Project Description

Kilkee Community College is a great resource for Loop Head which still has unexploited potential.

Young people leaving second level education are heavily influenced by the rush to college education. Not going to university is almost seen, by some, as a sign of failure. This should not be so. Real life has shown that there are many steps to a full, healthy, and wealthy future. This proposal suggests that a well-structured two year post Leaving course could support local school leavers who wish to remain in their home area and make a good living doing so. This would be an entrepreneurial course focused on the student’s interests that would provide the skills needed to thrive here, or in similar settings.

The first year could involve practical applications of subjects such as economics, accountancy, technology, creative thinking, etc. slanted towards each student’s interest. Take for example a young person coming from a farming background and feels that farming does not give him/her a decent standard of living. The aim of this first year of the course could be to tease out additional farm enterprises which could add to the traditional income. There are many small enterprises which are giving good livelihoods to young farmers such as polytunnel growing, beekeeping, cheeses making, unusual meat production such as veal, deer, ostrich, etc., snail production (Celtic Snail Co for example are currently appealing for suppliers as they cannot fulfil all their orders).

A similar tailor-made schedule would apply to students who wanted to go into tourism, retailing, light engineering, and manufacture.

The second year of the course could be mentored as each student would start to lay the foundation of their chosen career. Mentors from the ETB, Teagasc, LEO, Skillnet and other relevant training bodies along with actual practitioners would guide the student along the road.

If successful, at the end of each two-year course there would be a cohort of young people who wanted to stay in the area and could do so while making a good living. This could be expanded to cater for a network of similar communities throughout Europe and so also enable vibrant exchange and support.

The course could be hosted at Kilkee Community College.

The project could partner with LEA (The Loop Head Enterprise Academy).

Project Justification & Objectives

This project would work directly to Loop Head Together’s main goal to stop depopulation and create employment opportunities for young people, so they won’t have to leave the area.

This is an opportunity to create curriculae tailor-made to the students’ needs to equip them to develop livelihoods here on the peninsula and in similar settings elsewhere. Students would not only receive the necessary theoretical and practical skills to run their own business of choice, but they would also get support to design their business model and set up their business on Loop Head, a unique opportunity for students who are looking for an alternative to apprenticeships or college, students who want to stay local and help shape Loop Head’s future.

The course could also be opened up to mature students for students from anywhere in the world.

Potential Project Stakeholders*

• Kilkee Community College

• LCETB (Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board)

• Teagasc

• LEO

• Skillnet

• LEA with Local entrepreneurs & business owners

• Loop Head Together

• Loop Head Tourism

*Potential Project Stakeholders means all stakeholders have not necessarily yet been contacted to help co-design the project, but are mentioned here as they would be a desirable project partner. We may have forgotten some - please let us know!