Our programmes - Academic
Fast Track programmes
These programmes are designed to help young people set their sights on third-level education. Primary school students are recommended by their teachers; students in secondary school may refer themselves. Fast Track includes Junior Fast Track for primary students, Intermediate Fast Track to Junior Cert level. Senior students can then move on to Fast Track Academy.
Fast Track Academy
TU Dublin (Formerly IT Tallaght) and Citywise Education have pooled their mutually extensive experience in this area to establish a Fast Track Academy to pursue the following goals:
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Provide educational supports to senior year students at second level to complete their programme of study successfully and identify their career paths
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Increase the number of young people from West Tallaght progressing to third level/further education
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Provide targeted supports to students who have made the transition to Higher/Further education so that they continue to progress and succeed in realising their personal and professional ambitions
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Promote a positive experience of education.
We continue to seek industry partners to help us to fund this ambitious project, which will provide innovative and creative solutions to over 150 participants in 2018, rising to 200 per annum by 2020, through the provision of:
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After-school Teaching Support in Leaving Certificate subjects to augment work being done in local schools with whom the partners have established links
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Supervised study opportunities in a quiet environment as well as courses in study techniques and regular motivational inputs around the value of education
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Mentoring and ongoing personal development and career development activities
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Summer School Programmes that combine an academic focus (classes in business, science, engineering and social studies) in the morning, with recreational activities (sports, outings, cultural activities) in the afternoons. This reflects the holistic approach to development being pursued.
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Post-Entry Supports to ensure retention and completion.
The recently established national Social Innovation Fund is committed to matching funding (over a 3-5 year period) from local industry towards the costs of running Fast Track Academy.
Citywise Means Business
Citywise Means Business is a series of programmes to help young people understand the basics of business and enterprise, to develop entrepreneurial skills, and to assist students to consider college business courses in the future. This programme has been sponsored by Ulster Bank, South Dublin County Council Local Enterprise Office and local people through the Citywise Draw.
The programme includes entrepreneurial sessions for young students through the Fast Track programme, participation in business-related competitions and additional help in tackling the new Junior Cycle Business Studies programme. Fast Track Academy also has a strong business focus for senior students with additional classes available in Economics, Maths and Business, as well as career talks from people in the business community. Mentoring from business people and from college lecturers, especially from TU Dublin (Tallaght Campus), also helps students get an understanding of the future learning and business opportunities open to them. A student with a business interest can get involved in any of these opportunities, as appropriate to him or her.