28 November 2021
By Tom Collins
tom@TheCork.ie
Group responsible for 2 Primary Schools, 24 Secondary Schools, and 11 Further Education & Training Colleges unveils plans for continued growth
The Taoiseach Micheál Martin, T.D. said Cork Education and Training Board – C ETB – have established themselves as “deeply rooted members of the community in Cork” and paid tribute to their “adaptability, resilience and commitment to supporting learners” as he launched their new Strategy Statement for 2022-2026 and Learner Showcase on Friday morning.
The strategy statement outlines and defines the strategic direction that Cork Education and Training Board will take over the next five years and addresses five primary pillars of priority, which include:
- Learning and Teaching
- Team and Organisation
- Communicating and Connecting
- Supporting Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
- Infrastructure
The Taoiseach paid tribute to the internal Cork Education and Training Board team and Board of Directors, schools, colleges, centres and services for supporting learners throughout the pandemic.
He added that commitments made in Cork Education and Training Board’s previous Strategy Statement from 2017-2021 to allow for the provision of greater use of ICT to enhance the accessibility of educational opportunities had proved “prescient” and was “a great benefit” when remote and blended learning was necessary.
Mr. Martin told those present at the virtual launch that Cork Education and Training Board and its predecessors had contributed greatly over the years to “addressing the many challenges facing communities in the city and county of Cork” – and added he was pleased to see an extensive consultation process behind the formation of the new strategic plan.
He said: “I am heartened to know Cork ETB consulted widely when drawing up this strategy – you have established yourselves as a deeply rooted member of the community in Cork and your commitment to consultation ensures that you will remain so.
“Your vision of providing a pathway for every learner shows a clear vision that education and training must have relevance to the individual learner and the world in which they live,” he added.
“This is an important, high-quality piece of work and I am looking forward to seeing the successful delivery of the commitments contained within it in the coming years,” the Taoiseach concluded.
2026 VISION: Pictured (l to r), for the launch of Cork Education and Training Board’s new Strategy Statement for 2022-2026 and Learner Showcase, were Chief Executive, Denis Leamy and Director of Organisation Support and Development, Suzanne Mullins. The 2nd of its kind for the education entitiy, the Strategy is part of an ongoing effort devised through a very considered process involving internal and external stakeholders, with the learner at the core throughout.
Picture: Jim Coughlan.
Chief Executive of Cork Education and Training Board, Denis Leamy also addressed those present at the virtual launch and paid tribute to staff and stakeholders.
He said: “During the pandemic we have demonstrated that we are an organisation that is committed to delivering excellent services and one which is capable of adapting and innovating: even in the most challenging of circumstances.
We have shown commitment and bravery and we have always placed the needs of our learners and our staff at the forefront of all our considerations. Despite the unique demands that the Covid pandemic has placed on us, we have continued to be a leader in education, seeking out new opportunities for development and growth.”
He added that Cork Education and Training Board was now “entering a period of considerable change” and that the strategy plan was devised through “a very considered process that involved internal and external stakeholders, ensuring all views were taken into consideration.”
Mr Leamy said the new strategic plan would provide Cork Education and Training Board with the direction and impetus required to ensure that Cork Education and Training Board remained “a pivotal force in the delivery of education services in Cork City and County.”
He added: “The strategy contains five primary pillars. During the lifetime of the plan, it is our intention to focus on the development and enhancement of these pillars. The hard work of implementing this strategy now begins. Underlying all our strategic goals is a very real determination to ensure excellence in all that we do. While our Strategic Plan is ambitious, it is attainable.”
Mr Leamy concluded: “Significant work is already occurring across multiple areas of Cork Education and Training Board with regards to the delivery of these goals and objectives. This Strategy is a process – part of an ongoing effort by the organisation as a whole. Working together, we can achieve it. I am confident that this Strategy Statement is a valuable step forward in the future of Cork Education and Training Board.”
For more information on Cork Education and Training Board, its new Strategy Statement for 2022-2026 and Learner Showcase, see www.corketb.ie
