Adult Services

Rehabilitative Training Centre

St. Joseph's Training Centre returned to Snipe Avenue, Newcastle, Galway City in 2003 to its new purpose built centre. It provides a comprehensive rehabilitative training programme for young adults over the age of 18 years who have a learning disability. The programme usually runs for four years but can be shorter depending on the needs of the trainees.

This service aims to prepare the trainees for the world of work and to live as independently as possible. Training is provided in the areas of literacy and numeracy; computers and office type skills; woodwork; horticulture; craft work (rug making and sewing); social, domestic, leisure and personal development skills.

Trainees also benefit from work placements in commercial and industrial fields, thus facilitating opportunites to experience work placements in preparation for their occupational choices after graduation be it an adult day service, sheltered workshop or supported employment.

Day Services for Adults

There are twelve centres throughout the city and county, including Employment Centres and Adult Day Services. Each day service provides opportunities for a range of employment, training, leisure and social experiences.

The Adult Day Services place emphasis on developing social and practical skills for everyday living, as well as providing a wide range of opportunities for leisure activities, arts and crafts and community participation. The particular programmes and activities in each centre have been developed to reflect the interests and ages of the people attending the centre. The Adult Day Services also provide opportunities to learn work skills such as packaging, kitchen work, garment making and upholstery.

The Employment Centres emphasise the development of work skills while also providing opportunities to participate in social and personal development programmes. Each centre produces goods for the open market, such as upholstered funishings, reflective garments, leather products, garden and horticultural produce. The centres also obtain contracts for packaging work and other commercial activites.

Many of the people attending the Employment Centres have participated in the Supported Employment Scheme, an exciting programme which provides opportunites for part-time employment, with support, in the open labour market. A number of jobs have been secured in local factories, hotels, garden nurseries and offices.

Brooklodge Nursery at Ballyglunin is an organic horticultural enterprise which offers an alternative to other types of work in the Association. The clients are involved in all stages of production and selling of the produce.

The VEC continues to provide teaching staff who have focused on literacy and numeracy skills and other classes. Communication and assertiveness training aimed at enabling people to self advocate is a feature of the programmes.

Within the Employment Centres, a variety of activities, not directly related to production, such as numeracy and literacy classes, euro education, music sessions, sport and social activities are engaged in. Each centre has a Workers Committee where the employees can voice concerns or wishes and discuss issues related to the Centres.