The transition of early school-leavers from mainstream post-primary school into a Youthreach education centre: an exploration of staff perspectives and the implications for the centre's guidance service

Although research on Early School Leaving is comprehensive, the focus of research has overlooked both the personal experience of the early school leavers who succeed in returning to education programmes and the staff who support them in this journey. In Ireland such programmes include Youthreach. The current study aims to explore the experiences of Youthreach professional staff in supporting early school leavers’ transition from mainstream school to Youthreach. It is an extension of a previous study, which examined the personal experiences of early school leavers returning to education in the Youthreach programme. The research methodology study employed a qualitative approach using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Six staff members employed in a Youthreach Education Centre in the Mid-West of Ireland were recruited and interviewed using a semi-structured interview format. The findings highlight a particular culture employed in the centre which is based on the needs of the individual learner. The research findings show how a positive learner-centred environment and curriculum based on humanistic principles of empathy, congruence and positive regard can bring about positive effects for learners in alternative education settings.