Lifelong learning and improving skills are at the core of what we offer on our courses. Gaining extra qualifications can help you to do your job better and get on faster in your career. The courses are designed to be accessible, short and pragmatic so you will find them entirely beneficial to your daily work.

• For respected and recognised certification.
• For updating your existing skills and knowledge.
• For new practical skills and knowledge that increase job satisfaction and performance.
• For improving confidence and motivation.
• For working towards one of two full awards in Rehabilitative Training and Inclusive Education.

FETAC Awards:

• Are quality assured.
• Are nationally and internationally recognised.
• Offer access to further and higher education and other training opportunities.
• Are recognised by employers.

All FETAC awards are part of the new inclusive national framework of qualifications, developed by the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland (NQAI). This framework brings greater clarity to the Irish education and training system, making it possible for learners, employers and providers to understand and compare different types of qualifications. All FETAC awards already have a specific placing on the national framework between levels 1 and 6, allowing FETAC award holders to progress more easily within the system. Employers will also recognise your abilities and skills because FETAC awards are quality assured. Please refer to www.fetac.ie for further details.

Participants who successfully complete a level 6 award have demonstrated a comprehensive range of understanding and/or skills which may be vocationally specific and/or of a general supervisory nature. They have also demonstrated detailed theoretical understanding.

A FETAC Level 6 award consists of a number of components. Certificates are awarded for the achievement of major awards, where learners achieve the national standard in a prescribed number of component areas. Component Certificates are awarded for the achievement of individual areas, which can stand alone or build towards the achievement of a full certificate. Each CPD course is equivalent to one component certificate. You can work towards one of two full awards in Rehabilitative Training or Inclusive Education.

The module descriptor contains a description of the following:
Summary of contents.
Introduction.
General aims.
Unit overview.
Specific Learning Outcomes (SLOs) for each unit.
Portfolio of assessment.
 

At level 6 you are required to produce items that demonstrate that you have gained new knowledge and you can apply it to your own situation. These items are called your 'Portfolio of Assessment'.

At level 6 the portfolio always requires you to demonstrate different ways in which the learning outcomes have been met. Depending on your module, the portfolio may consist of one or more of the following:

• Assignment.
• Collection of work.
• Examination.
• Learner record.
• Project.
• Skills demonstration.
   

• In written assignments, references must be cited in full at the end of the paper before the appendices (if any), but in the text itself, students should cite the author and the date of publication, e.g. "Sutton-Spence and Woll (1999) report that...."
• Books should be cited as follows: Author’s surname, author’s first name, year of publication, title of the book (in italics), place of publication, publisher’s details. For example:Sutton-Spence, Rachel and Woll, Bencie, 1999: he Linguistics of British Sign Language.Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Newspaper/magazine articles should be cited as follows: Author’s surname, author’s first name, year of publication, title of the article, name of the magazine (in italics), issue number, page numbers. For example:Bowman, Cliff, 2001: Official Recognition of BSL: Some insights from the Welsh Language Act 1993, in Deaf Worlds, Volume 17, Issue 1, pp 7–14.
• Web sources should be cited as follows: Author’s surname, author’s first name, year of publication/date of downloading, title of the page, full URL of web page. For example:
  Sternberg, Robert J., 07/08/2001: General Tips on Becoming a Better Student: http://www.hartcourtcollege.com/psych/student/better.html.

Yes, it is good practice to list your references.

The CPD department provides comprehensive course materials. Participants receive a folder containing:

• Handouts.
• Module descriptors.
• Briefs.
• Examples.
• Presentations.
• Resource disc containing course content and further reading.

We also provide learner support on an ongoing basis.

Yes, in order to view the CD you receive with your training pack you need to have access to a computer and have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer.

CPD currently hold FETAC assessments twice a year. Summer assessment is held in May and winter assessment is held in November. Provisional results are issued approximately eight weeks later. There is then an appeals period and final certificates are issued approximately eight weeks after the provisional results.

Yes, FETAC provide an appeal period. You need to appeal in writing to the CPD coordinator within 14 days of receiving your provisional statement of results. There is a fee of €19.00 to appeal.

Please send hard copies of your assignments and learner journals to:
Continuous Professional Development
National Learning Network
Park House Training Centre
Stillorgan Grove
Stillorgan
Co. Dublin
* Please remember to keep a copy for yourself.

No, you must send hard copies by post.

Yes, when you receive your results you can request that your learner journal and assignment are returned. To do this send a stamped addressed envelope to the value of €10 to the CPD department.