Sitting member of the Longford Westmeath Educational Board (LWETB ), Cllr Frankie Keena, has praised the work of the management and staff in Athlone Training Centre as they continue to provide an excellent suite of apprenticeships and courses to fill the growing demand of employers.
Speaking to the Athlone Advertiser this week, the councillor stated that the standards and wide variety of courses provided in Athlone Training Centre are “outstanding” and “wholly beneficial to both student and employer”.
As an active member of the LWETB, Cllr Keena stated had previously requested the Athlone Training Centre to provide a bicycle engineering course to the public as the demand and usage of bicycles had increased significantly in recent times.
“It is simply fantastic to see that the inaugural bicycle engineering course has been successfully completed within the Training Centre with strong positive feedback from all the participants. There is great scope to expand this course further and I am aware that the management is considering doing so.
“I would like to sincerely thank LWETB Director of Further Education, Antoine Healy, Manager, Ronan Murray and his colleague Hugh Connor from Athlone Training Centre for organising this, the first of many courses on bicycle engineering,” Cllr Keena stated.
Athlone Training Centre Manager, Ronan Murray, noted the Bicycle Mechanic Technician programme to be the first programme in the facility’s Bicycle Engineering series, it being a “massive success”.
“The programme is free to learners and is ran over a four week duration with a three week online learning period and a one week skills learning workshop resulting in learners achieving a City & Guilds qualification in bicycle mechanics.
“Learners cover topics such as frame components, tool overview, saddle adjustment, removing and refitting pedals, handlebars and stems, brake fitting and adjustment, truing a wheel, gears rear derailleur and many more bicycle related topics.
“With the uptake in cycling, the move towards more sustainable means of travel and the development of more greenways, including the opening of the much anticipated new Shannon crossing here in Athlone, there is a huge need and demand for qualified, bicycle mechanics across the Midlands,” Mr Murray asserted.
Concluding, Cllr Keena noted that those interested in learning more about this particular programme, or any other, should contact the LWETB recruitment team on 0906500061 or send an email to FETRecruitment [email protected].
