7Breda Flynn, FÁS speaking with Academia participantsAcademia participants with Catherine Carroll, Adult Education Information and Guidance Service, LimerickVisiting the Careers Resource Centre, University of Limerick.Midweek for the group proved to be a very busy day as Paul Taylor, Julie Barkman and colleagues welcomed the visitors to the Limerick Local Employment Service. The services offered at this central office include job mediation, career guidance, information provision, access to an employer liaison officer and a jobs club. The rising unemployment situation in Limerick city was clearly evident as the number of new LES clients registered in 2011 was 2063 of which 560 were long term unemployed. During the morning's visit, the group met with Yvonne Lane of Paul Partnership who highlighted the importance of non formal and informal learning and outlined some of the key community based adult education programmes being fostered and developed by the Limerick Community Education Network (LCEN). The group visited one of the LES City Outreach Points in Moyross, to speak with staff about the types of cases and guidance needs being encountered in this area and to hear about the work of the 'Regeneration Limerick' programme. The day continued with a visit to the Moyross Community Centre whose mission is to provide local based affordable community facilities and improve employment opportunities for residents of Moyross. The group saw the playground, the community garden, the training facility and had a tour of the creche, and to hear of the efforts to network with the local school and parents to make this the vibrant, well organised and lively resource on view. Paddy Flannery, the manager of the Centre welcomed the group to questions and answers and here he openly spoke of the challenges of those living in the area, the inspiration of local rugby hero Keith Earls as well as the success of the Centre's training activities including their eight week summer camp for local teenagers. Evi Stukert, Estonia and Deputy Mayor Diarmuid ScullyGeneralLeading by Example - Guidance Exchange in Limerick City continuedNCGE NEWS Summer 2012

8Academia participants visit Moyross Community Centre with Paddy Flannery.Domingo Muñoz Sánchez, Spain with Deputy Mayor Diarmuid ScullyL to R - Emma Maher (Adult Education Information and Guidance Service, Limerick), Rhona McCormack (Downtown Centre), Deputy Mayor Diarmuid Scully, Jennifer McKenzie (NCGE) and Ursula Kearney (NCGE).Héléne Sauvage, France with Deputy Mayor Diarmuid ScullyNext the group had the opportunity to meet with Rhona McCormack at the Downtown Centre Guidance Service, a city centre location in which adults can seek information and guidance on progressing to third-level education and can attend information seminars and workshops to support them in making their decision about their third-level learning options. On this particular evening, the visitors were invited to sit in on an academic writing workshop for adult learners with tutor Laurence Cleary. While the economic situation of the mid-west region and the 'regeneration' of Limerick were reference points during the week, the group would also encounter a sense of change and transition in the structure for provision of adult guidance. On Thursday, while visiting the Limerick City Adult Education Service, Mary Hamilton presented to the group on the Changing Further Education and Training Landscape in Ireland in 2012. She explained to the group that 33 Vocational Education Committees would be rationalised into 16 New Local Education & Training Boards (LETBs). In turn, the FÁS Training Services and Adult and Further Education Services provided through VECs would be merged under the new entities. Some of the group shared that they were experiencing the same sense of change in their own countries and it highlighted the importance of networking more than ever. Returning to the holistic model of guidance with the client at the centre, the team at the Adult Educational Guidance Service led the visitors on a series of short workshops throughout the VEC building. Emma, Lorraine, Catherine, Siobhan and Donna shared with the group the online tools used by the Adult Educational Guidance Counsellors as well as seeing the classrooms, offices and information centre they work from. They also arranged an opportunity to meet and speak with students who were completing their Career Action Plans as well as providing evidence both written and recorded of GeneralLeading by Example - Guidance Exchange in Limerick City continuedNCGE NEWS Summer 2012