level 9,” she says.

“All of our programmes were designed for practitioners working across the education spectrum to address the CPD needs of these sectors and to reflect the changes taking place in education practice and policy.”

An example of one of the courses with flexible delivery is the BA in Adult Education, a Level 7 qualification aimed at practitioners working in the adult education sector including basic education, adult literacy, community education and further education.

Elaine Clifford from Killarney, travelled from the south west to the south east over two years to complete her BA in Adult Education at Waterford Institute of Technology part-time. Elaine, who works as an Adult Literacy Tutor with Kerry ETB and NALA combined her studies with her work.

“I have gained so much from my studies at WIT. Each module brought its own challenges but so many rewards. My confidence has increased and it has validated the range of skills I possess (and require) to do my job to the best of my ability,” says Elaine, who had also previously completed the Higher Certificate in Literacy Development with WIT.

There have been huge changes taking place in the Further Education and Training sector to which the Department of Education at WIT has responded. "The need for tutors working in adult and further education to possess a recognised third level qualification in pedagogy has been set out in the National Strategy for Further Education and Training (SOLAS, 2014)," Dr Murphy explains.

In response, the Department of Education at WIT has developed a new qualification at NFQ Level 6, the Higher Certificate in Adult & Further Education to meet the need for tutors working in adult and further education to possess a recognised third level qualification in pedagogy.

This new programme provides a route to a major award at NFQ Level 6 that is designed to cater for the needs of practitioners who require a combination of generic teaching skills and specialist subject knowledge in their field. The programme also acts as an access route to adult and further education practitioners who need to gain a qualification in further education teaching at NFQ Level 8 by providing students with a programme pathway following successful completion of the programme to the NFQ7 BA Ordinary in Adult Education and then on to the NFQ8 BA Honours in Teaching in Adult and Further Education, which is recognised by the Teaching Council as a recognised teaching qualification for the Further Education sector.

For further information on this new programme, please go to www.wit.ie/ldc

For detailed information on the portfolio of programmes offered by the Department of Education, please go to www.wit.ie/education.