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The College of Progressive Education formerly known as The School of Practical Child Care and The School of Health and Social Care was established in 1986. The College of Progressive Education is the leading private provider of childcare, Montessori, special needs assistant and healthcare training in Ireland, and most importantly within the various professions it is undoubtedly the most highly regarded.

Our reputation is based on the belief that the welfare of the child and adult is paramount and that the best way to provide for this is to ensure that carers receive training and support of the highest quality. It is now accepted and in some cases it is mandatory that childcare and healthcare workers must receive training to work in these areas.

Excellence in lecturing and a strong commitment to careers in care is the hallmark of The College of Progressive Education. Experienced, highly qualified lecturers renowned for their enthusiasm and commitment provide quality tuition for our learners. Our lecturers are also chosen for their ability to inspire, motivate and encourage. In addition our Full Time programmes have a coordinator who looks after the needs and welfare of the learners.

The majority of our programmes are accredited by the statutory body: Further Education and Training Awards Council (FETAC) www.fetac.ie. These awards fit into the 10 point National Framework of Qualifications www.nfq.ie, can lead to entry onto degree programmes and are internationally recognised. For further information see http://www.europass.ie/europass/index.html or http://www.qualificationsrecognition.ie/recognition/.

In the area of Healthcare the College has also secured funding of up to 75% depending on the geographical region from FAS, for our programmes, therefore making them more affordable for our learners.

The College welcomes learners of all ages, nationalities and walks of life, and we take pleasure in helping our programme students to take the right steps towards a rewarding career in their chosen fields. For their part our students tell us time and again that the friendly, supportive and welcoming atmosphere in the College has made their time with us both enjoyable and rewarding.The College of Progressive Education strives for excellence in meeting adult learners needs through the provision of the most inclusive, innovative and supportive ways of learning to enable our learners to deliver professional care to the highest standards.

It is important to note that a proficiency in conversational and written English is required to take part in the programme.

Childcare

For full details of our childcare programmes see our web site http://childcare.progressivecollege.com.

The College offers the FETAC Level 5 Childcare DCHSC award as a full time programme over an academic year or a 2 year part time (4 Modules per year) or a 16 month and 6 Saturday Distance Learning programme. The individual component certificates are available via part time or distance learning.

The College offers the full FETAC Level 6 Advanced Certificate in Supervision in Childcare award DCXXX as a part time or distance learning programme. The individual component certificates are available via part time or distance learning. Montessori (see below) and a number of other externally accredited childcare programmes are also available.

For those wishing to enter the area of management, the College runs a Crèche Management programme certified by ILM. (Level 3 Certificate in first line management). ILM are currently in the process of mapping their awards to the National Framework of Qualification. The College also offers ILM team leading and FETAC Level 5 Operating an Early Year Centre and Start your own Business. These programmes are available part-time or by distance learning.

Special Needs Assistant

For full details of our special needs assistant  programmes see our web site http://sna.progressivecollege.com.

The College is the leading provider of Special Needs Assistant Training in the country. It is the only programme in Ireland which is certified by both FETAC and Froebel College of Education (Primary School Teacher Training College). Many of our learners have successfully secured posts in the primary school network throughout the country and in other settings where there are children who have special needs. Parents who are caring for a special needs child in the home have also found this programme very useful. The College continually updates the programme materials to ensure it remains relevant to the role of the Special Needs Assistant. Learners are awarded a Froebel diploma when they complete both the Froebel certificate and diploma programmes. Learners who complete the certificate programme also receive two FETAC Level 5 component certificates - Special Needs Assisting and Understanding Special Needs and learners who complete the diploma programme receive a FETAC Level 6 component certificate.

Montessori

For full details of our Montessori programmes see our web site http://montessori.progressivecollege.com.

The College of Progressive Education and the Montessori Education Centre have joined their expertise to offer one of the best Montessori (3-6) training programmes on the Irish market. Together we have 45 years of experience of delivering training in Ireland and abroad. The Montessori programme which includes six FETAC Level 6 component certificates is suitable for those learners who wish to work in a Montessori facility working with children from 3-6 years.  The programme will run for a year commencing in September and finishing in late June in five locations throughout Ireland Cork, Dundalk, Kerry, Longford and Waterford.

Healthcare

For full details of our healthcare programmes see our web site http://healthcare.progressivecollege.com.

The College of Progressive Education recognise the value of residential and day care workers as vital to the provision of quality care and support of older people.Care workers have increasing contact with their clients, often much more than their professional colleagues and because they know and understand their clients to a much deeper level than those professionals who may only interact with the client for an hour at a time. We believe that these workers who are a crucial part of the care provision service for the elderly and should be supported with a thorough and in depth training. The College of Progressive Education has been developing and delivering flexible training programmes to suit the needs of the learner and nursing home managers/owners. Most of the College’s healthcare programmes qualify for FAS CDP funding of up to 75% particularly the full FETAC Healthcare support certificate Level 5 DCHSC and the Care of the Older Person FETAC Level 5 component certificate. The College also offers a range of other FETAC Healthcare Level 5 component certificates via part time or distance learning. This year the College will also be offering Nursing Studies Major Award FETAC Level 5 DCHSN and the Advanced Certificate in Supervisory Management Skills BSMSX FETAC Level 6. The College also has a qualified moving and handling trainer for the provision of this specialist training.

General
Programmes are offered through the following methods:

Part-time Programmes

These are typically either day-release, evening, morning or Saturday programmes normally held once a week. The College holds programmes in many major towns and locations within the Republic of Ireland. Venues for the programmes vary year to year but we endeavor to ensure learners in all locations have easy access to us. Alternatively, others may prefer to avail of our distance-learning/On-Line programme.

The College has a venue coordinator dedicated to ensuring the comfort of all classroom environments. We aim to provide an environment conducive to learning and aim to source the best venues possible. Hence, venues may vary from term to term.

Distance Learning / On-Line

The administrative and support functions for our distance learning programme are based in our main office in Blackrock, Co. Dublin. Materials dispatched are also generated from this location. The tutor support network is distributed nationwide to provide greater access for learners. At present all workshops are centralised in Dublin City but start and end times for workshops are arranged in order to accommodate learner travel. Learners can now study the FETAC Level 5 Childcare Major Award via distance learning.

Outreach

We provide on-site/group training upon request to groups or organisations nationwide. We also provide our programmes in partnership with other providers.