Donegal Mná an Tí Marian Mhic Pháidín and Treasa Mhic Fhionnghaile will travel to Malta today (24.4.17) to take part in a workplace study visit organised by AONTAS, the National Adult Learning Organisation.
The trip is taking place as part of an EU-funded project that aims to increase the number of people taking part in adult learning.
Both Mná an Tí have welcomed students from across the country into their homes in the Donegal Gaeltacht for the past twenty years. Commenting on their trip this week Mrs Mhic Pháidín said: “More and more students who stay with us during the summer have specific dietary requirements so we recently signed up for a 10-week cookery course with Skills for Work. That’s where we learnt about the opportunity to travel to Malta”.
The Mná an Tí will visit Malta from 24th to 27th of April with a group of four Skills for Work participants from across Ireland. Their itinerary will include visits to the Institute of Tourism Studies (ITS) and a training on presentation and communication skills.
Speaking about the visit AONTAS CEO Niamh O’Reilly said: “AONTAS is delighted to offer this opportunity to learners from Donegal so that they can bring back new ideas to their own workplaces and communities.
Mrs Mhic Fhionnghaile said: “I’m really excited to visit Malta, where we will be hosted by the Maltese Ministry for Education and Employment.”
I’m looking forward to learning about the tourism sector in Malta, experiencing new cultures and traditions and bringing some new tips home with me to help promote Gaeltacht Gweedore.”
Marian Lynch, Skills for Work Coordinator will accompany the learners on the trip. Ms Lynch said: “Skills for Work is a national programme that provides training opportunities to help employees deal with the basic skills demands of the workplace. Malta and Ireland have a lot in common in terms of tourism, so we are looking forward to learning more about their industry.”