But thanks to English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes with Laois and Offaly Education and Training Board (LOETB), he received help with his exams while training to be a barber at the Mountmellick Further Education and Training Centre.
He has now progressed to Level 4 English and is able to communicate fluently with his Irish peers.
Amin learned his barbering skills as a child, learning to keep a steady hand for shaving with a razor and practicing on his father.
He is now doing a diploma in education.
He also plans to become a tutor and deliver courses in barbering to others through LOETB.
He has already acquired plenty of onsite training by working in a barber’s shop at weekends. He says his skills are so in demand that people make appointments two weeks in advance.
Amin said:
“My experience in Youthreach was good, they’re very helpful. I liked being in Youthreach more than being in school, because school was not for me. It improved my confidence a lot and it gave me a lot of motivation as well to just keep following my education and keep doing it. I recommend it to others.”
Barriers to learning: travel costs and transport
One issue Amin had was around travel to and from his classes. He travelled to both his Youthreach programme and to attend his English classes Monday to Friday.
This required a significant investment in travel costs.
Costs like this create an extra burden on adult learners. This has been part of our call to action for the Irish Government to support adult and community education in Ireland.
There are still a lot of financial barriers to learning that are holding people back.
The next Government must increase travel allowances for adult learners like Amin, as well as increasing public transport options, especially for people in rural areas.
You can learn more about these asks in our Manifesto for Change.
