What is PAGE

The Cork City Wide Community Education & Development Network (CC-CEDN) was formed in November 1999 with the purpose of establishing a project for Adult Guidance and Counselling in Education in Cork.

The CC-CEDN is a consortium of equal partners including, Altrusa ALS, Mayfield Write On ALS, Cork Travellers Women’s Network, Cork Combat Poverty Resource Network, VEC, VTOS, Read Write Now ALS, Ballyphehnae/Togher Community Development Project, The Community Women’s Education Network and later Farranree Community Development Project.

Funding for eighteen months was secured and in May 2001 CC-CEDN, who have now become the steering committee of P.A.G.E. with the support of the VEC, appointed a co-ordinator to begin the process of setting up a innovative project for Adult Guidance and Counselling in Education in Cork.

For the first time in the city, a co-ordinated community level Adult Education Initiative bringing different strands together is being resourced and supported by statutory agencies.

This project places developments at the community level at its core and positions a shared Resource Unit so that it supports facilities and is answerable to the people through community groups. It envisions and structurally facilitates the adult needing guidance, to be able to access relevant support in the first instance in his/her local community and should more in depth professional Guidance be needed, easy referral or direct access to the City Resource Unit. So the model envisages development from the ground up both from the individuals and the organisations.

Aims

The aim of the project is to provide a comprehensive and culturally relevant community based and community led adult education guidance and counselling service. This will be for all members of the community especially those who are educationally disadvantaged. This service will have access points in local communities, supported and sustained by the City Resource Unit.

Objectives

The main objectives of the project will be to increase awareness of guidance and counselling needs.

Train frontline workers in local communities in basic Adult Guidance and Counselling skills to act as peer mentors within their local communities.

Identify students needs regarding education and personal development.

Develop a new model of adult guidance that will provide access to an independent, professional, accessible, educational guidance service.

Establish a tracking system whereby the transfer of adults to a local PLC college with VTOS scheme is followed up. Their progress will be monitored with a view to identifying the needs of the group and identifying any shortfalls in the existing support services with a view to future development. This model of education guidance provision will be rooted in and lead by the community sector in a working partnership with the statutory providers.

Mentoring

Through targeted local schemes the pilot project will train peer mentors in the basics of guidance and support for adults undergoing, education through literacy, VTOS, adult community or women’s education programmes. These mentors will be selected because they have engaged in a similar learning journey themselves, and given training they will provide support and advice to current adult learners. Additionally, information and signposting training collectively will be provided for frontline/reception staff in local communities. Thus the provision at local level would be a bank of trained peer mentors in community, literacy and women’s groups who would support, advice, run study skills groups and provide signposting to adult students.

City Level

At city level a professional a comprehensive guidance and counselling service would be available and would operate in the following ways:

It would provide training for frontline staff and peer mentors. It would provide information on services in the city and in turn this information will be available to all communities. It will provide guidance and support to students in their transition between provides. The counsellor will be available by referral of community groups or agency or self-referral (Normal confidentially assured). Setting up a tracking system for adults moving from community education to VTOS. All groups will be asked to provide information to the City Resource Unit and will be made aware of this central bank of information and son-stop-shop. While many networks exist, there is little communication or sharing of services, the development of this project will facilitate the links. These will be expanded, developed and consolidated to support adult learners on their often-precarious journey so they do not fall between the stools.

Target Group

As this is a pilot project, it is available to all members of the community with a particular focus on:

· Those with literacy problems

· Women returning to the work force

· Long-term unemployed and their spouses

· Lone parents

· Travellers wanting to avail of educational possibilities

· People with disabilities

· Early school leavers

· Those who find it difficult to access the labour market or training needs

· Those in low-paid, part-time or temporary employment wishing to make changes

· Workers wanting to upgrade skills

· Older adults, dealing with retirement/re-engaging with life at another level.

Target areas

The target areas for the duration of the pilot project will be:

Churchfield/Knocknaheeney
Mayfield
City Centre
One VTOS programme
Ballyphehane/Togher