Educational Guidance Services

‘Guidance’ means a range of activities designed to assist people to make appropriate learning choices. It can be very useful to meet with a guidance counsellor to talk through your options before making your mature student application. A guidance counsellor can help you to identify the wide range of opportunities which are open to you, and can help you to get a more holistic perspective on your decision to return to third-level education.

Downtown Centre Guidance Service

If you are thinking about going to college for the first time as an adult, or about returning to learning, why not come in for a chat? We are here to help and to make the experience enjoyable and interesting. It’s natural to feel a little apprehensive about committing your time and energy to learning in an unfamiliar environment. Let us work with you to take you where you want to go on your learning journey. Find out what programmes we have to offer through our third-level partner institutions or allow us to help you to identify the type of course and method of learning that best suits you.

 

Patricia-Anne Moore is your Guidance Counsellor and can be contacted at 061-213378 or patricia-anne.moore@downtowncentre.ie or download our brochure. Appointments are free of charge.

The Downtown Centre Guidance Service offers:

  • Information about access for adult learners to third level education including foundation, access and mature student access programmes.
  • A guidance counselling service to assist clients to explore their learning options and to make informed decisions and choices.
  • A Personal Action Plan so that people know what they need to do, how to do it and when to do it.
  • Software programmes to help people get clear on their values, skills, interests.
  • Referral to other agencies if you need to know something that we don’t offer. 

What our clients say

“It’s a great place to get all the information you need in one place.”

"I would have no hesitation in recommending the Downtown Guidance Service as it was both a pleasant and informative experience.”

“I found it very helpful when I used it to make a decision.” [Back to top]

 

 

UL Careers Advisor for Mature Students

  UL has a Careers Adviser who works specifically with mature students. Patsy Ryan can meet with or advise any prospective mature student who is considering applying specifically to UL. Patsy can be contacted at 061-234227 or patsy.ryan@ul.ie.  [Back to top]

 

 

Adult Educational Guidance Initiative (AEGI)

The AEGI is a Deptartment of Education and Skills-funded initiative which provides quality educational guidance services for adults. There are 40 adult educational guidance services nationally with one service located in the Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT).

The AEGI offers a guidance service to adults which includes impartial adult education information, one-to-one guidance and group guidance, which helps people to make informed educational, career and life choices. Your AEGI service is known locally as the Adult Educational Guidance Service (AEGS). Impartial information on local, regional and national adult education is available to the general public, but only those within the DES target groups are eligible for one-to-one guidance meetings. The service is free. [Back to top]