Institute of Technology Carlow

DAVID MURPHY - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

What I liked about the course
I followed the progression route to my qualifications in Carlow: in 1988 I started with the Certificate in Mechanical Engineering and progressed to the Diploma in Mechanical Engineering. I then moved on to degree, BTech in Production Technology, which I completed in 1994.
The course gave me a very good grounding in the basics of engineering. This allowed me to get to grips with the subject quite fast and helped me make a more informed decision about what I wanted to specialise in. At IT Carlow you learn there’s more to Engineering then facts and figures. Lectures are hands-on and this makes it easy to see the relevance of what you're learning.

So where am I now?
Immediately after graduating I secured a position with an Engineering firm in Portlaoise as a Sales support Engineer, where I was responsible for the research, design, manufacturing and testing of tools and parts. As part of the job I travelled to countries like German, France, Belgium, Holland and England.
Now I'm employed as Design & Development Engineering Manager with Richard Keenan & Co. an engineering firm in Borris, Co. Carlow. It’s an important job with responsibility for Research and Development across 5 core international markets. My daily tasks involve analysising performance issues with the products, distributor training, product/part testing and quality control, designing servicing methodologies, cost analysis and regulations/certification for the different geographical regions.

What I liked about Carlow!
It’s close to home: convenience is really important when you’re struggling with study etc., you don’t have to spend hours in traffic or waste scarce pocket money on expensive college accommodation.
The atmosphere was great, it was relaxed with staff and students. Smaller lecture numbers made it easier to make friends, I felt part of a community on-campus.

Since graduateing I've been in regular contact with my lecturers and other engineering staff at the Institute. I've been able to get assistance and engineering advice from them on a number of occasions. It's a real credit to the college that staff are willing to get involved after their students have graduated.