AIEB Bursary Fund Information and Application Form

Supporting Access to Endorsed Professional Postgraduate Community Work Education and Training.

Are you working as a community worker, manager of a community work organisation or undertaking community work duties in an associated role in an organisation with a community development mandate?

Do you have a degree but not a professional community work qualification?

Are you interested in pursuing a postgraduate professionally endorsed community work qualification.

If so the AIEB bursary fund supported by the Department of Rural and Community Development may be of interest to you.

The bursary application form and associated information note can be downloaded here.

Bursary Important Information and Application Form

Bursary support of up to a maximum of €3000.00 in 2023 and €3,000.00 in 2024 is available to support a limited number of people.

Please note the closing date for receipt of bursary applications i Friday September 29th at 5.00pm.

To apply you need to:

  • have applied for and secured a place on the blended postgraduate e MSocSc Community Work and Youth Work, part-time, in-service programme at Maynooth University.
  • be employed as a community worker, manager of a community work organisation or someone who undertakes community work duties in an organisation with a clear community work mandate.
  • have a minimum of 3 years’ experience in the field.
  • have the support of your employer to participate in the programme.
  • be able to demonstrate an interest in and commitment to community work practice, issues, standards and values.
  • be committed to professional community work education and training and want a professional community work qualification.

To find out more join one of our online lunchtime information sessions:

  • Register here to join us on Friday August 25th from 1pm – 2pm

or

  • Register here to join us on Friday September 1st from 1pm – 2pm

Bursary Fund Background

Reinforcing the community work/community development workforce, including through increasing the number of partitioners with access to professional qualifications, is a key concern for the All Ireland Endorsement Body for Community Work Education and Training (AIEB). Two issues of very immediate concern in this regard emerged from the AIEB Education and Training Needs Assessment that was undertaken in a number of areas:

  • firstly, professional qualifications for practitioners with degrees but not a professional community work qualification
  • secondly, routes to professional qualifications for those involved in community work in various ways

The AIEB Bursary Fund supported by the Department of Rural and Community Development has been established to support those with degrees currently employed in community work and associated roles to pursue endorsed professional qualifications in 2023 and 2024.

As of now, the recently modified postgraduate in-service Masters in Community and Youth Work (MCYW) from the Department of Applied Social Studies at Maynooth University is the only postgraduate part-time programme in Ireland with professional endorsement by AIEB. Its new mode of delivery makes it potentially suitable for bursary applicants – who will need to secure a place on the programme in the first instance.

Information about the programme can be found by following this link MSocSc CYW part-time in-service information 2023 entry FINAL– and further details on the programme are available from the Department of Applied Social Studies in Maynooth University.

We are also currently developing and seeking additional support for an initiative for people employed or involved in community work and associated work but who do not have a degree and/or professional qualifications to commence in 2023 or early 2024. The programme(s) supported through this fund will be those recognized by AIEB and can provide participants with a certified qualification that ensures the foundations essential for further professional studies. We will keep you informed as the initiative develops.

Enquiries about any aspect of the bursary can be made to bursary@aieb.ie

AIEB at World Community Development Conference 2023

Anastasia Crickley and Anna Clarke, June 21st , WCDC 2023

Speaking at the closing plenary on Wednesday June 21st in Darwin Australia, Anastasia and Anna stressed the ongoing global need for Community Work and Community Workers to articulate and address the key issues facing marginalised and minority communities, as well as those facing Indigenous Peoples throughout the world.

They pointed to racism and associated hatred, oppression of women, disablement, global class divisions, criminalisation of migrants, and a dominant global economic system which makes the rich richer and the intersections between all of them as evidence of the systemic issues that community workers who subscribe to community work values cannot ignore and must reflect in practice however challenging that might be.

In Ireland they said, Community Work has a strong history of acknowledging that change in systems outside the community experiencing the brunt edge of their inadequacies and embedded discrimination is required, that engagement is not participation and that real participation has to include rights and not just needs. Change sought through Community Work may rightly be about procedures and in local experiences, but change in laws may also be needed, as well as change in the system and its ideological underpinning with power as an issue throughout.

Anastasia told of how our Irish Values and Standards are reflected in government policy and strategy, as well as in a new Community Development Programme and also in the overall terms of our local development programme (SICAP).  However, she said this, and the current focus on support for inclusive Community Work education did not happen by accident but took considerable and committed efforts over a period from Community Work Ireland(CWI) and the All Ireland Endorsement Body for Community Work Education (AIEB) and will continue to require this, especially if the current support of a committed Minister and officials changed as could happen with a change Ministers or of government.

Anastasia and Anna started the closing plenary of the day with an acknowledgment in Irish and English of the Larrakia country and people on whose land the conference took place and finished by giving details of both CWI and AIEB.

Later that evening, at a dinner to mark IACD’s 70th year, Trustees made a presentation of a Lifetime Achievement Award to Anastasia in acknowledgment, as she reaches the end of her term as an IACD trustee and previous vice- president, of her long term contributions globally to IACD and Community Development.  She will continue an active role in IACD’s International Group which links IACD with the UN, with Community Development associated global civil society organisations and Community Work Educators throughout the world

For further information, please contact:

+353 (0) 87 1308273

enquiries@aieb.ie

AIEB is funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development.

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Quick Links:

Community Work Ireland hosts and supports the All Ireland Endorsement Body.

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For further information, please contact:

+353 (0) 87 2998619

enquiries@aieb.ie

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AIEB is funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development.

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Community Work Ireland acts as the secretariat for the All Ireland Endorsement Body.