The Leadership for Inclusion in the Early Years (LINC) Programme continues to be a beacon of excellence in early childhood education. Fully funded by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY), the Level 6 Special Purpose Award (Higher Education) will open applications for its ninth year on Tuesday, March 12th at 10am, offering 630 places nationwide.
Established in 2016, the LINC Programme is offered by a consortium led by Mary Immaculate College, including Early Childhood Ireland and Maynooth University – Froebel Department of Primary and Early Childhood Education. It is part of the government’s commitment to providing high-quality education and training for early years educators and was introduced as part of the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) in 2016.
Welcoming the opening of applications, Roderic O’Gorman TD, Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, voiced his admiration for the dedication and commitment of early years educators, affirming, “The LINC Programme has been a key contributor to the continuing success of the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) in supporting the inclusion of children with disabilities in early years education. I am greatly appreciative of the excellent work of the LINC team within Mary Immaculate College. I also commend the dedication and commitment of early years educators in creating and fostering inclusive cultures within their services. The LINC Programme has had an extremely positive impact since its inception, and I encourage early years educators to avail of this opportunity.”
Applications for the 2024/2025 LINC Level 6 Programme open today, Tuesday, March 12th 2024, at 10 am, with the programme commencing in September 2024.
Applications will close on Thursday, April 4th 2024 at 4pm.
For more information, visit the LINC website here.
