Peter McVerry Trust believes that targeted investment in education is a crucial aspect in preventing homelessness.

The charity has a long-standing policy of providing funding to and working in partnership with disadvantaged schools, youth clubs and community groups in areas in which we operate.

At present, our education projects and partnerships are located in five schools in Dublin and Limerick. This funding helps schools to provide breakfast clubs, after-school activities, counselling and mental health supports to vulnerable children.

Peter McVerry Trust and DCU: Educational Gaps and Future Solutions

A major research report launched in November 2019 by DCU’s Educational Disadvantage Centre and Peter McVerry Trust, on young homeless men’s experiences of the education system has found a widespread need for reforms and additional supports for vulnerable young people in the education system. The report, Educational Gaps and Future Solutions, sets out seven key recommendations to improve young people’s educational experiences and reduce the risks of homelessness in the future.

This participating demographic of young men aged 18-35 constitutes the single largest cohort of homelessness in Ireland, in addition to being the main group accessing Peter McVerry Trust’s homeless services in Dublin.

Read the summary of the new report here.

For the full report, click here.

Carline Learning Centre

In September 2019, Peter McVerry Trust formally took over the running of the Carline Learning Centre as part of our ongoing investment in education and preventing homelessness. The Carline Learning Centre is an education centre based in Lucan which caters for young people aged 13-17 years old, excluded from or no longer attending mainstream education.

You can learn more about centre here.

Belvedere Youth Club, Dublin

Peter McVerry Trust has a three-year partnership with Belvedere Youth Club in Dublin’s north inner City. This partnership sees Peter McVerry Trust providing funding to the Belvedere Youth Club for education and training programmes aimed at young people in the north inner city.

Adult Literacy Programmes

Peter McVerry Trust, in conjunction with the National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA), provides an online learning platform which offers a flexible, accessible and cost-effective means of learning and Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) accreditation at Levels 2 and 3, this platform is called writeon.ie

Peter McVerry Trust believes that the online facility writeon.ie addresses many barriers to participation and helps to provide learning opportunities to people not currently engaged in lifelong learning. Peter McVerry Trust staff facilitate one-to-one educational support, literacy support and group training to individuals, families and speakers of other languages.

The NALA online learning facility, writeon.ie supports;

• accurate assessment of reading and other skills
• engagement of previously reluctant adult learners
• digital learning and accreditation of skills: literacy and numeracy learning QQI accreditation at Levels 2 and 3
• employability preparation and accreditation of core skills for work
• automated accreditation and record keeping systems.

Peter McVerry Trust currently offers NALA’s online education platform, writeon.ie across our Supported Temporary Accommodation Services (STAs), Family Hubs and Housing With Support Services, throughout the four Dublin local authority areas as well as in counties Louth, Limerick and Kildare.

FIT programme in St Catherine’s Foyer, Dublin 

Peter McVerry Trust partners with the Fastrack into Information Technology programme (FIT) to deliver training to people who are long-term unemployed. This partnership began in January 2019.

The FIT programme is available to all Peter McVerry Trust service users in Dublin, with training delivered in St Catherine’s Foyer, Dublin 8. It is a rolling six-week programme which aims to promote the development of technical skills and access to employment in the smart economy. The FIT programme is the primary industry skills development initiative facilitating collaboration with government, education, training providers and those looking to re-train or up-skill.

The programme covers the areas of Teamwork; Personal Qualities; Work Ethic and Diversity Awareness, in order to prepare participants for the workplace.

The modules covered include:

• Skills Workshop: A creative approach to skills development
• Work-Place Readiness and Diversity Awareness
• CV Workshop
• Interview skills and mock interviews
• Information Communication Technology (ICT) Skills