The Further Learning Group was established in 2004 with the aim of providing quality distance learning courses that would enable students to acquire the skills they needed to change their careers. Over the last decade Further Learning has grown to encompass a number of international academies offering a variety of fully accredited classroom-based and home study courses to students around the world.
The Further Learning Group has benefited from a number of important partnerships with industry specialists such as popular author, blogger and interior designer Orna Weber and well-respected garden designer James Kilkelly. The Further Learning Group is also very proud to have recently embarked upon an immensely beneficial partnership with global educational experts Pearson Education.
Our courses use a carefully considered pedagogical approach to deliver a positive student learning experience. An asynchronous system allows students to learn at their own pace, all with the support of their own personal tutor. Our classroom courses use a blended-learning technique so students benefit from the additional in-person support of the classroom environment. While a monitored student forum allow students to benefit from peer learning.
The Further Learning Group is fully accredited by a range of institutions including the International Approval and Registration Centre (IARC). HNC and HND courses are accredited by BTEC and administered by Pearson Education.
The Further Learning Group is made up of an energetic team of educational professionals who are proud to abide by the Pearson Education adage – Always Learning. If you are interested in joining our growing team please get in touch via the contact form below.
Mark has over 15 years' sales experience with extensive management and training expertise. Having worked primarily in the IT industry Mark is excited about entering the rewarding world of education and is focused on delivering the best possible customer experience.
Myles has a background in web development with extensive experience developing innovative online educational systems. He takes pride in ensuring every academy student receives the best learning experience possible. Myles, who is a firm believer in continuous education, has a Masters in Education from Trinity College Dublin.
Ciarda has been with the Further Learning Group since its foundation and oversees course development and tuition. Ciarda's background is in Interior Design and adult education. She has a keen interest in upholding the Quality and Assurance of all of our courses as well as ensuring that all tutors are experts in their fields, resulting in students receiving the best support possible.
Shaun has been working in the IT industry for over 20 years and in the Irish education sector for the last 6 years. He is a certified Agile Scrum Master and has been using Linux professionally for over 10 years. Shaun prefers Vi to Emacs, PHP to Perl and is undecided on systemd.
Brian has worked for over 20 years in various design roles and his work has reached international audiences. With a background in advertising, software development and in online learning, Brian strives to deliver an engaging customer experience across all our touch points.
Lyndsay has a background in IT but with a love for learning has worked in the educational field since graduation. Lyndsay is passionate about customer service and enjoys helping people find the right course for them and guiding them through their learning journey.
Antje graduated with a BA (Hons) in Interior Design and since 2003 has been running her own interior design company. Antje has designed sophisticated boutique hotels and bars as well as high-end residencies. Antje is a passionate interior designer, with extensive educational experience whose areas of specialisation include space planning and soft furnishings.
Ronan has a background in the education and hospitality sectors and has recently completed a Masters in Business (MBA). Ronan is committed to helping prospective students find a course that suits their needs, career development and future prospects.
Laura is a dedicated member of our team and excels at working with our perspective students to find the best course to achieve their goals. Laura comes from the customer service and retail sectors, she is passionate about assisting our students in their educational development.
Lucy has 15 years' experience working in various editing and communications roles. She is passionate about using a clear and consistent communication style across all forms of content to ensure information and messages are easily understood.
Emma has a BSc in Multimedia along with extensive experience designing digital products in the education and e-commerce sectors. She has a passion for creating simple, thoughtful and compelling experiences with a clean, beautiful and user-centred approach. She strongly believes in further education and is constantly striving to up-skill and keep up-to-date with industry trends.
Comfort has 10 years' experience in customer service with extensive knowledge of customer sales and satisfaction. She is currently studying for an MSc in Project Management and hopes to use the skills from this course to continuously improve the quality of customer service and care provided to all our students.
Simon has over 15 years' experience working in customer service and credit and account management. Having worked largely within the fast-moving consumer goods industry, Simon is committed to ensuring that students have a positive student experience with Further Learning Group.
Daniel has several years' experience in full stack software development with a background in customer service systems and online training providers. He is dedicated to the cause for programming simplicity and has long championed the removal of superfluous semicolons.
Sarika has worked in several different industries and has extensive leadership and management experience. She enjoys building a strong, positive team environment. Her aim is to increase productiveness and help improve performance for the benefit of our students and Further Learning Group.
Ian has a BA in Communication Studies and has worked in a number of multinationals as a content editor and internal communications specialist. He believes that communication plays a key role in every aspect of the business and strives to ensure that all students receive the best possible educational experience.
Mary-Louise has a degree in Arts and significant experience working in the retail and fashion industries. She is passionate about self-development and the positive role which education can have in life. She enjoys being able to interact daily with students and is committed to helping them receive the best possible learning experience.
Colette trained as an architectural technician and has worked on one-off residential buildings and large scale commercial projects for an architectural firm. Colette completed a year-long course in teacher training and an evening course in graphic design. Colette holds a first class honours degree in interior design.
The reputation of Further Learning Group academies continues to grow internationally. We now offer a variety of fully accredited home study and part-time classroom-based courses to students around the world.
The Interior Design Academy of Ireland is dedicated to providing practical interior design courses that will enable students across Ireland to pursue professional careers in interior design. Our reputation is growing and we offer our students a variety of fully accredited home study and part-time classroom-based courses.
www.idai.ie
The Garden Design Academy of Ireland was established with the aim of providing quality home study and part-time classroom-based courses in Garden Design. Our industry recognised courses teach students the practical skills needed to pursue a professional career as a garden designer.
www.gardendesignacademy.ie
The Photography Academy of Ireland was established with the intention of providing practical photography courses to students across Ireland. Our fully accredited home study and part-time classroom-based courses are designed to give students the practical skills to successfully pursue a career in photography.
www.photographyacademy.ie
The Fashion Design Academy of Ireland is dedicated to providing practical courses that enable students across Ireland to pursue careers in Fashion Design. The Academy is a leading provider of accredited, industry recognised, fashion design qualifications in Ireland and we offer our students a variety of home study and part-time classroom-based courses.
www.fashiondesignacademy.ie
The Digital Marketing Academy of Ireland offers a range of industry-focused digital marketing courses. Our courses are ideal for those seeking to gain practical skills in digital marketing, an overview of popular digital channels, and direction in building a successful digital marketing strategy.
www.dmai.ie
The British Academy of Interior Design was established with the aim of providing professional home study and part-time classroom-based courses to students across the United Kingdom. Our courses have enabled thousands to pursue a career in design and our reputation continues to grow within the British marketplace.
www.baid.co.uk
The British Academy of Garden Design is proud to offer a range of fully accredited courses in garden design to students across the United Kingdom. The Academy's highly practical home study and part-time classroom-based courses have been developed to give students the range of skills they need to succeed as professional garden designers.
www.gardendesignacademy.co.uk
The British Academy of Photography is proud to offer a range of fully accredited home study and part-time classroom-based courses to students across the United Kingdom. Our courses give students the skills they need to take their love of photography to the next level and enable them to pursue a career as a professional photographer.
www.baph.co.uk
The British Academy of Fashion Design was established with the aim of providing home study and part-time classroom-based courses to students across the United Kingdom. We are proud to offer our students fully accredited courses in fashion design which will give them the skills they require to become professional fashion designers.
www.fashiondesignacademy.co.uk
The British Academy of Digital Marketing is dedicated to providing practical courses that enable students to pursue professional careers in digital marketing. Our courses offer practical skills in digital marketing, an overview of digital channels, and direction in building a successful digital marketing strategy.
www.britishdigitalmarketing.co.uk
The Australian Academy of Interior Design was established with the aim of providing professional home study and part-time classroom-based courses to students across Australia. We are proud to offer our students fully accredited BTEC Higher National Certificate and Higher National Diploma Courses in Interior Design.
www.interiordesignacademy.com.au
The Australian Academy of Garden Design offers a range of fully accredited certificate, diploma and postgraduate diploma courses in garden design. Our industry recognised home study and part-time classroom-based courses have been developed to give students the practical skills they need to succeed as professional garden designers in Australia.
www.gardendesignacademy.com.au
The Australian Academy of Photography offers a range of industry-recognised home study and part-time classroom-based courses to students across Australia. Our fully accredited courses have been developed to give students the skills they need to take their love of photography to the next level and pursue a career as a professional photographer.
www.aaph.com.au
The Australian Academy of Fashion Design was established with the aim of providing home study and part-time classroom-based courses to students across Australia. Our courses have been designed to give students the range of skills they need to succeed as professional fashion designers.
www.fashiondesignacademy.com.au
The Australian Academy of Digital Marketing was established with the aim of providing a range industry-focused digital marketing courses. Our courses are ideal for those students seeking to gain the key practical skills in digital marketing, an overview of digital channels, and direction in building a successful digital marketing strategy.
www.digitalmarketingacademy.com.auOur tutors are at the core of the Further Learning Group's success providing each student with the individual support, guidance and encouragement they need to succeed. If you are interested in becoming a tutor for one of our academies get in touch via the contact form below.
Rita holds a Masters in Interior Design and a Bachelors in Product Design. Working as an Interior designer since 2012 Rita has been involved in planning and designing interior design projects for hotels and cruise ships. She enjoys the variety of experiences a design career provides. Throughout her experience, she has gained a special interest in management and tutoring.
Leonor graduated with a MA in architecture in 2009. She started working in architectural offices whilst studying and continued with this career post graduation. In the last few years she has focused her attention on interior design projects and furniture design. She has also been working on communication, digital content and graphic design for brands and websites.
With a masters degree in Landscape Architecture from Porto University, Renata has been developing projects for private and public institutions, as well as, coordinating teams in the field of maintenance and management of green spaces. She has earned a scholarship for the Magellan MBA of Porto Business School in 2018. Her community garden design won the EDP 2013 solidarity program, and she joined forces to develop the “Forbidden Garden” in 2018 which was the winner design of the “Allariz Festival” in Spain.
Tania Cravo holds a MA in Architecture. She is a fully qualified Architect with experience in projects from feasibility and design process up to construction completion and in-use stage. She had the opportunity to experience different architectural practises and approaches in Portugal and the UK, having developed a special interest and a passion for interior design. Over the last few years, she focused her skills on developing big scale commercial and retail projects such as Primark Birmingham flagship store, which allowed her to work within a multidisciplinary team and have her work recognised through the Revo Gold Award 2019 and the Guinness Word Record for the largest fashion retail store.
Inês graduated with a Master of Science in Landscape Architecture in 2012. She is passionate about planting design, garden management, and biodiversity promotion. She has been involved with the design of public and private spaces and as a researcher at the University of Porto, contributed to the development of management plans responsible for the first Green Flag Award certified gardens in Porto.
Sinead is a trained pattern-cutter and fashion designer and has over 10 years professional experience in the fashion industry. Prior to establishing herself as a freelance pattern-cutter she worked for international designer John Rocha and design and manufacturing company Styletex.
After qualifying from Kildalton College in 1997 with a Diploma in Horticulture and a Royal Horticultural Society Certificate, Jarlath went on to work at Lees & Co, a wholesales nursery near Southampton, gaining valuable experience in plant identification, propagation and care. Upon returning to Ireland Jarlath worked for two years with Murray Landscaping in Co Wicklow, focusing primarily on construction sites, producing quality Landscaping for showhouses and commercial projects. In 2000, Jarlath established his own Landscaping business, managing all aspects of the business from the initial planning with the client through to consultation and planting. Maintenance and aftercare was also part of the business, while domestic and commercial projects included site works such as paving, lawn establishment, and tree and shrub planting. After 15 years of gaining Valuable Landscaping contracting experience, it was time to take the business to the next level. And so in 2015, Jarlath completed a postgraduate Diploma in Garden Design from The Garden Design Academy of Ireland and JW Garden Design was born where Jarlath specialises now only in Garden Design.
Meg has a BA in Fashion Design and specialises in creative pattern making, conceptual design and production. She currently manages her own fashion design and production studio in Melbourne, where she enjoys nurturing the ideas of local and international designers, making them come to fruition. Meg has a broad range of experience working in various design and manufacturing environments, ranging from an artisanal to mass-market scales.
Aine Geoghegan graduated with a B.A. (Hons) in Fashion Design. She has worked in both the production and design sectors of the industry, specialising in pattern making and sample development. Aine has produced and sold her own range of accessories and currently manages a design studio in London.
Naomi has more than 10 years' experience working as a stylist and visual merchandiser for a number of leading high-street retailers. She has studied fashion in college and previously worked as a tutor in pattern drafting and garment construction. Naomi is passionate about adult education and is dedicated to helping students achieve their learning goals.
James is a well-known figure in the garden design industry. He has worked on many spectacular gardens including The Royal Hospital (Kilmainham); The War Memorial Gardens (Inchicore) and St. Anne's Park and Rose Garden. James' grounding in garden design began at the National Botanic Gardens. He has since gone on to win numerous awards for his garden designs, most notable of which was for his Malaysian themed garden at the 2006 "Garden Heaven" show.
With an eye for detail, Louise has a lifetime's experience in horticulture, extensive plant knowledge and medal winner at both the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and Hampton Court. Her sensitivity to the environment, style and age of each property and attentive consideration of her clients' brief is evident in all her projects, both large and small.
Gabriela has ten years of practical experience within the landscape architecture field. She earned a Master Degree in Landscape Architecture at the University of Greenwich, after previously obtaining a first class honors degree in landscape architecture at Kingston University. Since then, she has been involved in a wide range of assignments, from small residential projects to large environmental regeneration and urban development projects.
Mark is an award-winning freelance photographer with a wide variety of international clients. He teaches photography and moving image and enjoys sharing the experience of the creative process with others.
Daniel Oliveira has worked in various international multidisciplinary studios throughout his career in garden design. He has designed and delivered a range of public-realm schemes, master-planning and private spaces in Portugal, Spain and the UK. His portfolio includes collaborations with internationally renowned architects such as David Chipperfield and Renzo Piano for complex urban regeneration projects. Daniel has a specific interest in how green infrastructure improves urban environments.
Joana Moreira holds a Master's degree in architecture and a Postgraduate qualification in rehabilitation and architectural heritage. From early on she knew interiors were her passion and throughout the years Joana has been specialising in interior architecture and interior design, both for new constructions and for rehabilitated historical buildings. Joana has worked in the industry for over 10 years and in recent years she worked for an interior architecture and design company that specialises in hospitality projects for hotels and cruise ships.
Flavia developed her technical drawing skills while working at an architectural firm on high-end residential projects. Flavia has worked for an interior design company where she was in charge of design development, technical drawings, 3D visuals and materials sourcing. Flavia regularly participates in design competitions.
Lisa holds a Bachelor of Arts in Interior Architecture and Design and a Diploma in Interior Design. Lisa has extensive experience in period property restoration with projects featured in interior design publications. More recently Lisa has taken a multi-disciplinary approach using digital packages to produce commercial designs for clients such as CIT Cork and Glaxosmithkline.
Pavlina started her career in kitchen design working closely with customers to understand their needs, specifications and budgets. Pavlina has been working at IKEA's flagship store for the past six years delivering complex interior design projects from concept through to design, planning and implementation. Pavlina has a BA in Interior Design & Applied Arts.
Kasia trained as an interior designer at London College of Communication. She has nearly five years experience lecturing on both Further and Higher Education on interior and spatial design courses and currently lectures at the University of the Arts. She also works as a freelance interior designer.
BTEC has been the most successful applied learning brand for over twenty five years. BTEC vocational courses are designed to meet the needs of employers and allow learners to take their first steps into employment, progress through their careers or enter university.
BTEC is administered by Edexcel and owned by Pearson Education, the world's largest education company. BTEC courses are offered exclusively by approved learning centres whose staff, tutors and courses have been thoroughly vetted, and are continually monitored. Learn more about BTEC.
The Further Learning Group has earned accreditation from the International Accreditation and Recognition Council (IARC). The IARC is a not-for-profit association. The council was founded in 1999 in response to increasing globalisation of world economies and societies, and is currently managed by an elected committee of six education practitioners and industry professionals.
The International Approval and Registration Centre (IARC) plays a role in ensuring the school's quality standards relating to course content, delivery, assessment and administration are maintained. IARC's role as an independent recognition association gives reassurance the school has undergone checks relevant to the post-secondary education industry in general terms.
