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Some of the first graduates of the FETAC Level 5
Certificate in Healthcare Support (Major Award)
for Healthcare Assistants.
Learning waves Skillnet launched its ‘Radio – Get your Foot
in the Door’ workshop in 2010. The aim of this workshop was
to give people who are interested in pursuing a career in radio
the opportunity to meet professionals from the industry and
to hear from them on ‘what it takes to make it in radio’.
The workshop was run twice in 2010 and once in 2011 and a
total of over 50 people attended. A number of the participants
went on to complete further training programmes through
Learning Waves Skillnet in both 2010 and 2011.
Caoimhseach Connolly was one of those participants. She
secured a number of work placements; the first with Teena
Gates in the 98FM newsroom in 2010 on the back of the
workshop and later with Newstalk, Today FM and a further
placement with 98FM. Throughout her work placements she
continued to undertake a number of training programmes with
Learning Waves Skillnet. Following the success of her work
placement with 98FM, Caoimhseach was offered freelance
work with the radio station over Christmas 2011. She is
now a weekend reporter for a number of stations and is still
a regular participant in Learning Waves courses.
Healthcare Support
50 people, 18 of whom were former construction workers with
no previous healthcare experience, completed a FETAC Level 5
Certificate in Healthcare Support (Major Award) for Healthcare
Assistants through the Leading Healthcare Providers (LHP)
Skillnet. Most graduates are now working in a full or part-time
capacity in this sector. One participant who completed the
Healthcare Support Award is now in their second year on an
Honours Degree in Nursing at DCU. 23 people commenced
the programme in Nov 2011 and will complete it in May 2012.
This programme will run again in 2012.
www.lhpskillnet.ie
radio: GET yOUR FOOT IN THE DOOR
– A Job-seeker Success Story
According to Caoimhseach the most beneficial part of the
workshops and training was “getting to ask the experts
questions and also getting the opportunity to meet the
experts”. She would encourage anyone who is interested
in working in radio to go to www.learningwaves.ie, attend the
courses the network has on offer and benefit from meeting
people from the industry. Gaining some work experience and
following up on contacts made on the courses is an important
next step. On recommending Learning Waves Skillnet to others,
Caoimhseach commented that “it’s where everyone in radio
goes to learn and where the people who know what they are
talking about go to train”.
Learning Waves Skillnet will be further developing its workshop
on ‘Radio – Get your Foot in the Door’ in 2012 and will also be
further developing its existing programmes to specifically train
those who are currently unemployed and who may be interested
in pursuing a career in radio.
www.learningwaves.ie
Caoimhseach Connolly at the Learning waves Skillnet
‘Independent Radio… a strong voice’ conference.
Skillnets News • March 2012 07