{"id":631145,"date":"2026-09-21T06:26:20","date_gmt":"2026-09-21T06:26:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/631145\/"},"modified":"2026-09-21T06:26:20","modified_gmt":"2026-09-21T06:26:20","slug":"action-packed-donegal-course-opens-doors-to-outdoor-adventure-careers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/631145\/","title":{"rendered":"Action-packed Donegal course opens doors to outdoor adventure careers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ahead of Donegal College of Further Education and Training\u2019s Open Week<\/a>, from 20th\u201322nd October 2026, we\u2019re shining a spotlight on learners who have turned their training into new skills, exciting experiences and career opportunities.<\/p>\n

Donegal\u2019s mountains, lakes and coastline are the classroom for a unique traineeship that turns a passion for adventure into real career opportunities.<\/p>\n

Hannah Fidgeon is one of the intrepid students who has experienced that first-hand, moving from Cavan to complete the Outdoor Sport and Recreation Traineeship at Gartan.<\/p>\n

The course is delivered by Donegal College of Further Education and Training, formerly known as Donegal ETB’s Further Education and Training Service.<\/p>\n

Hannah, 23, has enjoyed a year of watersports, orienteering and practical outdoor instructor training, including an Erasmus+ funded placement in France which she describes as \u201can unforgettable experience\u201d.<\/p>\n

She completed the programme in August 2026 and has since secured part-time work as an outdoor instructor at Gartan Outdoor Education and Training Centre.<\/p>\n

Hannah began the programme with limited experience, having never been kayaking and without even owning a wetsuit.<\/p>\n

Twelve months later, she graduated with a range of internationally-recognised qualifications and her first role in the industry.<\/p>\n

Hannah\u2019s interest in outdoor recreation sprouted from her family\u2019s campsite business in Cavan. Her uncle offered paddleboarding and kayaking on the nearby lake, and she helped him whenever she could.<\/p>\n

Hannah had also spent time travelling abroad before deciding to commit to a year of practical training at Gartan.<\/p>\n

The range of watersports available at Gartan, 15 minutes outside Letterkenny, helped her choose Donegal over another course in the south of the country<\/p>\n

Since then, she\u2019s come to love Donegal as a place to study and to work.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s nothing like it up here. I\u2019ve decided to stay on for another couple of months because I really do love it up here,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The full-time, 47-week Outdoor Sport and Recreation Traineeship equips students to safely lead water and land-based activities, apply rescue and first aid procedures, operate boats and specialist equipment, and develop strong communication, teamwork, leadership and personal effectiveness skills.<\/p>\n

Hannah was one of 12 students in the class of 2026, with ages ranging from 18 to 62.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was a lot of different learning from different people,\u201d Hannah said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was nice to help guide the younger people as well because they had left school just the year before.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was really important to have a good team behind you to keep lifting you and keep you going on the days when you felt like you couldn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere were definitely a couple of those days,\u201d she admits.<\/p>\n

The trainees spent around 85% of the course outdoors, with the sheltered setting at Gartan allowing activities to continue through Donegal\u2019s wild Atlantic weather.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was no weather that really stopped us from going out,\u201d Hannah said.<\/p>\n

Classroom sessions formed a smaller but important part of the course. Students learned about weather systems, teaching methods and how different people learn.<\/p>\n

They then applied that knowledge while developing their coaching and instructing skills.<\/p>\n

Hannah said the demanding days helped her discover strengths she did not know she had.<\/p>\n

\u201cMentally, it takes a lot of strength to get up and keep going every day. But we had so much fun as well, going sailing on the lake in the strong winds,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf anything, it\u2019s a good challenge for yourself as well. You push yourself past what you perceive to be your limits.\u201d<\/p>\n

Instructors Barry and John also became important mentors throughout the year.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe team who worked in Gartan were unbelievable,\u201d Hannah said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBarry and John would help you with anything inside or outside the course. They\u2019re real mentors, they were brilliant,\u201d<\/p>\n

Donegal became an extensive training ground for the group.<\/p>\n

The trainees went kayaking around Owey Island and Cruit Island, launched from Burtonport and visited Marble Hill, Downings, Mevagh and Malin Head. They also spent six weeks learning kayak skills in the swimming pool in Downings.<\/p>\n

A funded Erasmus+ trip to southern France in April gave them the opportunity to apply their skills in a completely new environment. Their days were filled with hiking, climbing, traversing, and abseiling.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was just an amazing experience,\u201d Hannah said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe got to paddle down the Ard\u00e8che River. We went abseiling and did the via corda. We went mountain biking and caving.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt really pushed you out of your comfort zone as well and put all your skills to the test.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Hannah Fidgeon puts her outdoor skills into practice during the Erasmus+ experience in France.<\/p>\n

The trip also allowed Hannah to meet people working in tourism abroad and discover where her new qualifications could take her.<\/p>\n

\n You may also be interested in\n <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Woman<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Picture<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Students who complete the traineeship achieve a QQI Level 5 award alongside a range of industry-recognised qualifications.<\/p>\n

The programme has helped Hannah gain National Governing Body certification with Canoeing Ireland in kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding and dinghy instruction, along with safety boat and powerboat licences.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know a lot of people do smaller courses on their own, but I think it was better for me to get fully stuck in,\u201d Hannah said.<\/p>\n

Hannah hopes to build a career that will allow her to work outdoors while travelling and experiencing new places.<\/p>\n

\u201cPersonally, I want to travel and immerse myself in the place that I\u2019m travelling to, not just go and get stuck in an office or work behind a bar,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d like to be out exploring. This is my foot in the door now, hopefully, to build up my experience from here on out and keep going, ticking off little boxes along the way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Hannah Fidgeon and Churchill man Ray McDermott, who also completed the traineeship, during their Erasmus+ trip to France.<\/p>\n

In preparation for future employment, the traineeship included eight weeks of work experience and gave students support with preparing CVs, cover letters and contacting prospective employers.<\/p>\n

Hannah divided her placement between a privately operated outdoor centre in Cork and an outdoor education and training centre in Achill.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really enjoyed the split and getting to see two different places and how they were run,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Some of Hannah\u2019s classmates later returned to their placement centres to take up full-time roles.<\/p>\n

Hannah approached Gartan before completing the traineeship to ask whether any casual or temporary work would be available.<\/p>\n

Her initiative paid off and she is now gaining valuable experience at the same centre where she trained.<\/p>\n

Gartan welcomes residential groups and creates programmes combining water and land-based activities. Hannah\u2019s working day varies from canoeing and kayaking as well as archery, climbing and orienteering.<\/p>\n

Hannah continues to learn from colleagues at the centre every day, many of whom have more than 20 years of experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really well run and everyone knows what they\u2019re doing,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no problem asking questions or getting a hand with anything. They\u2019re very good at coaching you as you go along.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hannah has now applied to upskill again by doing Donegal College\u2019s Bus Driving with Tourism Visitor Care course.<\/p>\n

She is working towards her provisional category D licence and hopes a bus licence will add another valuable skill to her CV. The qualification would be a major advantage when applying for roles with outdoor activity and tourism centres.<\/p>\n

Hannah also highlighted the financial assistance available through Donegal College.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor people who think it isn\u2019t going to be affordable, there are funding options through the social welfare payments,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor someone like me, who had to move and rent, a funding allowance was a massive help as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Possible low-cost or no-cost options may be available depending on individual eligibility.<\/p>\n

Students also receive subsidised outdoor equipment, including wetsuits, buoyancy aids and booties, which they could keep after completing the course.<\/p>\n

Hannah believes the traineeship could be an ideal option for school leavers as well as people hoping to change direction or develop new skills.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think if you were coming out of school and weren\u2019t sure where to go, this would be a perfect course to do. It\u2019s great craic and you gain transferable skills, including leadership, communication and all those soft skills. They can be transferred into anything,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Donegal College Open Week<\/p>\n

Interested in finding out more? Discover the opportunities available at Donegal College of FET during Open Week, from Tuesday 20th to Thursday 22nd October 2026.<\/p>\n

Meet tutors, explore courses and learn about progression pathways at three special events in Letterkenny:<\/p>\n

Tuesday 20th October: Ballyraine Campus Open Evening, 6pm\u20139pm. Booking required.<\/p>\n

Wednesday 21st October: College Showcase, Radisson Hotel, 10am\u20132pm. No booking required.<\/p>\n

Thursday 22nd October: Port Road Campus Open Evening, 6pm\u20139pm. Booking required.<\/p>\n

Whether you’re leaving school, upskilling or considering a career change, come along and discover your next step.<\/p>\n

Book your Open Evening place here: donegalcollegeopenweek.eventbrite.ie<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

T\u00e1 C\u00farsa\u00ed Oili\u00fana arna gcomhchisti\u00fa ag Rialtas na h\u00c9ireann agus an Aontas Eorpach. Traineeships are co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union. #EUinMyRegion<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Ahead of Donegal College of Further Education and Training\u2019s Open Week, from 20th\u201322nd October 2026, we\u2019re shining a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":631146,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[61,60,112],"class_list":["post-631145","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/631145","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=631145"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/631145\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/631146"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=631145"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=631145"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=631145"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}