QQI Awards event: certificates presented to staff from the Air Corps in Lucan Education Centre on 20th November 2019.

Congratulations to members of the Air Corps in Baldonnel on achieving QQI awards. Four members of the Air Corps were presented with their QQI certificates at a ceremony in Lucan Education Centre on Wednesday 20^th November 2019. The Adult Education Service (Southwest) is collaborating with the Air Corps as part of a national project on Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) in the Defence Forces. The project aims to recognise and validate the learning and skills that staff have achieved through experience on-the-job.

Pictured: Brigadier General Rory O’Connor, Irish Air Corps and Paddy Lavelle, CEO DDLETB with members of the Air Corps who received their certificates.

The RPL process allows learners to gain certification without having to attend a course in what they already know. The RPL project team in Lucan supported the group to identify and document their on-the-job learning and to compile portfolios for assessment in areas such as IT and Workplace Safety. The structured supports included an induction day, adult education guidance and a series of mentoring sessions last Autumn and Spring.

This is a pilot project for DDLETB in Recognition of Prior Learning.

Brigadier General Rory O’Connor, Paddy Lavelle and Darren Cosgrave made speeches about the impact of the project.

The four Air Corps participants on the project made a presentation to the RPL team, saying it with flowers! The evening rounded off with refreshments and everyone took the opportunity to stay and mingle.

Pictured: Terry  Murray, Monica McGrath RPL mentor, Conor McDonnell, Darren Cosgrave, Fiona Fay QA Unit, Paul Kavanagh, Lorraine Mullally RPL mentor, Elaine Gahan Adult Education Guidance Service