This article is from page 14 of the 2011-04-26 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 14 JPG
SECONDARY school students in Ennis have been learning about the skills needed to succeed in cutting edge world of information technology.
Employees working at Avocent, Shannon, are committing to an initiative which will provide a firsthand insight into the world of work, to senior cycle students from Ennis Community College as part of the Skills @ Work Programme. This programme has been facilitated by the Schools Business Partnership (SBP) and is an initiative of Business in the Community, Ireland (BITC Ireland).
Employees of Avocent will talk to the students about the real-life skills required in the workplace, such as CV writing and interview preparation. They will run ‘A Day in the Life’ session, amongst others, to assist the students in recognising the value of completing the Leaving Certificate and help them explore possible career paths. The students will also be brought on a site visit to the Avocent premises in Shannon and witness the many career opportunities that exist in the industry.
Yvonne Walsh, Leaving Cert Vocational Programme Coordinator (LVCP) at Ennis Community College, explained, “This programme will really help students in fifth year to focus on their strengths and interests and to work towards achieving results that will help them in the next stage of their life whether it is work or further education. We are looking forward to developing the partnership with Avocent over the coming year.”
Barry Healy, HR Manager, Avocent, said, “Avocent are delighted to be partnering with Ennis Community College, to support the students in their final year. Our employees are excited about getting involved and giving the students a taste of our real working lives. It also gives them an opportunity to develop themselves in areas such as team-building, interpersonal and communication skills.”
Dr Eleanor Walsh, Limerick / Clare Regional SPB Co-ordinator added, “In BITC Ireland we are delighted to welcome Avocent to the growing number of companies participating in our programmes and recognise their commitment to the local community. Considering that Avocent is based in Shannon, we are delighted that the students will gain valuable knowledge of the career paths and job opportunities available in their locality.”
Funded under the National Development Plan, The Schools Business Partnership aimed to match 158 post primary schools in Ireland with a local business and achieved that goal in 2009.