I met a fellow South African, and she told me about SECAD, and the Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) level 5 she just completed, and that it has changed her life. She also has small children, and the training was focused on that.
I got in contact with Vicki Kelly, Head of the Personal Development Programme, and went to the SECAD office, extremely nervous and scared. She put me at ease within minutes.
We started the program with a lovely personal development session, looking at ourselves and what we wanted to achieve. It helped me get my priorities in place and focus on myself for once.
When COVID-19 struck, we were all left lost. Vicki soon got all the Zoom and Moodle platforms sorted, and we moved online. It was great to see our friends and talk to other woman during this hard time, being stuck at home and unsure of the future.
“I feel confident and proud of who I am and that I will be ready to enter the work force again, adding value to my life and others”
We grew as a group. At first, no one ever said anything in the classroom. Everyone was scared of being wrong. Now we are all so confident, not scared of being wrong. We share our fears and opinions freely. We learn and complete modules, while supporting each other.
It is the best thing that has happened to me. I feel confident and proud of who I am and that I will be ready to enter the work force again, adding value to my life and others. I found my voice because of this programme and I found that lifelong learning is really of value.
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Thinking of returning to education as an adult? You may find the following resources helpful:
One Step Up: https://www.onestepup.ie/
Fetch Courses: https://www.fetchcourses.ie/
eCollege: https://www.ecollege.ie/
