The Minister of State for Training and Skills, Ciarán Cannon, T.D., today opened the Clonmel Adult Literacy Centre.
The Centre is the new headquarters for the Adult Learning Scheme of South Tipperary VEC, and the Minister thanked all of the VEC staff involved in the work of the Centre.
The Minister expressed his thanks for the invitation to open the Centre, saying that he was delighted "to acknowledge the hard work and determination of the VEC team, which has resulted in this state of the art learning facility".
Minister Cannon noted that "literacy difficulties can have a profound effect on an individual, their family life and in their ability to interact effectively within their community and society generally".
He noted the importance of people seeking help if they have any difficulties: "Taking that first step through the door of an Adult Learning Centre can be a significant achievement and I know that the experience is a very positive and worthwhile one for those of you who come to this centre in Clonmel".
As well as focussing on reading and writing, adult literacy tuition also encompasses a range of other skills including numeracy, ICT and social and personal development.
All of these skills together contribute toward the empowerment of learners, in helping them reach their full potential and avail of employment opportunities in a 21st century labour market.
The Government is implementing a range of measures to address the widespread and persistent problem of adult literacy.
These measures included the integration of literacy in vocational training and through community education under its Lifelong Learning policy.
Literacy and basic workplace skills will be incorporated into a wider variety of further education and training programmes under Labour Market Policy, and SOLAS, the new national training body, will provide a clear direction for the future of the further education and training sector.
Ciarán Cannon said: "While we are all aware that the jobs of tomorrow will require higher levels of skills, everyone needs core skills like literacy in order to gain those more specialised or technical skills".
The Minister concluded by again thanking all of those involved in the Centre and wishing them every success for the future.