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Minister Lawless congratulates LOETB on winning ESF+ award for project that amplifies voices of adult learners

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science James Lawless today congratulated Laois Offaly Education and Training Board (LOETB) for winning an award for a project that amplifies the voices of adult learners.

LOETB’s Beyond Barriers project was today announced as the winner of the Special Recognition Award for ESF+ Initiatives at the 2025 Aontas STAR Awards.

The Beyond the Barriers project is an Adult Literacy initiative co-funded by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and the European Union.

Minister Lawless said:

"The Adult Literacy for Life (ALL) is a key strategy for my department. ALL has reopened the doors to education to many people who felt they were closed to them before.

"I want to congratulate LOETB on their deserved award today. The fantastic Beyond the Barriers amplifies the voices of adult learners in the LOETB literacy service by filming the personal accounts of student ambassadors from diverse communities who act as advocates for adult literacy and lifelong learning.

"The project allows student ambassadors to demonstrate why skills and lifelong learning are an investment priority, particularly for my own department and for the European Union.

"Their stories show how the decision to return to education can have far-reaching impacts for individuals, their families and even their communities.

"They show that everyone deserves their education to be taken seriously, and literacy levels must not be a barrier to personal development or personal fulfilment."

The ESF+ co-funds Adult Literacy Programmes that are delivered by the 16 Education and Training Boards across Ireland, and who form part of the ALL network.

The AONTAS STAR Awards are held each year to celebrate outstanding achievement in adult and community education and training. STAR (Showcasing Teamwork and Awarding Recognition) awards are given to projects that demonstrate the impact of adult learning on individuals and communities throughout Ireland.

This year, there were four other ESF+ co-funded projects in consideration for the Special Recognition Award:

The Active Citizenship Voter Education Programme: This City of Dublin ETB EU co-funded programme aims to give people the tools to engage with voting by showing the local, national and global impact of voting and to help people explore their own values. The programme won the Aontas STAR award for “Global Citizenship”.

The Great to Train Initiative: "Great to Train" is an EU co-funded ETB training project. It is supported by Cork ETB and led by Cork Simon. It focuses on building personal and work-related skills for individuals accessing homeless services in Cork. The project won the Aontas STAR award for “Social Inclusion”.

Transformative Journeys for Traveller Women: Start from the Heart Programme: This is also an EU co-funded LOETB Adult Literacy project. The aims of the Start from the Heart Programme to empower individuals from the Travelling Community who have faced social exclusion from education and training and other societal opportunities.

Cultúr Migrant Centre Community Development and Capacity Building Project: This is an EU co-funded Integration and Employment of Migrants project that works with migrants and international protection applicants in Louth and Meath. English language classes were organised to engage with migrant and refugees and to encourage them to participate in the Community Development Programme as volunteers.

Notes

European Social Fund Plus (ESF+)

The ESF+ is the EU's key instrument for investing in people, focusing on improving employment and education opportunities as well as enhancing social inclusion and tackling poverty.

The ESF+ Managing Authority in the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science is responsible for the implementation of ESF+ in Ireland.

Employment Inclusion Skills and Training Programme

Ireland’s ESF+ programme is called the Employment Inclusion Skills and Training (EIST) Programme. EIST will see Ireland benefit from €508 million in ESF+ funds from the European Union for the 2021-2027 period. This, together with a planned national contribution of €573 million, will amount to a total EIST budget of over €1 billion.

EIST will see investment in:

  • access to employment
  • skills and lifelong learning for all
  • tackling poverty and social exclusion
  • food and basic material assistance to the most deprived
  • social innovation

Adult Literacy for Life (ALL)

Adult Literacy for Life (ALL) is a 10-year strategy that aims to ensure that every adult has the necessary literacy, numeracy, and digital literacy to fully engage in society and realise their potential. SOLAS have established a National Programme Office to operate as a central, coordinating office for the Strategy across all government departments and stakeholders.

The ALL Strategy is important because it will help people gain the necessary skills to achieve their personal, social and employment aspirations so that they can take part fully in society. It will also help organisations and services to be fully accessible to adults with unmet needs, and support a more inclusive, equal society.

The ESF+ co-funds Adult Literacy Programmes that are delivered by the 16 Education and Training Boards across Ireland, and who form part of the ALL network.

AONTAS

AONTAS is Ireland’s national adult learning organisation for adult and community education providers and adult learners. It promotes the value and benefits of adult learning, and advocates on behalf of the sector. Founded in 1969, it is an independent Non-Governmental Organisation, with over 500 members nationwide.

In addition to promoting adult learning in Ireland, AONTAS is the national coordinating body for the New European Agenda for Adult Learning (NEAAL), which is aimed at increasing participation in adult learning across the EU, enhancing policies and supports for adult learners, and gathering and disseminating best practices.

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