Dublin South Inner City
Dublin 2, 4, 6 & 8
Dublin South Inner City
Dublin South Inner City Adult Education Service
Liberties College, Top Floor, Bull Alley Dublin 8
We provide a wide range of free adult and community education part time classes in Liberties College as well as many other centres in Dublin 2, 4, 6 and 8.
Click here for contact details 
Tel: (01) 6684571 
Students share their stories, click on the photo to watch the video:
South Inner City Courses
Services in this Region
Reading Writing, Spelling, and Maths
We provide free classes for people who want to improve their reading, writing, spelling, maths or digital and computer skills.
The service is aimed at adults who want to :
- Return to education
- Brush up on reading, writing, maths and digital skills
- Up-skill or re-skill for work
- Gain confidence and work towards a recognised certificate
- Develop the English language skills needed to live, work and study in Ireland
What level are the classes?
You can learn at a level that suits you, whether you are a complete beginner or just want to brush up. If you wish, you can gain a certificate.
You can gain certification in modules from QQI levels 2 to 4.
We also run lots of non-accredited classes where you can learn for fun with like-minded people.
For more details contact:
Adult Literacy Organiser: Denise Shannon
Email: [email protected]
01 6684571
Free Digital Skills Programmes
- Get Smartphone Ready
- Driver Theory Test
- Digital Skills for Jobseekers
- Internet Skills
- Word Processing Skills
- Computer Literacy
- Digital Skills for English Language Learners
- Digital Skills in Preparation for College
- Word Processing, Excel and IT Skills QQI Levels 1-5
We aim to help you at whatever stage you are at.
Small class sizes: 6-8 people
For more details contact:
Adult Literacy Organiser: Denise Shannon
Email: [email protected]
01 6684571
Community Education
The City of Dublin ETB Adult Education Service delivers a comprehensive Community Education programme. We also work closely with our Community Education partners.
A range of different courses are delivered, including:
Access to the Arts:
- Community Drama
- Community Art and Crafts (pottery, weaving, sewing, season crafts and many more)
- Music / Choir
- Creative Writing
Wellbeing
- Health and Fitness, Yoga and Pilates
- Mindfulness
- Personal Development
- Cookery and Healthy Eating
- First Aid
Equality and Social Justice
- Social / Racial Justice & Awareness
- Sustainability and Climate Justice Awareness
- Community Development
Climate Justice Education Strategy
“Climate change is the single greatest threat to a sustainable future but, at the same time, addressing the climate challenge presents a golden opportunity to promote prosperity, security and a brighter future for all.”
Ban Ki-Moon, Former Secretary-General of UN
We are all worried about climate change and what might happen to our planet and to our lives.
CDETB Adult Education Service offers lots of courses that will teach you new skills, as well as giving you information about the climate crisis and opportunities to take action.
• Community Gardening
• Upcycling Fashion
• Bike Maintenance
• Weaving
• Art
• Crafts
• Drama
• Creative Writing
• Cookery
We also offer short courses and workshops so that communities can understand how the climate crisis will affect them and identify solutions that they can take action on:
• Introduction to Climate Justice
• Sustainable Living
• Communities and Climate Action
For information about our courses and workshops, contact our Community Education Team.
For more details contact:
Community Education Facilitator: Melíosa Bracken
Email: Melí[email protected]
01 6684571
English Language Classes
The City of Dublin ETB Adult Education Service provides English (ESOL) language programmes for people who have come to live in Ireland, including asylum seekers and refugees, EU and non EU economic migrants.
English for Speakers of Other Languages or ESOL focuses on building the communication skills of the learners. We use cross-cultural approaches that recognise a learner’s other languages/cultures.
We provide a range of free, flexible, part-time English Language classes at a wide range of levels.
- Beginner
- Elementary
- Pre-Intermediate
- Intermediate
- Business English
- Skills for Work Programme
- English language and literacy
We offer courses which have accreditation and more informal courses without accreditation. Our accredited courses are at QQI Levels 2, 3and 4
We prioritise learners who:
- are getting a social welfare payment;
- asylum seekers and people with refugee status;
- people who have less than Leaving Cert standard of education in their country of origin.
- people who do not have literacy in their first language
Climate Justice Education
The Climate Justice Education in Practice Tutor Handbook was published by City of Dublin ETB’s Adult Education Service in 2023. This comprehensive handbook provides a wide range of teaching and learning resources, using development education methodologies. It includes a wide range of suggested participatory activities, learner worksheets and handouts, and tutor guiding notes. It is targeted at tutors teaching at Level 3 on the NFQ but many of the activities will be of use for Level 2 – 4 learner groups too.
The Climate Justice Education in Practice Tutor Handbook was written by Sian Cowman, PhD Researcher with Melíosa Bracken, Community Education Facilitator.
The Handbook is split into 3 chapters:
- Chapter 1 is an introduction to the handbook. It outlines the teaching and learning approach, including climate justice education principles and tackles how we might go about teaching ‘difficult knowledge’. It suggest an active hope and empowering approach.
- Chapter 2 is about understanding Climate Change. It breaks down some of the key terminology about climate change and explores the causes and consequences of climate change.
- Chapter 3 introduces us to Climate Justice. It identifies what we mean when we talk about Climate Justice and informs us about Just Transition and actions we can take for Climate Justice.
Click here to download the The Climate Justice Education in Practice Tutor Handbook
The climate emergency is one of the biggest challenges of our time.
Do you want to learn about climate change? Climate change is complex and sometimes confusing.
We provide climate justice education courses through art, drama, craft, sustainable fashion, community gardening, bike maintenance, and through lots of information workshops. Join one today! You can learn about how to take climate action in your local community.
Please contact [email protected] or one of the local Community Education Facilitators or Co-ordinators for further information about our Climate Justice Education programme.
Climate Justice Education recognises that those who contribute the least to climate breakdown, suffer the worst consequences. “Climate justice means addressing the climate crisis whilst also making progress towards equity and the protection and realisation of human rights” (Friends of the Earth Europe).
CDETB Adult Education Service commits to being a lead educator in developing public awareness on climate change and just transitions in the City of Dublin.
What does the Adult Education Guidance Service Offer?
The Adult Education Guidance Service helps people to make informed education, career and life choices by providing impartial and confidential Guidance Counselling and Information to adults in relation to their education, training and career options. Our service is free of charge.
You can meet with a professional and qualified Guidance Counsellor or Guidance Information Officer in a confidential setting to discuss your education and training needs. We also provide group information and guidance to adult education classes.
Take a look at our video:
The Adult Education Guidance Service is for adults who:
- Are uncertain about their future.
- Are considering returning to or continuing with education.
- Are having difficulty in finding or keeping suitable employment due to a lack of appropriate education qualifications.
The service is open to both students of the Adult Education Service and the general public.
Our Service is:
- Free of charge
- Impartial – showing you all the options available not just in the City of Dublin ETB.
- Friendly and supportive
- Dedicated to enabling people to realise their full potential in life
The Guidance Counsellor will help you to:
- Identify your unique strengths, experiences and potential.
- Support you to make decisions about your future education.
- Take a step by step approach to achieve your goals.
- Reach your full potential in life.
The Guidance Information Officer can:
- Provide you with all the education options available that suits your needs.
- Research your education and training options.
- Help you understand the funding supports, entry requirements and qualification levels.
How to Contact us
Dublin North and South Inner City:
Guidance Counsellors: Fiona Clarke and Pat Buckley
Email: [email protected]
01 8787435
Email: [email protected]
01 8787435
Information Officer: Grainne Nieto Smyth
Email: [email protected]
01 8787435 or 
086 108 4686
Facebook: facebook.com/adult.education.guidance.service.Dublin.Inner.City
Twitter:https://twitter.com/dicaegs1
The Back to Education Initiative (BTEI)
The Back to Education Initiative (BTEI) is a service which provides:
- opportunities for young people and adults, who have not completed the Leaving Certificate or equivalent, to participate in a range of part-time accredited educational programmes
- education and training opportunities for low skilled people in employment to upgrade their skills and gain qualifications
- a link to full-time further education and training and a progression route from basic education programmes
- a chance to combine education and training with family, work and other responsibilities through a wide range of flexible options. Childcare support is available where necessary.
Back to Education Initiative courses are free to people
- with less than upper second level education
- in receipt of social welfare payment
- who have a current full medical card
All courses offer certification usually at Junior Certificate, Leaving Certificate or QQI Levels 3, 4 and 5 on the National Qualification Framework (NFQ). The BTEI allows people to study part-time. A programme may be offered for anything from 1 hour to 17 hours per week for up to 33 weeks per year.
If you do not qualify for free classes you will be charged a small fee.
Courses offered include: Childcare, Office Skills, Computing, English, Business Studies, Horticulture, Cookery and Art.
Contact your local adult education service for more details.
Workplace Education
The City of Dublin Education and Training Board is a leader in workplace education.
We offer a wide range of programmes to develop skills in the areas of literacy, digital literacy and English language.
We provide both public and private companies with programmes tailored to meet the needs of employees, These programmes can be accredited by QQI if that is what the employees need.
We work collaboratively with employers, employees, local government, unions and organisations in Dublin such as Dublin City Council, An Post, Irish Rail, Mondeleze, Boots and Arnotts.
We help organisations identify the training needs of their staff and to promote, design, deliver and evaluate workplace education courses.
Organisations may be eligible for government funding up to 100%.
Who do I contact:
City of Dublin ETB Workplace Education Co-ordinator:
Joan Devlin
Tel: (01) 862 38280877419805
Email: [email protected]
Skills for Work: What our students say
“We entered into an agreement a few years ago for the provision of the Skills for Work programme for SIPTU members at SIPTU College.
The feedback from learners has been exceptional. Not only have they acquired much needed skills but the achievement of those skills has also made a major contribution to their self-confidence and has encouraged further study. Several have progressed to the Level 5 programmes at SIPTU College and elsewhere. I highly recommend this service.”
Dr Tish Gibbons, Head of SIPTU Training College
“Derrycourt Cleaning Specialists have found the Skills for Work Programme invaluable to assisting our employees and managers with better communication and IT skills. We initially started with a group of cleaning operatives working within a healthcare environment attending the communication skills through English course. This group of employees benefitted so much from the training that they completed further training, with a number of the staff getting their portfolio officially accredited at QQI Level 4 on the National Qualifications Framework. Following the success of this initial course, word soon spread about the benefits of the courses. We held further training for Cleaning Operatives in three other healthcare facilities in Dublin that Derrycourt provide contract cleaning. In each location the hospital personnel noticed a significant improvement in the communication from our operatives and were delighted with the outcome.
A group of our operational managers completed a Business English with IT Skills course and found the skills and knowledge they learned hugely beneficial and put the success of the course down to the expert tuition skills of their teacher. Other managers within the business commented without prompting the improvement in their level of verbal and written communication.
Derrycourt Cleaning Specialists would wholeheartedly recommend the Skills for Work Programme for any employer.” Anna Heather, Learning & Development Manager, Derrycourt Cleaning Specialists
I would like to thank you for the supports you arranged for me throughout the course I did in Pottery and Health Safety in the Workplace. Because of the support I got it was the first college exam I ever did. I would never have had the courage before and I received a distinction today for my work.
Christina, Adult Education Service Learner
