Mayo projects receive over €100,000 to boost literacy, numeracy, and digital skills
Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Patrick O’Donovan TD has announced funding awards exceeding €100,000 to various innovative projects across Mayo, Sligo, and Leitrim. These initiatives aim to address the unmet literacy needs of adults, enhancing their numeracy and digital skills.
The funding, allocated through SOLAS’s Collaboration and Innovation Fund, will support several noteworthy projects, including:
Digital DIY for ALL: Empowering adults with essential digital skills.
Skills for Daily Life: Teaching practical skills like reading maps, using public transport, and booking appointments.
Learning Together: Facilitating learning in community settings such as Men’s Sheds groups through collaborative and peer-led approaches.
Minister O’Donovan expressed his enthusiasm for the projects, stating, “I am delighted to see funding awarded to these innovative projects and partnerships in Mayo, Sligo, and Leitrim that are supporting adults to access the vital literacy services they need, helping us to work towards a more inclusive and equal society in Ireland.”
He highlighted the fund’s role in making literacy services more accessible and user-friendly, emphasizing the creative and diverse methods employed by these projects. “The innovation and diversity shown by these projects is fantastic to see and highlights the importance of having fun through learning, whether that is through music, arts, or comedy,” O’Donovan added. “This creative approach will help to reach communities such as older adults, members of the Traveller community, or persons experiencing addiction.”
Launched in April 2023, the Collaboration and Innovation Fund is a key element of the Adult Literacy for Life (ALL) Strategy, which aims to ensure that literacy skills are universally accessible and valued in Irish society.
Yvonne McKenna, Director of Adult Literacy for Life at SOLAS, underscored the fund's impact. “The ALL Collaboration and Innovation Fund, now in its second year, is supporting the delivery of a wide range of important literacy programmes that are supporting adults in Ireland to address their literacy needs,” McKenna said.
McKenna pointed out that literacy challenges are more widespread than commonly recognized, affecting one in six adults in Ireland. These challenges can hinder daily activities such as filling out forms, understanding health information, assisting children with homework, and using the internet.
“These projects are helping adults across Ireland to build their confidence with literacy, numeracy, and digital literacy skills,” McKenna continued. “The initiatives also demonstrate the importance of cross-community collaboration at local level. This funding will help a range of learners including older adults, Travellers, migrants, lone parents, and early school leavers gain access to key supports to benefit their needs to participate more fully in society.”