GALWAY, IRELAND – 2025-12-09

Alison, the global leader in online learning, today announced the launch of Youth Certified for Youthreach, a pioneering pilot programme designed to enhance youth career programmes within Youthreach Centres. Following Alison’s successful Transition Year Certified Program (TY) and Leaving Certificate Applied Program (LCA) initiatives, this new offering targets holistic youth development for early school leavers across rural and local Youthreach centres, including Priory Youthreach in Tallaght and Kilkenny Youthreach.

Addressing Youthreach’s Holistic Training and Development Challenges

The Youthreach programme is a nationally recognised education and training initiative for early school leavers aged 15-20. It provides integrated academic education and personal development, focusing on building foundational skills and preparing learners to progress to further education, training, or employment. 

This pilot directly supports these learners by complementing their Youthreach experience with tailored online courses and tools aimed at building confidence, self-esteem, and practical skills. This comprehensive approach to youth development helps learners identify and explore potential careers while honing essential employability skills.

Enhancing Youth Development and Employability Skills Through Online Learning

Through this pilot, learners access dynamic youth training programmes that combine academic education with valuable workplace skills developed, equipping them to successfully transition into employment or further education. Alison’s Youth Certified initiative aligns with national efforts to improve youth employability skills and expand pathways for career progression.

The program enables tailored learning opportunities for each participant, enabling them to explore career pathways across various industries and roles. Soft skills training and job search skills enrich the employability of each learner, with additional streams focusing on digital literacy, financial acumen, problem-solving, communication, teamwork, leadership, and more.

Olivia Cosgrove, Head of Organisational Solutions, Alison, highlights: “Our mission is to empower young people with accessible education that fosters confidence and skills development. Youth Certified for Youthreach exemplifies our commitment to holistic youth development and supporting meaningful career outcomes for early school leavers.”

Expanding Youthreach Support With Scalable Youth Training Solutions

Looking forward, Alison plans to use insights from this pilot phase to refine and scale the Youth Certified programme nationally, reinforcing its role as a leader in supporting youth employability and education pathways through innovative digital learning solutions.

Multimedia/Resource links:

• Explore Free Youth Certified Courses
• Learn about the Transition Year Certified (TY) Program
• Book a quick demo with our Youthreach expert

About Youthreach

Youthreach is Ireland's nationwide second-chance education and training programme for early school leavers aged 15-20 who have left mainstream schooling without qualifications. Delivered across over 100 centres by Education and Training Boards (ETBs) and Community Training Centres, it offers nearly 6,000 places annually, co-funded by the Irish Government and the European Social Fund.​

The programme provides two years of integrated education, personal development, basic skills training (literacy, numeracy, communications, IT), and vocational options tailored to individual needs, leading to QQI Level 3 or 4 certifications. It emphasises holistic youth development, building confidence and core skills to prepare participants for further education, training, or employment.​

Youthreach operates in out-of-school settings with flexible, year-round intake and includes a training allowance for eligible learners. While work experience opportunities exist in some centres, the core focus remains on social inclusion, lifelong learning patterns, and progression pathways rather than mandatory vocational elements.​

About Alison

Alison is a global leader in free online learning and skills development. With over 50 million registered Learners across 193 countries (as of October 2025), Alison empowers individuals, communities, and organisations to upskill quickly and effectively, at zero cost.

The Alison platform provides immediate access to over 6,000 free, CPD-accredited courses, covering essential areas such as Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Cybersecurity, Digital Marketing, Project Management, Business Operations, Healthcare and Sustainability. Courses are created by a mix of independent experts and global leaders, including IBM, Stanford and Microsoft.

For organisations, Alison offers a Free Learning Management System (FLMS) that enables unlimited Learners to access thousands of courses with no upfront cost. A premium version with advanced analytics and customisation is also available. Alison's offering includes a full suite of assessments and psychometric tools, including a Workforce Personality Assessment,Mental Health & Wellbeing, English Language Proficiency, Numeracy, Verbal and Abstract Reasoning tests.

To further support career development, Learners also gain access to a Career Guide, a Resumé Builder, and the ability to study offline through the Alison App.

In 2025, Alison is launching a Global Recruitment Service to connect employers directly with skilled, motivated Learners. The platform is also expanding its reach with multilingual versions, starting with full Spanish, French, and Hindi offerings, reaffirming its mission to make education accessible to anyone, anywhere.

Founded in 2007, Alison pioneered the concept of free, large-scale online learning and is recognised as the world’s first MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) platform. Today, its mission continues: to break down barriers to learning, helping people gain skills, build confidence, and improve their lives — no matter where they live or what they earn.

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Media Contact

If you would like to learn more about this Press Release, or Alison, please contact the Alison Media Team at [email protected]