Committee Visits Armagh and Dungannon to View Facilities For Young People with Learning Disabilities
15 May 2014 11:37 AM
The Assembly Committee
for Employment and Learning visited Armagh and Dungannon yesterday (Wednesday
14 May) to see the range of facilities available to local young people with
learning disabilities leaving full-time
education
Members visited the Appleby
Trust, Armagh and Sperrinview Special School and Oakridge Social Education
Centre in Dungannon as part of an ongoing Committee inquiry, which takes an
in-depth look at the availability of further education, employment and training
opportunities for young people with learning disabilities.
Speaking after the visit,
Committee Chairperson Robin Swann MLA, said: "For many young
people, the transition into training, further education or employment can be
daunting; for those with learning disabilities, it can be a particularly
challenging experience.
"We are therefore
keen to get out into local communities to hear at first hand from young people
and their families about how effective and accessible current services are and
about any existing gaps in provision. Our visit to Armagh and Dungannon today
gave us a very useful overview of the range of provision available for young
people with varying levels of need. It was also very valuable to get the
opportunity to meet and speak directly to staff, parents and young people about
their individual experiences and the challenges they
face.
Mr Swann
concluded: "My Committee is very aware that this is not just
an issue for the Department for Employment and Learning; it cuts across many
Departments and agencies, therefore we feel strongly that a co-ordinated
approach is essential. We will be working hard to ensure that, at the end of
this inquiry, we will be able to bring forward a robust set of recommendations
to ensure that every young person with learning disabilities in Northern
Ireland can get the extra help and support they need to achieve their full
potential."
ENDS
Notes to
Editors:
More information on the
Committee for Employment and Learning's Inquiry into post Special
Educational Need (SEN) Provision in education, employment and training for
those with Learning Disabilities can be found here.
Committee membership:
Mr Robin Swann (Chairperson)
Mr Thomas Buchanan (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Sammy Douglas
Mr David Hilditch
Mr Chris Lyttle
Mr Phil Flanagan
Mr Fra McCann
Ms Bronwyn McGahan
Mr Pat Ramsey
Mr Alastair Ross
Ms Claire Sugden