1996/99
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CASTLEBAR COLLEGE UPGRADING MAJOR INTERNATIONAL BOOST
4 February 1998
Mayo Institute to seek emigrant funding for development programmes
By Tom Gillespie
THE REDESIGNATION by the Minister for Education of the Regional Technical College, Galway to the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology should result in large scale inward investment to Mayo as well as an upgrading internationally of the status of the institute.
And it has been announced that a major development programme is on-going at the Castlebar complex, both in terms of investment in equipment and buildings.
Mr. Gay Corr, Director, Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology said the Governing Body were delighted with name change. Which would enhance its status as a higher educational institute.
Mr. Corr: " It is very significant that we have now incorporated into the official title Colleges, Galway-Mayo Institute of technology.
"The Minister consulted with the Governing Body of the College and it was felt that the developments in Mayo should be incorporated into the formal title.
"We are all very happy that after 25 years that our own college, and RTC's in general have reached the level that they are now recognised Institutes of Technology which are seen as higher education Institutions .
"This will be important to us and to our graduates who emigrate and go for jobs abroad. They will; know that they have graduated from institutions that are recognised as higher education institutions.
"He Castlebar college will in future be know and as one of the locations of the Galway-Mayo Institute of technology, as well a small development we have in Letterfrack and we are development a significant campus in Galway apart from the main one which will be a centre for the creative arts"
Mr. Richard Thorn, head of the Castlebar institute said they now had 500 full-time students at the St. Mary's centre while there were now some 700 people availing of the part-time courses.
Mr. Joe Langan chief executive officer, Mayo Vocational education Committee added: "The level of courses they are doing are not the hobby time, those to fill a winter's evening, they are all certified, certificate or diploma type courses. They are very professional."
Mr. Thorn said about 150 to 200 of these were NCEA third level subjects and the rest would be leading on to that type of subject.
Mr. Pat Kilbane, chairman of the VEC said the development of the Castlebar Institute was on-going where there would also be a massive investment in equipment.
The upgrading of the centre certainly cements the future of the Castlebar Institute. At the next meeting of the liaison committee there would be very positive news for the future development of Castlebar.
Mr. Corr said this sector of higher education has become absolutely crucial, particularly for inward investment. Players like Intel and the IDA were very concerned that they will not be able to produce sufficient people with the appropriate skills.
"One would hope that the redesignation of he colleges to Institutes of Technology will help to attract inward investment because a lot of these companies in the States do not understand what a Regional College is. So one would hope that this would be a shot in the arm for inward investment and for high-tech knowledge based industries."
Mr. Pat McHugh stated: "It is vitally important for us to get across to our students, those of us who are teachers at second level, that it is absolutely vital that you go to the maximum of your potential, what that is at. If you can do the certificate, do the certificate, if you can do the degree, do the degree ands if you are good enough to do the masters, do the masters. That's where the future lies."
Mr. Johnny Mee chairman of the Liaison Committee said the name change wound increase the status and prestige of the institute.
There was no place in Ireland to match the physical institute building that was in place in Castlebar.
The academic results in Castlebar were very encouraging. The Institute was a great plus for Castlebar and for Mayo.
Mr. Mee paid tribute to all those who were responsible for the success of the Castlebar institute to date.
"This is a red letter and historic day in the educational history of Mayo. The new name will give the college a more positive image, particularly abroad where people readily understand what an Institute of Technology is."
Mr. Corr added: "This sense of ownership now I hope that will be spread not just in Galway and Mayo one of the things that is going to happen in the future is that we will be expected to seek and get the support and help of industry, to raise money other that from the Exchequer, and one would hope that if we went to the States next year we could talk to the people of mayo out there and explain how wee are part of an institute that incorporates Mayo as well as Galway, so that gives us a wider scope."
Mr. Kilbane said when the long term plans for Castlebar were in place it would be 'some educational facility'.
"The long term projection is that you will have on campus here facilities which will outstrip many other major population centres including the possibility of having student accommodation, incubator units.
"There are very futuristic plans, details of which will be given at the next formed liaison meeting. Things are going exceptionally well and I am saddened that the county and the region are not aware of what is taking place here."
Mr. Thorn said suggestion of the new title did not come from Castlebar. It was proposed at a meeting in Galway by a member of the staff in Galway. So it was particularly pleasing for us that they felt it was appropriate to do that and I don't think there was any disagreement at all on the proposal.
Mr. Langan said the student figure that was important to him was the 700 local part-timers who were workers and residents of the area. He was also impressed with the number of young people that were coming to attend electronic night classes and would a certificate over a period and were employed locally in industry.
Mr. Thorn said they had planned a basis electronics course just to give people a flavour of basis electronics. They had hoped to run one programme and they ended up having to run it twice.
Mr. Mee said, however, there was still a lack of information on the college outside of Castlebar. "There is a lack of knowledge about the school on the broader scale."
Connaught Telegraph - News & Sport - February 1998
