Course at Atlas Women’s Centre encourages women to set new goals

GOALS is an innovative two-day programme designed to address issues that may stop women from reaching their training, education and employment goals.

Gillian Burnett from Atlas Women’s Centre said: “The aim is to increase women’s self-confidence, help them to think positively about themselves and empower them to pursue their goals. There is also the opportunity for participants to go on to train to deliver the GOALS programme within their community in the future.”

During the OCN accredited programme, participants will explore their values, goals and any limiting self-beliefs that may be holding them back.

It is part of Women Breaking Barriers, a new £370,000 project aimed at improving the lives and employment opportunities for hundreds of women from disadvantaged areas.

Women Breaking Barriers, which is funded by the Community Renewal Fund (CRF), is providing specially targeted training and education courses in all 14 women’s centres across Northern Ireland.

There will be other courses at Atlas Women’s Centre including: OCN Level 2 in Employability Skills and OCN Level 2 in Community Development.

The grassroots-led programme is being run by the Women’s Resource and Development Agency (WRDA), the Women’s Support Network (WSN) and the Northern Ireland Rural Women’s Network (NIRWN). It is funded by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

Project co-ordinator, Anne McVicker said Women Breaking Barriers is one of the most significant and ambitious community-based training programmes for women ever launched in Northern Ireland.

“This project is helping us meet the needs of women disproportionately impacted by Covid and who already face entrenched disadvantage. Courses are specifically devised to address the unequal playing field by reducing the barriers to education and employment for women in Northern Ireland,” she added.

The course takes place from 9.30am to 4.30pm and if participants incur childcare or travel expenses to attend the two-day GOALS programme, these will be reimbursed.

The Atlas Women’s Centre is at 7 Bachelors Walk, Lisburn BT28 1XJ. To register for the course or for further information email [email protected] or call 02892 605806.

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