National learning Network is Ireland’s largest non-Government training organisation and caters for over 4,500 learners every year.
There are no formal entry requirements. Your training will be individualised to meet your training needs, aspirations and goals.
National Learning Network will offer you supports that will not only help with your training but can assist you in relevant aspects of your life. You will hold onto your current financial benefits and in addition obtain a training allowance/bonus from FÁS or the HSE.
 

National Learning Network programmes vary depending on your needs at the time. Our courses are run not only in the centre, but also in the community, in your own home, and within an employer’s premises. Class sizes are kept small so that learners receive individual attention. Learners are encouraged to work at their own pace with support from experienced instructors.    
 

No. All our courses are free.

There are no formal entry requirements. You just need the will to succeed. Some courses do have an assessment period, this is to ensure that the course is suitable for you. Participants on National Learning Network courses must be over 16 and under 66 years of age. 

Yes. You will keep the financial benefits you currently have. You should contact the secretary at your local centre if you have any queries regarding benefits.

Depending on your state benefit and the programme you pursue you will be entitled to a training bonus or a training allowance. This will be discussed with you in more detail before you start. If you have any queries regarding allowances, please contact the secretary at your local centre.

Yes. Visitors are always welcome. You should ring the centre for an appointment to ensure that there is someone available to give you a tour and answer any queries you may have. Contact details for all our centres are available on this website. 

The majority of National Learning Network programmes are open entry, which means that you can start at any time of the year. Programmes vary in duration from 6 months to three years and you may get an extension if you require it.
The majority of courses are 30 hours per week, although some people attend part time particularly at the start. Normally, the course starts at 9am and finishes at 5pm, Monday to Thursday. On a Friday courses usually finish at 2.30pm.
Participants on National Learning Network courses get 25 days holidays per year (2/3 weeks in the summer and 1 week at Christmas).  We will be happy to advise you of the details of your programme when you meet with us.

Yes. All National Learning Network centres are designed, developed and selected with a particular emphasis on Part M of the Building Regulations 1997, which deals with access to buildings for people with disabilities.  An in-house building specification also exists for National Learning Network centres. This draws on a combination of best practice, existing use of facilities, Part M of the Building Regulations 1997 and the NDA publication ‘Building for Everyone’.
 

We endeavour to assist you in attending our programmes. Transport requirements are assessed on individual basis, e.g. location of the service, etc. Please contact your local centre secretary with any queries you may have regarding transport.

When you start with National Learning Network you will meet the staff in the centre and other learners. This will help you to settle in and make friends.  During the first three months you will get an opportunity to find out if the programme suits your needs and goals. You will be assisted by our staff in developing a plan for yourself that will help you to say what you want and the supports that you will need. 

National Learning Network offers nationally recognised qualifications to learners in all its courses countrywide including FETAC, ECDL and City and Guilds. These cover a wide range of personal development and vocational skills. The type and level of the qualification depends on the course you are interested in.

This largely depends on the type of course you intend doing. At the end of our courses most learners can choose between employment, progression to further education, or a combination of both.

National Learning Network believes strongly in learners being able to express their needs and goals. We offer support for people who need help in doing this. The National Representative Council (NRC) is National Learning Network’s service user forum. The purpose of the forum is to represent the views and opinions of National Learning Network learners and to ensure that they participate in National Learning Network’s decision-making processes. Each centre has a local representative committee, made up of learners from each of the courses. These committees hold meetings on a regular basis to bring issues of relevance to learners to the attention of staff and management. The NRC enables learners to have a say in how the training, education and employment services they use are run and we would encourage learners to get involved with their local committee.
 

For further information on National Learning Network and the courses we provide, please contact your local centre. Contact information for each National Learning Network centre is available on this website (LINK). Alternatively, please click here (LINK) to download the National Learning Network Prospectus.