AIEB has developed a process and a set of guidelines for the recognition of education training programmes at the pre-professional/introductory level.
Download Guidelines for Recognition of Community Work programmes
Please avail of this A4 downloadable version of our poster for the All Ireland Standards for Community Work. For a larger A2 version please email enquiries@aieb.ie and indicate how many copies you would like.
In 2022, CWI and AIEB introduced a series Continuous Practice Development (CPD) workshops to create opportunities for community workers to build on their skills and knowledge in areas of relevance to community work practice. CPD refers to ongoing opportunities for community workers to develop and enhance their knowledge and skills throughout their careers so that they remain informed and in a position to respond to new and emerging issues.
The first in the series of Continuous Practice Development (CPD) workshops focused on the Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty, with contributions from:
The Symposium in November marked a key point in time in the journey from Covid 19 to ongoing challenges for communities, community work, community work practitioners and for community work education and training. Around 100 people came from a variety of projects and backgrounds and included representatives from Northern Ireland as well as the South.
The Symposium provided an opportunity for considerations, conversations and contributions including from Joe O’Brien TD, Minister for Rural and Community Development who gave generously of his time on the day. In addition to substantial small group and plenary discussions involving all present we also had a number of International speakers including Colin Ross formerly of the Community Learning and Development Standards Council, Scotland, Professor Sarah Banks, Durham University, Dr Daniel Muia, Kenyatta University and Anne Jennings, Vice President of the Australian Community Workers Association (ACWA).
Download the full report AIEB Symposium Report 2022
AIEB has developed a resource to support providers of endorsed community work education programmes or those seeking endorsement to embed am anti-racism approach in community work education and training programmes.
This guidance has been developed in consultation with community work educators and community work practitioners working on the issue. This guidance demonstrates AIEB’s ongoing commitment to providing those involved in the education field with advice aimed at enhancing the overall quality of community work education and training.
The purpose of the guidance is to:
• Articulate AIEB’s and endorsed programme providers ongoing commitment to addressing key issues of the day, in this instance racism;
• Support the work of providers of endorsed professional community work education by signposting best practice approaches to ensuring that their programmes can adequately address the complexities of racism in both theory and practice and as it effects groups experiencing racism;
• Enhance current advice and guidance for new programmes seeking endorsement.
Download the
In 2022, CWI and AIEB introduced a series of Continuous Practice Development (CPD) workshops to create opportunities for community workers to build on their skills and knowledge in areas of relevance to community work practice.
The second workshop, delivered by Jamie Gorman, focused on Climate Justice and Community work Responses to Climate Change. At the time of the workshop, Jamie was a lecturer in Community Work and Environmental Justice at the Department of Applied Social Studies, Maynooth University. Jamie has a Masters in Community Work and is a Doctor of Social Science. He previously worked with Galway City Community Network, is a former chairperson of Friends of the Earth and convened the Community Work Ireland Climate Justice Working Group.
This guidance has been developed in consultation with community work educators and community work practitioners working on the issue. This guidance demonstrates AIEB’s ongoing commitment to providing those involved in the education field with advice aimed at enhancing the overall quality of community work education and training and addressing the key issues of the day.
The overarching aim of this guidance is to support students to develop structural understanding of climate injustice that:
In addressing climate and biodiversity crises, community workers are not required to be climate science experts or develop a whole new set of competencies. The central concern of community work is to create the conditions for participation and empowerment of communities in pursuit of social justice, equality and human rights.
Download the AIEB Climate Justice Guidance PDF
The All Ireland Standards for Community Work were published by AIEB in 2016 following a review of the document Towards Standards for Quality Community Work to provide the foundation and guiding framework for community development in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Download the All Ireland Standards for Community Work
Current work on endorsement of community work education and training being undertaken by a working group of practitioners and educators seeks to build on All Ireland Standards for Community Work, published in 2016.
The All Ireland Standards clearly outlines the knowledge, skills and practice principles for quality community work and seeks to recognise and underpin community work and its ethos in promoting change. Its purpose is to provide a framework for community work in the context of economic, social and cultural developments in Irish society and to capture the richness and multidimensionality of community work in an increasingly diverse Ireland.
AIEB is funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development.
