METHODOLOGY

A questionnaire concerning the provision of Junior Certificate, Leaving Certificate and NCVA programmes in centres under the YOUTHREACH programme was circulated to all VEC YOUTHREACH, Community Training Workshops and Senior Traveller Training Centres in April 2001. 104 centres returned completed questionnaires, giving a response rate of 67.5%.

This response rate was slightly higher than that for similar surveys over the past 2 years (61% for the Junior Certificate result year 1998 (Ryan, 1999:4), 60% for the Junior Cert result year 1999 (Ryan, 2000:4). This may be attributed to one of two reasons or a combination of both: (1) this year the questionnaire was extended to include NCVA and Leaving Cert programmes not previously covered. This may have yielded a higher response from centres with no involvement with the Junior Certificate, who are involved in these programmes.

(2) This year each of the three National Co-ordinators were responsible for distributing and collecting the questionnaires from their own centres, instead of central co-ordination of all questionnaires being based in the office of the National Co-ordinator of YOUTHREACH (Department of Education and Science). This may have increased the response rate from Community Training Workshops and Traveller Training Centres.

In the present survey, the 104 centres provided Junior Certificate results for 262 students. The status of the trainees who sat Junior Certificate in 2000, was also asked in the questionnaire and analysed. Only the provision of NCVA modules and Leaving Certificate programmes was analysed (subject provision, level and number of trainees). Information about the trainee results was not collected.

Quantitative data was inputted and analysed using a computerised statistical package.