Cavan and Monaghan Education and Training Board (CMETB) and the Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS), in collaboration with the City of Dublin Education and Training Board (CDETB) and the Northside Partnership, has launched a new course titled “Managing the Sustainable Home.”

This innovative programme, which has been validated by Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) as a Level 3 Special Purpose Award, aims to enable learners to apply sustainable practices to everyday household management. The award covers three specific areas:

• Budgeting and Financial Management
• Sustainable and Healthy Food Provision
• Sustainable Use of Energy and Utilities

An official launch event was held on Thursday, August 29, at Johnston Central Library, Cavan.

The event celebrated the collaborative effort among these agencies to develop and validate this new course and bringing it to market for learners.

The launch is particularly timely and relevant, given that sustainability is a crucial issue in today’s society. Sustainable practices are essential for both businesses and individuals alike.

Learners who complete the course will gain a solid grounding in the three pillars of sustainability (environmental, economic, and social) and how these relate to effective, efficient, and sustainable household management. This programme is very welcomed as recent research report commissioned by the Department of Finance and published in April 2024 indicates that about 43% of adults have difficulties with financial understanding.

Speaking at the launch event, Dympna McCarron (Director of Quality Assurance and Enhancement Services at CMETB) said:

“The development of a new programme takes vision and we are proud to see this vision come to life today, offering learners a unique opportunity to enhance their household management skills sustainably. This initiative represents the culmination of dedication, innovation, and a shared commitment to sustainability. I want to extend my thanks to the programme development team from CMETB, CDETB and the Northside Partnership and to MABS for embracing the development of this programme under their services. We are thrilled to launch this course and look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have for learners.”

“Northside Partnership was delighted to be part of the development of QQI Level 3 Managing the Sustainable Home with Cavan Monaghan ETB and MABS,” according to Angela Shafer, Community Education Coordinator at Northside Partnership. “Drawing on our experience of rolling out the Money Made Sense program, we were able to add real value to the content especially in the context of developing financial capabilities.”

Karl Cronin, North Connacht and Ulster MABS Manager added:

“This new course offering perfectly aligns with our mission. At the heart of MABS’ work in communities is providing essential money management education. We are thrilled to offer learners the knowledge and skills to manage their finances effectively and embrace sustainable living. This programme empowers individuals to make informed decisions and lead more sustainable lives.”

If you are interested in learning more about the QQI Level 3 programme in Managing the Sustainable Home, please contact Ceinwen Fergus on ceinwenfergus@cmetb.ie