The City of Galway VEC is to take up the work of the IILT (Integrate Ireland Language and Training ) and offer language classes to refugees in the city.
The announced closure of the IILT sparked anger in Galway earlier in the year, with critics claiming the lack of language classes would damage refugees’ efforts to integrate in Galway. Up to 100 people took to the streets of Galway to protest the move.
Exams are currently taking place in the IILT school. However once the papers have been corrected, the school will close. This is expected to take approximately two weeks.
However last week Cllr Billy Cameron confirmed that from August 20 the City of Galway VEC will offer the language course.
He said: “At the monthly meeting of the VEC, I posed questions to the CEO Breandan O’Callaran regarding the situation and was given a guarantee of a seamless transfer, and in fact City of Galway VEC would be applying to the Minister of Education to be the lead VEC to coordinate and organise the scheme nationwide.”
He added, “There are 47 students divided into four class groups, which will avail of the training. Training will be given at two premises: the Adult Basic Education Centre at Seville House on Merchants Road and another facility at Sandy Road training centre. Twenty hours of education will be given per week 52 weeks of the year.
“I have been informed that interviews have taken place in Galway and discussions are taking place between the union representing teachers of Integrate Ireland Language and Training and City of Dublin VEC with a view to the future of the soon to be redundant IILT teachers .”
However Galway First understands that the two IILT teachers who will lose their jobs will have to undergo an interview process like all other job candidates.
