FET Forum

HEI FET Forum

Since 2022, Marino Institute of Education has served as the host institution of the HEI FET Forum, which is a consortium of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Ireland who offer initial teacher education (ITE) for the Further Education and Training (FET) sector. Through this forum, members meet to share knowledge and best practices related to Further and Adult Education, with the aim of improving the quality of teaching and learning. In addition, a core goal of the Forum’s work is the advancement of scholarly research in the area of adult education, and Marino Institute continues to serve as a major contributor to the special interest group (SIG) on Further Education which is situated within the Educational Studies Association of Ireland (ESAI).

In addition, key aspects of the Forum’s work includes engaging with stakeholders and influencing national policy and practice as related to FET. In June 2023, we were honoured to meet Dr Lynn Ramsey, Director of the Teaching Council, as she addressed members of the Forum and spoke with them about current opportunities and areas for growth in the sector. In June 2024, the Forum was also pleased to welcome Dr Joseph Collins, Director of Further Education and Training with Education and Training Boards Ireland (ETBI), to campus for our final yearly meeting. At this event, Dr Collins shared ETBI’s future vision for FET, and fielded questions from participants. In addition, we also recognised the outstanding service of Stan McHugh, who has served as chair of the Forum since its inception in 2012, and we celebrated the election of Dr Anne Walsh who now assumes the role of chair. We look forward to collaborating with Anne and all of our Forum colleagues in the years to come, as we collegially work to improve FET throughout Ireland. Lastly, we also wish to thank Professor Teresa O’Doherty, President of Marino Institute, for her immense support of our work within the Forum throughout these past two years.