[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-589386-105":3,"doc-detail-589386-en":81,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":99},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":74,"head_meta":76,"extra_data":78,"updated_unix":80},105,"en","bringing-it-all-back-home-the-able-18-21-programme-experience","Bringing it all back home - The ABLE 18-21 programme experience","","Bringing it all back home: An innovative approach describes the context, origins, and objectives of the Adult Better Learning and Education (ABLE) 18-21 programme designed for early school leavers. It outlines the programme’s 2010 development, its Leaving Certificate Equivalent (FETAC Level 4) delivery over 24 weeks, and the multi-agency model. The article details participant selection, demand and gender balance, and the education-and-work barriers the design addressed, including pedagogy, recruitment, and guidance-supported progression back into formal learning.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/","Research & Report",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/bringing-it-all-back-home-the-able-18-21-programme-experience/589386/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/bringing-it-all-back-home-the-able-18-21-programme-experience/589386.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Đào","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-11-10","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",6,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"What was the main purpose of the ABLE 18-21 programme?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"The programme aimed to improve young people’s access to further education and employment and to address challenges faced by early school leavers by offering a tailored pathway back into formal learning.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"How was the ABLE programme delivered and structured?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"It delivered a Leaving Certificate Equivalent (FETAC Level 4) course full time over 24 weeks, using a multi-agency approach and supporting progression onto local PLC and further education courses.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"How were participants selected for the programme?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"Participants aged 18–21 without a Leaving Certificate or formal qualifications were chosen through initial individual information and guidance meetings, followed by group literacy, numeracy, and motivation assessments.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":75,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":77,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":79,"site_id":7},589386,1792192568,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":83},"success",{"doc_id":79,"user_id":84,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":85,"doc_module":4,"category_id":86,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":87,"file_id":88,"file_url":89,"file_type":90,"file_size":91,"view_count":55,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":92,"language":93,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":94,"faqs":95,"seo_title":96,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":97,"read_time":98,"preview_page_count":4},1374402968488,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_29158cc5080c5b710cf443261637dec0",8,"Bringing it all back home: An innovative approach to the provision of tailored education and training for young people  \nThe experience of the Adult Better Learning and Education (ABLE) 18-21 programme  \nfergus craddock, tolka area partnership  \nThe aim of this article is to give a brief overview of the context to the Adult Better Learning and Education (ABLE) 18-21 programme and the objectives which the programme aimed to fulfil in light of the challenges facing early school leavers. The article will also document the triumphs and challenges experienced by the participants when returning to formal education.  \nOrigins of programme  \nThe Adult Better Learning and Education (ABLE) 18-21 programme was developed in 2010 to improve young people’s opportunities to access further education and employment. The programme involved the delivery of a Leaving Certificate Equivalent (FETAC Level 4) course, full time over the course of 24 weeks, which would facilitate progression onto local Post Leaving Cert (PLC) and further education courses. The ABLE programme was delivered through a multi-agency approach that allowed for collaboration in delivery across a number of different sectors including youth work, social welfare and local employment services utilising the shared resources and expertise of the agencies involved.  \nParticipant profile  \nThe target group for the initiative were those who were aged 18 to 21 who didn’t have a Leaving Certificate or formal educational qualifications, but sought a ‘gateway’ programme to access education and employment options. Participants were chosen for the programme through a series of initial individual information and guidance meetings followed by group literacy, numeracy and motivation assessments. This was to ensure that the programme could  \nrespond to the needs and ability profile of the group as well as ensuring the programme was suitable for their career and education goals. A vital factor in the initial screening process was the identification of progression routes into further education and employment beyond the ABLE programme, and the potential of participants to benefit from all aspects of the programme.  \nA total of 95 enquiries were made about the ABLE programme (comprising of personal contact, telephone contact, referral from external agencies etc) with 65 students offered places and 61 arriving for the start of the course. The gender breakdown ratio was consistent across all three groups with 42 males and 19 females engaging intotal on the programme.  \nIn developing a programme around the shared characteristics of the target group, a number of trends and beliefs emerged which informed the design of the ABLE programme and were essential in designing an alternative to existing provision:  \n• A widespread belief that education was “not for them” and that Youthreach and Community Training Centre (CTC) programmes were an extension of the formal education sector and a desire for greater freedom in their learning path  \n• A perception that Youthreach and CTC programmes were catering primarily for those aged 16-18 and therefore not targeted on their situation and circumstances  \n• Previous expulsion from Youthreach and CTC training centres  \n• A desire to obtain a full FETAC award in an intensive and sustained programme which would enable them to avail of the full range of Post Leaving Cert (PLC) programmes throughout the city  \n• A methodology which offered an alternative to the traditional classroom model which also allowed them freedom in their learning  \nProgramme ethos  \nThe ABLE programme was developed to provide a departure from existing programmes and was based on a number of core considerations in structure, recruitment, pedagogy and practice which informed the development and delivery mechanisms ofthe programme.  \nThese included:  \n• An acknowledgement of the importance of guidance through a dedicated guidance worker throughout the programme. This took the form of classroom based ex","cbCaip8gon9ZAJIl","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaip8gon9ZAJIl","pdf",122220,9,"English","# Origins of programme\n## Participant profile\n## Programme ethos\n## Pre-programme and post-programme support","[{\"question\":\"What was the main purpose of the ABLE 18-21 programme?\",\"answer\":\"The programme aimed to improve young people’s access to further education and employment and to address challenges faced by early school leavers by offering a tailored pathway back into formal learning.\"},{\"question\":\"How was the ABLE programme delivered and structured?\",\"answer\":\"It delivered a Leaving Certificate Equivalent (FETAC Level 4) course full time over 24 weeks, using a multi-agency approach and supporting progression onto local PLC and further education courses.\"},{\"question\":\"How were participants selected for the programme?\",\"answer\":\"Participants aged 18–21 without a Leaving Certificate or formal qualifications were chosen through initial individual information and guidance meetings, followed by group literacy, numeracy, and motivation assessments.\"}]","Bringing it all back home - The ABLE 18-21 programme experience | PDF",1792067095,23,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":100},[101,105,109,113,118,122,127,130,134,137,141],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":102,"show_sort_weight":103,"slug":104},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":26,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":106,"show_sort_weight":107,"slug":108},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":33,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":110,"show_sort_weight":111,"slug":112},"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":114,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":115,"show_sort_weight":116,"slug":117},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":55,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":119,"show_sort_weight":120,"slug":121},"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":123,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":124,"show_sort_weight":125,"slug":126},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":86,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":128,"slug":129},30,"research-report",{"id":92,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":131,"show_sort_weight":132,"slug":133},"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":132,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":135,"show_sort_weight":132,"slug":136},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":138,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":139,"show_sort_weight":138,"slug":140},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":142,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":143,"show_sort_weight":114,"slug":144},19,"General","general"]