Training

Limerick Childcare Committee produces a training calendar twice per year. The purpose of the training calendar is to provide a range of professional development opportunities to those working in the early years sector.

The calendar is posted to all Early Years services, including childminders, who are registered with Tusla or voluntary notified to Limerick Childcare Committee. It is also posted on our website (on this page).

• Autumn 2025 Training Calendar
• Autumn 2024 Training Calendar
• Autumn workshops 2023

The following conditions apply to all training/professional development opportunities provided by Limerick Childcare Committee.

1. Bookings can only be made using the Booking Form.  Booking Forms are posted to Early Years (Childcare) Services.
2. Payment must be enclosed with the Booking Form. Bookings will not be made without payment.
3. Priority will be given to staff working in Early Years Services.
4. Refer to the LCC Terms and Conditions for Professional Development Programmes and Client Charter.

• Terms & Conditions for Professional Development Programmes revised Aug 2014
• LCC Client Charter

Please note that we do not provide First Aid, Manual Handing and HACCP training.

In June 2016, revised guidelines were published as part of the introduction of the new Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) for children with disabilities.

Limerick Childcare Committee is delivering a training programme which will support educators engage with “Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Charter and Guidelines for Early Childhood Care and Education”.  This awareness raising programme will empower early years educators to explore, develop and promote inclusive practices for the benefit of all children and families availing of their service.  It will give participants a greater confidence in developing and implementing an Inclusion Policy for their service.

The training has been developed and funded by the Department of Children & Youth Affairs and is free of charge.  On completion of the programme, participants will receive a certificate of attendance as well as a resource pack of books for each service that completes the training. These books are a great resource for teaching children about diversity

When and where is the training on? 

Full attendance at all sessions is required.  

Charleville Park Hotel, Charleville, Co. Cork.

• Saturday 26th April 2025, 9.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. (lunch provided)
• Tuesday 29th April 2025,  6.30 p.m. to 9.30 p.m.
• Tuesday 6th May 2025, 6.30 p.m. to 9.30 p.m.

Participants’ Testimonials 

“The programme gave me a working knowledge of the DEI Guidelines and how to refer to them”.

“Definitely should be completed by all staff in Early Years settings.  Most enjoyable training to date!”

“Really makes you reflect on your practice with a whole new lens – very worthwhile”.

“This course has made me reflect on our own setting and how we express ourselves.  We got great insight and ideas from the group each week.  I really enjoyed it”.

“I had very little expectations initially, however I feel I have been enlightened with ideas and a new sense of awareness”.

“I really enjoyed the programme and found it to be very informative and feel I leave with a better awareness of diversity, equality and inclusion.”

“I am delighted that my manager sent me”.

“Glad I did the course as I feel it has given me more confidence in dealing with issues regarding inclusion”.

“It covered a lot of information and the pace was just right”.

“I am taking a lot away from this course that I will put into practice within my setting”.

Copy of diversity-equality-and-inclusion-charter-and-guidelines-for-early-childhood-care-education for downloading.

Limerick Childcare Committee do not provide accredited training. The organisations listed below provide information on National and Local Courses.

• Qualifax is Ireland’s National Learners’ Database. It is the “one stop shop” for learners. They provide comprehensive information on further and higher education and training courses.
• Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board provides Further Education and Training in Limerick and Clare. They offer a range of full time and part time courses to over 15,000 learners in over 300 locations across the region every year.

• The minimum qualification for all Pre-School Leaders, delivering the ECCE programme, is Level 6 (on the National Framework for Qualifications)
• The minimum qualification of Level 5 on the National Framework for Qualifications, is required for all staff working with children in Early Years Services

Please refer to the Qualification Requirements page of our website for information on the DCDE List of Recognised Qualification and Requirements for the ECCE Scheme

The Department of Children, Disability and Equality (DCDE) will re-open the Learner Fund Bursary to Early Learning and Care practitioners who are new graduates of a recognised Early Childhood Education and Care degree programme. The local City/County Childcare Committees (CCC) will process and appraise Learner Fund Bursary applications.

The following rules apply to the Graduate Bursary:

1. The qualification for which the bursary is paid must be that which qualifies the person to work in the Early Learning and Care sector and is at level 7 or level 8 and is on the Qualifications Advisory Board (QAB) List of approved courses. (See the list-of-approved-programmes-for-adherence-to-the-professional-award-criteria-and-guide)

2. Applicants must have graduated in 2024 or 2025 only.

3. Applicants must, at time of application, be working in a Tusla registered Early Learning & Care Service. Staff working in standalone School Age Childcare services are not eligible to apply.

4. The bursary amount will be €1,000.

5. The qualification must be completed in full. The bursary will not be paid in respect of partially completed awards.

6. Applicants may only apply once and cannot be granted the Learner Fund Bursary for a second time if they have already received it before.

7. The applicant cannot have received any public funding in support of their completing the award relating to this application.

8. Applicants may apply with a full transcript of the completed degree in lieu of a graduating certificate. A full transcript can be obtained from the educational institution where you studied and must show clearly that the student has been awarded the full degree.

9. Applicants must provide a Copy of Fees Statement from their Higher Education Institution for the final year of study.

10. Applicants should apply with the name used in the certificate or transcript.

11. Photographic identification must be provided along with any supporting documents.

12. Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted.

13. DCDE Decision is final and cannot be appealed.

14. If demand for Learner Fund Graduate Bursary funding exceeds the available funding for 2025, then the selection of Applicants will be based on the following criteria in the following prioritisation order (with I being the highest level of priority and IV being the lowest level of priority):
I. the number of graduates in the applicant’s service, with priority for applicants from services with no graduates
II. Equal Start Priority Index, with priority for applicants from services supporting the most disadvantaged children (i.e. index 1 = first 9% of most disadvantaged services, 2 = second 9% of most disadvantages service and then all remaining services),
III. the applicant is in a core funded partner service.
IV. if, after the above prioritisation has been applied and has not been decisive, random selection will be applied.
In the event of oversubscription DCDE will apply the above selection criteria.

You may download application form here: LF-Graduate -Bursary-2025 Rules & Application Form

Timeframe for applications:

Leadership for Inclusion  in the Early Years (LINC) is a Level 6 Special Purpose Award required for staff in ECCE settings to complete if they wish to take on the new role of Inclusion Coordinator.   The programme seeks to address the need for continuing professional development (CPD) within the ECCE sector in relation to the inclusion of children with disabilities.

The course is being offered by a consortium (Mary Immaculate College, Early Childhood Ireland, Maynooth University) by way of blended learning over one year.  It will involve on-line learning and one Saturday classroom session per module (7 Saturdays over the programme year, including orientation).  Classroom sessions for the 2018/19 academic year of the programme will take place in the following centres:  Clonmel, Drogheda, Dublin, Gorey, Letterkenny, Macroom, Sligo, Tuam, Tullamore.

Candidates, who must hold a Level 5 Major Award in a relevant area, must be nominated by their employer/early years setting.  Only settings in contract to deliver the ECCE programme will be eligible to nominate a candidate.  The course is fully funded by the DCDE.  In addition, there is a once-off payment of €200 to each participating eligible student to assist with covering expenses arising from participating on the programme.  An ECCE setting employing an Inclusion Coordinator (i.e. a graduate from the LINC course) will be eligible for additional capitation of €2 per ECCE child per week.

Applications can only be made online on www.lincprogramme.ie.   All details regarding the course can be found on www.lincprogramme.ie.