News

IT Carlow Wexford Campus Conferring at National Opera House

13/11/2015

ITCarlow Wexford Campus Conferring 2015236 graduates from IT Carlow's Wexford Campus were today conferred at a ceremony at the National Opera House, Wexford attended by Government Chef Whip & Minister of State at the Departments of An Taoiseach and Defence Paul Kehoe, TD.

Graduates were conferred with Masters of Business; Masters of Arts in Child, Youth & Family Studies and MBA in Professional Arts Management. Degrees and Honours Degrees were conferred in several programmes including: Art; Visual Communications & Design; Early Childhood Education & Care, Applied Social Studies (Professional Social care), Law, Business, Architecture and Energy Management. Graduates were also awarded Higher Diplomas, Diplomas and Certificates across a range of disciplines.
 
Speaking at the ceremony, Dr. Patricia Mulcahy, President of IT Carlow said that the institute is experiencing the fastest-growing student numbers of any other Institute of Technology in the country.  “We have increased our learner population by over 30% in the past five years to over 7,000 learners in this academic year, and our graduates by over 50%. We continue to attract learners globally.  Currently 10% of our learners are international students” stated Institute President, Dr Patricia Mulcahy.  “We have seen a significant increase in our postgraduate learner population with our percentage of postgraduate students now the second highest in the technological sector”.

Dr. Mulcahy also highlighted the employment rate for graduates of IT Carlow. “In Ireland, the employment rate for graduates is currently at 80%. For IT Carlow graduates, the employment rate is significantly higher again, 93% at graduation and rising further to 96% within six months of graduation”, she commented.  

The recently approved 35-acre site in Wexford town for a new Wexford campus, and on-going innovation at the institute’s Wexford campus, such as the recent introduction of new degree programmes in Applied Humanities and Sustainable Farm Management and Agribusiness will see this increase continue upwards, according to Dr. Mulcahy. Currently, 850 full-time and part-time learners are studying at the Campus.

Speaking at the conferring Minister Kehoe praised IT Carlow’s engagement with the local community to increase higher education opportunities. The minister also pointed to links forged by IT Carlow Wexford Campus with more than 70 local businesses which have, in turn, benefited from having access to a pool of skilled graduates. He cited and acknowledged the close interaction with key stakeholders in the county including Wexford County Council, Wexford Waterford Education and Training Board, Diocese of Ferns, and various agencies involved in enterprise development and education.

“Institutes of Technology have been to the fore in leading innovation and change in higher education sector. IT Carlow has been a leader in this and is an excellent example of a higher education institution which has been responsive to the changing needs of students. It has developed a broader range of Level 9 and 10 programmes and significantly increased the provision of flexible and lifelong learning programmes to the communities in the South East”, said Minister Kehoe.

Chairman of Institute of Technology Carlow Governing Body Mr John Moore said “The Institute is very ambitious for the development of higher education in the region and the county and we are motivated by what we have achieved in recent years. The Wexford Campus is an integral part of our vision for higher education in the South East”.
 
 Today’s conferring is one of eleven such ceremonies this month where 2,200 graduates will have been conferred across the Institute of Technology Carlow Campuses and locations in Carlow, Wexford, Wicklow and Dublin.