TUS Teams Up With Partners Serving Heart of the Community

Just Transition Academy is helping hundreds of people across Offaly to adapt, upskill, and thrive in a changing economy

The success of the Just Transition Academy (JTA) – a new novel approach which saw stakeholders work hand in hand with the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) –  was celebrated at a special showcase in County Offaly, highlighting how the initiative has helped hundreds of people to adapt amid the move towards a sustainable, low-carbon future. 

The JTA is based around the idea of ‘communiversity’ – where a university uses its research skills to strengthen the good work of stakeholders already serving communities:   in this case Laois and Offaly Education and Training Board (LOETB), Offaly Local Development Company (OLDC), and Offaly County Council 

Since last March, the Academy has supported more than 400 participants across its four work pillars — from farming diversification to social enterprise and community development.    

Through research, collaboration, and outreach, this partnership identified needs, designed tailored training and education programmes, and delivered practical, community-focused results. 

Among the key achievements to date were: 

• Upskilling and support for the agricultural community: The Academy worked with local farming groups to design short, practical training programmes focused on diversification, sustainability, and alternative land use. 
• Community and voluntary sector capacity-building: The JTA identified skills gaps and developed tailored learning and outreach programmes. This strengthened the ability of groups to design, fund, and deliver projects in areas such as social enterprise, circular economy, and heritage-led regeneration.
• Research-driven collaboration:  The Academy conducted baseline studies and community consultations to map the educational and outreach needs of the region. 

The JTA was established through an investment of €768,265 under the national Just Transition initiative, co-funded by the Irish Government and the European Union.   

The funding enabled TUS to recruit five dedicated staff — one project coordinator and four research development officers — based on the ground in Co. Offaly. Just over half of the investment supported employment costs, while the remainder funded programme delivery, community  engagement and promotion. 

This innovative model — described as “bringing the university to the community” — demonstrates how higher education institutions can play a leading role in regional transformation.   By embedding academic research and expertise directly within the community – and having researchers working side-by-side with community workers on the ground  – the Academy has identified education, training, and outreach gaps and co-created new, practical solutions with local partners. 

Professor Raphaela Kane, Chief Academic Officer, TUS, said:  

“The Just Transition Academy shows what happens when a university truly becomes part of the community. In a relatively short period of time, we’ve seen how research, knowledge, and collaboration can translate into real benefits for people — supporting communities to adapt, develop new skills, and build confidence for the future. This is what the ‘university in the community’ model is all about: practical partnership, local innovation, and lasting impact.” 

Padraig Boland. LOETB, FET Manager, Strategic Projects, said:  

The Just Transition Academy possesses the promise to provide not just qualifications and skills that give currency in the labour markets of today and tomorrow but also offers a renewed sense of purpose and the confidence to actively participate in the next chapter of our county’s story. This bottoms-up, inclusive model—where local government, education boards, the higher education sector, and local development are deeply interlinked—is unique, even in a European context. It ensures that solutions are genuinely responsive to local and regional needs, building capacity from the ground up, facilitating and motivating participation in community life and in society, ensuring that economic stability translates into social resilience. 

Roisín Lennon, CEO of Offaly Local Development Company said: 

“For OLDC, the JTA is a vehicle to scale up and focus its community development and training efforts within the Just Transition context. OLDC serves as the community gateway, with the JTA providing a specific framework and funding context to support that work. The partnership model enables stakeholders reach into communities that might otherwise be hard to engage — a feature that is highly valuable for all partners involved.” 

Ann Dillon, Director of Services. Offaly County Council, added: “By giving people the skills and knowledge to thrive in a low-carbon economy, this partnership between TUS, local communities and agencies is not only regenerating places but creating real opportunities for education, employment, and enterprise. This JTA partnership shows what can be achieved when we work together for the benefit of our county and its people.” 

The showcase was held at Pullough Community Centre. The TUS Just Transition Academy stands as a model of collaboration and innovation, showing how the collective expertise of partners can empower communities to thrive in a low-carbon future. 

Note: A communiversity is a learning institution or development process that brings together: 

• the local knowledge, culture, and needs of a community,
• and  the research, structure, and academic resources of a university, 

to co-create solutions for social, economic, ecological, and cultural transformation. Succinctly – university and community co-create solutions for social, economic, ecological, and cultural transformation.  The notion of “communiversity” has been developed and systematised by scholars such as Ronnie Lessem together with Anselm Adodo and Tony Bradley.