further education portlaoise

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• Portlaoise Institute, Mountrath Road, Portlaoise, Co.Laois R32 H392
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Welcome to Portlaoise Institute, a centre of excellence in the field of Further Education in the Midlands. We are a constituent Institute of the Laois Offaly Education Training Board (LOETB) providing QQI Level 5 and 6 Courses. Portlaoise Institute also provides courses and professional certification in fields such Beauty Therapy, Hairdressing, Computing, Healthcare, Nursing, Business Studies, Creative Digital and Animation, Sports and Leisure Management and others.

Courses at Portlaoise Institute

Setu level 8 degrees.

Enrolling now for September 2023

Beauty and Hair Department

Health and humanities department, design department, business department, computer science department, sport and recreation department.

Early Learning and Care

Social Studies

What our students say.

“I choose to complete my Level 5 Professional award in Early Learning and Care after completing Level 5 & 6. As a mother of three I was directed to a career change where this course was the next step in my journey. The course content has been very informative and interesting. The structure of the new award is excellent, and support given to me was very encouraging.

I would urge anyone with an interest in the area of early learning and are of children to consider Portlaoise Institute as their first port of call on that journey.”

Aine O’Sullivan

“Aware of the high drop-out rates for computer course. I decided to defer for a year and to test the waters with a course in Portlaoise Institute. Having just completed the course I can say it was a good decision. A QQI level 5 course is a good steppingstone from second level to university.

I enjoyed the course studying subjects I was very interested in and for which I could see a very clear purpose in. I am starting college now with way greater confidence in my abilities.”

Cuan Tilson

Computer Science

“I chose this course specifically as it had a class that specialized in midwifery which made me extremely interested. I highly enjoyed my time learning and building relationships with staff and other learners. It gave me a unbelievably valuable prospective into what working the healthcare would like with academic learning and the opportunity to complete 150 hours of work experience.

I was a interesting course covering subjects like Anatomy and Physiology to Communication Studies. Each class brought in new thoughts and learning which I am so grateful for.”

Nursing with Midwifery

“I had chosen this course as I wasn’t fully aware of what I wanted to study for further education. After completing the course, I now know it helped me make a good decision to study Professional Social Care & Practice in SETU (Carlow).

I found the course very interesting to study and teachers made every effort to insure you did not get left behind or left out. I would strongly recommend this course to anyone who doesn’t fully know what area they want to work in via Social Care or Psychology for their further education choices.”

Robert Pigott

Applied Social Studies

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• New leadership appointments in Laois and Offaly Education and Training Board   
• FURTHER EDUCATION

Laois and Offaly Education and Training Board (LOETB) has made significant announcements regarding key appointments in its educational institutions, signalling a new era of growth and development in the region’s further education and training (FET) sector.   

Portlaoise Institute, a well-established provider of adult and further education, is excited to announce the appointment of Mr Keith McClearn as its new principal. This represents a significant milestone as Portlaoise Institute will now have its own dedicated principal, having previously been under the umbrella of Portlaoise College.   

Hailing from Galway, Mr McClearn brings a wealth of experience and expertise to his new role. His background includes serving as the Deputy Principal of both Portlaoise College and Portlaoise Institute. He holds qualifications from esteemed institutions such as NUI Galway, Sheffield Hallam University, and Trinity College, and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership at Dublin City University.   

Exciting plans

In expressing his enthusiasm for the role, Keith McClearn stated, “It is truly an honour to be appointed Principal of Portlaoise Institute. I have every confidence that, with the support of our team of progressive and enthusiastic teaching and support staff, Portlaoise Institute will be a hub of excellence and a leader in the provision of further education and training in the region.” 

“I am looking forward to taking up the position and have exciting plans for Portlaoise Institute.” 

The institute currently offers full-time Post-Leaving Certificate (PLC) to over 260 learners, and a wide range of evening provision. In 2023, it will expand its programme offerings to include Apprenticeships, Traineeships, and various part-time options. 

This expansion aligns with the Institute’s commitment to delivering flexible and responsive further education and training courses to meet the needs of its diverse student body. For more information on Portlaoise Institute’s provision for 2023 visit http://www.portlaoiseinstitute.ie  

Anne Marie Keane, FET Manager with LOETB, expressed her delight at Mr. McClearn’s appointment, highlighting his learner-centred approach and extensive experience as assets that will drive Portlaoise Institute’s growth.   

Tony Dalton, LOETB Director of FET, echoed this sentiment and the importance of this appointment in establishing Portlaoise Institute as a key FET provider in the region.  

In another exciting development within LOETB, Ms Irene Togher has been appointed as the Principal and Jonathan O’Brien as the Deputy Principal of the Tullamore Further Education and Training Centre (FETC).   

Irene Togher, who previously worked at Dunboyne College of Further Education for twelve years, brings a wealth of experience and expertise to her new role. Her qualifications include an English and Legal Studies BA, a Law Degree, and a MA in Media Studies.   

Dynamic and dedicated team

In expressing her delight at her appointment Irene said, ‘I look forward to supporting the dynamic and dedicated team, staff and students of Tullamore FETC. Ms. Togher envisions a bright future for the centre, marked by high-quality education and diverse progression opportunities.   

Irene is joined at senior management level by Jonathan O’Brien, the newly appointed Deputy Principal. Jonathan has been a member of the teaching team at Tullamore FETC for the past eight years. He holds qualifications in Business Computing and recently completed a MA in Teaching and Learning. Jonathan is driven by a passion for lifelong learning and aims to contribute to the centre’s mission of providing educational opportunities not only to the local community but also to wider audiences.   

Tony Dalton, Director of Further Education and Training, remarked that: “these appointments represent a significant step forward for Tullamore FETC”. 

“I am confident that under Irene’s leadership, Tullamore FETC will flourish as a centre of excellence in education and training. Jonathan O’Brien’s appointment as Deputy Principal is equally exciting. Jonathan has a longstanding commitment to Tullamore FETC and I have no doubt that he will play a pivotal role in shaping the educational landscape of Tullamore FETC.”  

“Their combined leadership will undoubtedly bring fresh perspectives, innovation, and growth to Tullamore FETC. I have every confidence that, together with our committed staff, they will lead Tullamore FETC as a FET College of the Future.”  

Post Leaving Certificate Courses 

Tullamore FET Centre has experienced substantial growth, offering 17 full-time Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) programmes this academic year, alongside a wide range of part-time courses during both day and evening hours. 

The centre’s commitment to accessibility and excellence in education is evident, with up-to-date course information available on their website http://www.tullamorefetc.ie.&nbsp ;  

These appointments within LOETB signal a commitment to excellence and a dedication to providing high-quality educational opportunities to students in the region, setting the stage for continued growth and success in the field of further education and training.  

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Palouse-Clearwater Environmental Institute

“connecting people, place and community”

Palouse Roots

Palouse Roots is a Waldorf-inspired early childhood nature school offered by the Palouse-Clearwater Environmental Institute (PCEI) for children residing in Moscow and the greater Palouse region.

Founded in 2018, Palouse Roots is located on over 26 acres of nature preserve at the Palouse-Clearwater Environmental Institute (PCEI) in Moscow, Idaho. Palouse Roots is an outdoor nature program for children ages four through seven years old. Our program is hosted Monday through Thursday from 9:00am to 1:00pm. Families have the…

Our Teaching Philosophy

Our primary objective is to create a positive connection between children and nature while encouraging them to be curious about the world around them and foster positive relationships with their peers. We provide an environment that encourages child-led learning and exploration. Our days are flexible and flow organically within a base structure. The role of our teachers is to guide…

Our Daily Rhythm

We start our day with open play as everyone arrives and checks in. We begin each morning with a morning circle where we greet each other, make note of the season, month, date, day, and moon cycle, and observe the weather and the landscape around us. We share our observations of the environment and natural world and explore how things work…

The Palouse Roots Experience

Palouse Roots understands the significant impact a strong connection with nature can have on a person’s physical and emotional well-being. Our Waldorf-inspired education approach emphasizes nature-based learning that prioritizes the child’s comfort in a gently structured day of child-led exploration, play, and teacher-guided activities. Practical life skills and fostering an inclusive, caring…

Playing Outside

Rain or shine, our Palouse Roots children spend their time outdoors, regardless of the weather. As the saying goes, “There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.” The children develop strong and healthy bodies by experiencing the outdoors in various weather and seasonal states while expanding their sensory experiences. Depending on the season, the children may sled down snowy hills, climb …

Tuition/Scholarship

Our program fee is $40 per five-hour program day, with a minimum of a 2-day-a-week commitment. We ask that families commit to a schedule. We intentionally keep the number of participants small to ensure that we have a low student-to-teacher ratio. As a result, our classes fill up quickly.

To ensure our program is accessible to our local community, we offer…

Request a Tour

We are available to meet for a guided tour of our Nature Center and Palouse Roots site on program days between 10:00am and 12:30pm. Please contact us by phone at 208-310-7077 or by email at [email protected] .

Palouse Roots Educator Job Opening

We’re hiring an educator to join our Palouse Roots Nature School team! To learn more, email [email protected] or click to see the job description .

Tuition Payment

If your child(ren) are registered for Palouse Roots, you may pay the tuition fees online using the PayPal button below (you do not need to have a PayPal account). In the field that says “Price per item” simply enter the amount of your tuition payment.

Headquarters:

1040 Rodeo Drive

Moscow, ID 83843

*Please do not mail donations or correspondence to our street address. USPS will not deliver them .

Mailing Address:

PO Box 8596

Contact Us:

Phone: (208) 882-1444

Email: [email protected]

The Palouse Nature Center and Rose Creek Nature Preserve are open to visitors 7 days a week, dawn to dusk. Office hours vary due to the nature of our work. Please call or email if you need to meet with a staff person.

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Europe Banned Russia’s RT Network. Its Content Is Still Spreading.

A study found that hundreds of sites, many without obvious Kremlin links, copied Russian propaganda and spread it to unsuspecting audiences ahead of the E.U. election.

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By Tiffany Hsu and Steven Lee Myers

The website calling itself Man Stuff News caters to a certain sensibility, with categories like “Backyard Grilling,” “TV Shows for Guys” and “Beard Grooming.” A recent article headlined “Tips for Dads During Labor” offered this nugget of advice: “Just remember to spend some time together before deciding whether or not to give birth.”

Get to its section devoted to world news, however, and the nature of the coverage changes drastically. There, a recent article belittled an international warrant to arrest Russia’s president, Vladimir V. Putin, for war crimes. It repeated, word for word, an article that had appeared a day before under a different byline on the website for RT , Russia’s global television network.

RT, which the U.S. State Department describes as a key player in the Kremlin’s disinformation and propaganda apparatus, has been blocked in the European Union, Canada and other countries since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Sites like Man Stuff News, however, have helped RT sidestep the restrictions and continue reaching European and American audiences, according to a new report .

Replicas of RT articles have been laundered thousands of times through hundreds of sites, according to the report, written by researchers from the German Marshall Fund, the University of Amsterdam and the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, a research nonprofit. The sites include content aggregators like Infowars, run by the conspiracy theorist Alex Jones; mirrors of RT repurposed from abandoned “zombie” sites; faux local news outlets with names like San Francisco Telegraph; and domains focusing on spirituality, yoga, extraterrestrials and the apocalypse. Many of the articles were then further disseminated through social media.

The rationale for reposting RT content most likely varies from site to site, but the surreptitious republishing represents a particular danger in the European Union, where concerns about Kremlin-linked disinformation campaigns are intensifying, especially as Russia tries to weaken European support for Ukraine ahead of parliamentary elections next week.

“This is really the tip of the Russian propaganda iceberg,” said Bret Schafer, a co-author of the report and a senior fellow at German Marshall Fund. “It was quite evident when we were running the search results in the E.U. that if Russian propaganda is not showing up on Russian domains, it’s getting through, which is sort of a double whammy because it’s not just evading restrictions and bans, it’s doing so on sites that are less transparent than RT itself.”

RT said in a statement that its content did not follow the “U.S. State Department/NATO party line” and added that it is “very glad that RT’s news content is so massively popular with a wide range of platforms and users.”

A message sent to an email address listed for the Man Stuff News website registration went unanswered. The site offers few details about where it is based or who operates it.

As non-Russian sources parroted the Kremlin’s talking points, they helped legitimize the narratives to an often unsuspecting audience, the researchers concluded. The copied articles, which the researchers described as “Russia’s propaganda nesting dolls,” targeted a huge geographic swath of viewers via sites registered in at least 40 countries across six continents, including in countries where RT is ostensibly blocked. When factoring in RT’s content in languages other than English along with other Kremlin-controlled media outlets, the true scope of Russian propaganda laundering is probably much greater, the researchers said.

Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, said in a speech this month that she was “particularly concerned about the rise of foreign interference and manipulation in our societies, our democracies and our elections.” She cited “swarms of negative disinformation” about specific issues and candidates and malicious attempts at “buying influence and causing chaos.”

Last month, a consortium of 36 European fact-checking organizations said that false or misleading content about the European Union or Ukraine was among the most prevalent forms of disinformation it had encountered.

An E.U. report this year said operatives abroad — most obviously from Russia, but also China — were coordinating on “virtually all platforms” to create an alternative information environment that would erode trust in democracy. Last month, the European Commission conducted a pre-election stress test to evaluate the platforms’ preparedness against A.I.-generated fakery, influence campaigns from bot accounts and other threats.

Since 2022, the Kremlin has been unable to gain access to some of its main messaging channels in the West after Canada and the European Union took RT off their airwaves. This month, the bloc suspended four other Russian media outlets from broadcasting.

In the United States, government regulators did not take action against the Russian network’s American outpost, RT America. Instead, television distributors across the country cut ties with RT America in early 2022, and it shut down within days.

Online platforms have also tried to curb RT’s reach; YouTube blocked global access to channels affiliated with RT and said it strove to remove harmful misinformation. Laundered RT content, however, persists there and on other platforms, researchers said, echoing findings from other research groups. On YouTube, RT articles seemed to have been narrated using an automated text-to-speech generator to evade filters. Content copied from RT also appeared on major social and messaging sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Substack, Telegram and X, as well as on niche platforms such as Gab and Rumble, the researchers said.

Working from more than 1,500 RT articles published last year, the researchers looked for websites that featured similar content or metadata, limiting their search to results geolocated in the United States and Belgium, the European Union’s de facto capital.

Some of the sites were probably circulating RT’s content with the network’s permission, the researchers said, while others had plagiarized RT without its knowledge. The sites may have been ideologically aligned with the Kremlin, or more intent on driving traffic to boost visibility or ad revenue. Some of the sites disclosed that they were reposting RT content. (Man Stuff News ended its copy of the article about Mr. Putin’s arrest warrant by posting the web address of the original RT story.)

Verbatim replicas of RT articles appeared on media outlets affiliated with governments in Cambodia, Iran, Nigeria and Yemen, as well as on one Lebanese outlet owned by Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed Lebanese militia. Researchers connected one website to a conservative Catholic online ministry in Texas that had posts about abortion, candlemaking and, in an example lifted from RT, the lack of aid after an earthquake in Syria.

Researchers noted that RT was far from the only Kremlin media outlet being laundered. As major elections approach in the European Union and the United States, Russian disinformation operatives have honed their strategies. Recent videos featuring synthetic voices and other signs of manipulation by artificial intelligence targeted right-wing American voters with fake messages about President Biden. Fake news organizations crafted by Russian operatives have mimicked actual American outlets while promoting Kremlin propaganda; one former sheriff’s deputy in Florida who received political asylum in Moscow has built more than 160 such fake sites.

Tiffany Hsu reports on misinformation and disinformation and its origins, movement and consequences. She has been a journalist for more than two decades. More about Tiffany Hsu

Steven Lee Myers covers misinformation and disinformation from San Francisco. Since joining The Times in 1989, he has reported from around the world, including Moscow, Baghdad, Beijing and Seoul. More about Steven Lee Myers

Our Coverage of the War in Ukraine

News and Analysis

The decision by the Biden administration to allow Ukraine to strike inside Russia  with American-made weapons fulfills a long-held wish by officials in Kyiv  that they claimed was essential to level the playing field.

In recent days, Ukraine has conducted a series of drone attacks inside Russia  that target radar stations used as early nuclear warning systems by Moscow.

Top Ukrainian military officials have warned that Russia is building up troops near northeastern Ukraine , raising fears that a new offensive push could be imminent.

Zelensky Interview: In an interview with the New York Times, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine challenged the West  over its reluctance to take bolder action.

Russia’s RT Network : RT, which the U.S. State Department describes as a key player in the Kremlin’s propaganda apparatus, has been blocked in Europe since Russia invaded Ukraine. Its content is still spreading .

Striking a Chord: A play based on a classic 19th-century novel, “The Witch of Konotop,” is a smash hit among Ukrainians who see cultural and historical echoes  in the story of what they face after two years of war.

How We Verify Our Reporting

Our team of visual journalists analyzes satellite images, photographs , videos and radio transmissions  to independently confirm troop movements and other details.

We monitor and authenticate reports on social media, corroborating these with eyewitness accounts and interviews. Read more about our reporting efforts .

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Portarlington Further Education and Training Centre celebrate student achievements at special Graduation and Awards night

The Portarlington Further Education and Training Centre have a lot to be proud of – and that was very much evident at their Graduation and Awards Night in The Heritage in Killenard this week.

Almost 300 people were in attendance for an evening of celebration, an evening that touched on many topics, shone a light on the work that the Centre does and also happened to double up as a wonderfully entertaining event, with musical entertainment of the highest quality.

Indeed you could have heard a pin drop during the main musical performances – book-ended by the hugely-talented singer Paula Hennessy, with Jill McNamara on keyboard, who opened with a stunning performance of ‘Dreams’ by the Cranberries and finished with Natasha Bedingfield’s ‘Unwritten’.

In between the Laois Ukranian Choir also had the crowd in the palm of their hands – first with a beautiful rendition of ‘Sé mo laoch, mo Ghile Mear’ and then with ‘Lovely Laois’.

As well as that young brothers, Misha and Illia, who are now students in The Heath NS having moved from Ukraine, entertained the crowd with their musings, in both Irish and English.

And it was an evening that was centred on learning, no matter what your age.

Overseen by the redoubtable Margaret Morrin, the centre manager in Portarlington FETC, it was the first awards night held in four years.

Evelyn Dunne, chairperson of the Laois and Offaly Education and Training Board (LOETB), praised Margaret, a long-time friend and colleague, for her role and described it “as an excellent centre with a range of great courses”.

So much can be achieved through education, she told those in attendance. “It’s never too old for education,” she added.

And across the evening we got a small taste of that, with current or former students sharing their personal experiences in heartfelt individual testimonies.

Like William Long, who after retiring from the army after 32 years, undertook the Accounting Technicians course in Portarlington. “It was the best decision I ever made,” he said.

“It gave me the confidence to go and deal with accountants, and start my own book-keeping business. I couldn’t recommend it highly enough.”

Or Rachel Louise Byrne, who spoke emotionally about how she returned to education after caring for her mother – and re-entered the workforce with Nua Healthcare.

She initially did the Healthcare Support Level 5 course “and loved that so much” that she followed on with the Social and Vocational Integration Level 6.

“It is so rewarding,” she said of her new role with Nua Healthcare. “The LOETB opened so many doors to me and I have grown immensely.”

And following a fashion show, where students modelled their own designs, there was also a panel discussion on craft sewing, chaired by teacher and fashion designer Heidi Higgins.

Heidi fondly recalled her own time in Abbeyleix Further Education almost 20 years ago as well as speaking passionately about how she enjoys teaching students now too.

Marie Thompson, one of the fashion students who returned to education now that her children had gotten a bit older, had the height of praise for Heidi “dedicated, committed and goes above and beyond for the students – and the LOETB itself.

“I want to thank the LOETB for allowing these types of course to go ahead. The centre in Portarlington really is a relaxing, happy and easy place to learn.”

Majella Leighton, who also did the Accounting Technicians course, praised “the outstanding tutors who behind us every step of the way”.

Joe Cunningham, CEO of the LOETB, signed off by saying how rewarding it was to hear so many positive stories of how Portarlington Education Centre has helped people.

“The staff, the centre and the students make it what it is.”

You can check out the Portarlington Further Education and Training Centre website here. 

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Laois and Offaly Education and Training Board

(057) 8621352 (Portlaoise) (057) 9349400 (Tullamore) [email protected]

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Contact Details

Please enter a starting location, laois & offaly education and training board.

Tullamore Office: Castle Buildings, Tara Street, Tullamore, Co. Offaly, R35 E9K8 Telephone: (057) 93 49400 Email: [email protected] RCN: 20083380

Making higher education more accessible for nontraditional students

For a variety of reasons, individuals may not be able to or even want to attend college immediately after high school. Eventually these same individuals discover that to move up the ladder in their career, increase their salary or become competitive in the marketplace, they need further education.

When they enroll in a college or university to get that needed education, they are considered nontraditional students, and sometimes called adult learners.

In 2019, 33.4% of postsecondary education students were nontraditional, according to the Post Secondary National Policy Institute.

According to the Lumina-Gallup 2024 State of Higher Education Study, “Americans still overwhelmingly agree that education beyond high school … is valuable and important to having a good career.” Their statistics revealed that currently 37% of college students are 25 or older and 24% of college students have dependents. This same study predicts that by 2031, 72% of jobs will require some type of education beyond high school.

An older definition of the nontraditional student said they must be over 24 years of age, have veteran status or traveled or worked after high school graduation. That definition needs an update, because now so many other indicators apply. 

Some students have full-time jobs, families to raise and mortgages to pay. Others may not have a high school diploma, can only attend college part time or must take care of their elderly parents.

“The nontraditional student could be 19 years old and leaving another college and going to a different one for some reason,” says Kathryn Cook, enrollment adviser at City University of Seattle.

Meeting the needs of adult learners

With the constantly changing corporate environment, the most successful companies want employees with degrees, explains Cook.

“Employees need an advantage if they want to transition to another company,” she says.

The student wants flexibility, affordability and a college connection from the educational institution. They need to feel that someone is in their court, that they can reach a live person who will help them problem solve, advocate and know that they matter as a student, Cook says.

Just as the definition of a nontraditional student has changed, so has how higher education supports those individuals, says Richard MacGilvray, academic adviser at CityU.

“I listen to what the student is saying and often get on a call with them,” he says. “Whether we are communicating on the phone, or through texting or emailing, that student knows there’s a real human on the other end. The personal touch is crucial.”

By building relationships with nontraditional students, staff may hear about personal or mental health issues. Then that employee can refer them to CityU’s counseling center if the student isn’t financially equipped to go elsewhere.

If we don’t meet the students’ needs, says MacGilvray, they are likely to find a college or university that will.

“I have worked with a student who went to three institutions over the course of the year and he wasn’t getting the support that he needed,” he says. “The student said being heard was difficult.”

Nontraditional students making inroads

CityU assigns advisers upon matriculation, academic support and contacts during education, flexibility with scheduling and self-service options, says Cook.

“We also streamline processes and have a financial department who operates without lots of red tape, processes FAFSA and company tuition benefit programs seamlessly,” she says.

Universities need to shift their focus and see their students as customers and with that, provide excellent customer service. That’s what keeps people loyal to a product, in this case, an educational institution, says Cook.

Institutions in it for the long haul and that see their students as individuals, will have an impact on their lives. That will translate into growth in their student populations, she says.

Not every nontraditional student wants to further their career. You’re never too old to learn. MacGilvray advised a student who was 78 years old. He only needed to complete four courses to get his degree. He got the support he needed, and he got that degree.

“We want to see every student get across the finish line,” he says.

City University of Seattle  is accredited through the doctoral level. Find programs in business, leadership, education, health and human services, computer and information systems. CityU is ranked as a 2024 Best Online program by US News & World Report.