Education Magazine 29-2i

Education Since 1987 | Volume 29 Issue 2 | w: educationmagazine.ie | t: 01-8329246 | e: education@clubi.ie

FIT Feature

Apprenticeships: The new normal New international education strategy for Ireland | CÚRAM – preparing Ireland to lead the way in medical-device research | Compu b brings learning and teaching into the digital age | Young people and European identity Pembroke College of Beauty and Body Therapy | Reviews

2 Education

Education Volume 29 Issue 2 Editor Niall Gormley

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News: Two cheers for Budget 2016's education moves; Action Plan for Education main points

Production Michael Farrell

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News: Dual Degrees at UL's Kemmy Business School; Ireland to host International Geographical Congress; Schoolwise working at MaynoothWorks

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News: Including children's views in new obesity policy; UCC named best university for second year in a row

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News: Terminal 5 designer an "exceptional role model" for women in engineering; Queens asks men 'how are you doing?'; Ulster University transforms prisoner rehabilitation

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Young People and European Identity by Tibor Navracsics, Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport

Publishers Ard Education Ltd. Tel: 01-8329246 Email: education@clubi.ie www.educationmagazine.ie Design Real Issues 086-8986827 Printers Nicholson & Bass Ltd.

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ISSN 0791-6161

Education Magazine is available to read online in the same format as the paper edition.

www.educationmagazine.ie

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COVER STORY: Apprenticeships - the new norm

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Compu b brings learning and teaching into the digital age

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CÚRAM – preparing Ireland to lead the way in medicaldevice research

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DCU Business School - at the forefront of business education in Ireland

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FIT and J.P. Morgan broaden skills access and opportunities

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Getting involved in Maths Week at WIT

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Dún Laoghaire Further Education Institute

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St. Angela’s College, Sligo - Nutrition, Food and Business Management Degree in the North West

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Pembroke College of Beauty and Body Therapy

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SmartFutures - How teachers can help inspire the next generation in stem

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Ireland's leading locker manufacturer

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Shape a future with Saint Nicholas Montessori College Ireland

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Mary Immaculate College - Choosing excellence

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FEATURE: New international education strategy for Ireland

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Teagasc Botanic Gardens - Careers in horticulture

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Green News: Wind energy to add over 1,000 jobs - IWEA; Wind energy in number; Ireland now third in the world for wind energy contribution

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The La Salle community

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Reviews Education 3

NEWS ................................................................................................................................

Budget Main Points ✔ Additional posts in schools: 2,515 additional posts in schools in 2017, including 900 additional resource teachers and 115 additional Special Needs Assistants. The remaining 1,500 posts are additional mainstream teaching posts. ✔ Higher education:An initial additional €160million in total current funding is committed to higher education over three years, the first significant expansion in Government spending on higher education after a decade in which such spending was cut by 33%. ✔ Over 3000 students from disadvantaged groups will benefit from an additional package of €8.5million to support more disadvantaged students, including lone parents and Travellers, to attend higher level. This includes the introduction of full maintenance grant (worth almost €6000) from September 2017 for 1100 postgraduate students in the lowest income category. ✔ New targeted initiatives to provide skills, and additional flexible learning places ✔ Funding to commence a New Frontiers Research Programme and a new initiative to attract world-leading researchers in the context of Brexit ✔ For the first time in recent years, specific additional funding is being allocated for 2017, 2018 and 2019 to cover the impact of increasing enrolments. Funding for 2017 will support 179,000 full-time enrolments ✔ Provision for expansion in apprenticeship ✔ Provision to implement the new International Education Strategy and increase the value of the sector by €500million per year and attract 37,000 additional students by 2020 ✔ On top of this initial three-year funding commitment, the Government will work with the aim of putting in place a comprehensive multi-year funding package for the sector from 2018.

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Two cheers for Budget 2016's education moves THE extra money allocated to the education in the budget sector cut little ice with the sector's teaching unions who universally panned the big announcements.

Budget third-level allocation ‘a wet sponge to a man dying of thirst’ said the Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT) on the additional €36.5m funding to third-level education.

The TUI said: "The Budget moves a very small distance towards reversing some of the cutbacks, but considerable additional investment must be made if the stated aim of the country’s education system becoming the best in Europe in a decade is to become anything more than an impossible pipedream".

The ASTI pointed out that "actual investment in each second-level student’s education in Ireland is less than the OECD and EU average."

At primary level the INTO were also unhappy saying: "despite a commitment in the programme for government to reduce class sizes Budget 2017 leaves

supersized Irish primary schools unchanged."

The students, perhaps surprisingly, were a little more upbeat with USI welcoming the increased allocation while saying it wasn't enough. It also welcomed the expanded rent-a-room measure while calling for the Government to invest directly in student accommodation.

The Irish Universities Association was also a little happier getting excited, as only administrators could, with the prospect of the new multi-annual funding model.

Unsurprisingly, Minister Richard Bruton was more effusive: “I published an Action Plan for Education to make Ireland the best Education and Training system in Europe within a decade. This budget, the start of a major programme of reinvestment in education, makes a big start in delivering on that ambition.”

That Action Plan for Education was announced in September and the main points are listed below for comparison with the budget provisions.

Action Plan for Education main points Disadvantage – a new ambitious DEIS plan published by end-2016; DEIS schools to hit the national average for school retention levels, within the next decade; a 30% increase in numbers from disadvantaged areas at higher level; five-fold increase in the Incredible Years teacher programme for DEIS schools; Subject choice – including rolling out coding to primary schools from 2018, computer science as a Leaving Certificate subject, and processes to introduce new languages at second level and to enhance languages at third level Skills – recognising that the ‘war for talent’ is key for job-creation, ambitious action including a total of 100 apprenticeship and 50 traineeship schemes with 50,000 registrations between now and 2020; Mental health and Wellbeing – national programme to support Wellbeing Guidelines to all schools; Implement Wellbeing at Junior Cycle.

Parents/children – ensure that the voices of the service users are central to the system by developing a Parents and Learners Charter on a statutory basis Costs – new measures to tackle the costs of schools for parents including a requirement on schools to take consideration of the needs of parents when

taking decisions that have a financial impact, a strong new circular to schools regarding uniform costs and extra funding for book rental schemes Leadership – better mentoring for newly appointed school principals, a coaching service for existing school principals, and a postgraduate qualification for aspiring school principals Improvement – 366,000 hours of continuous professional development for teachers by 2017; new centre of excellence, to support in-school improvement and peer exchange Special educational needs – establish a new Inclusion Support Service to bring together various services to support children with special educational needs School building programme – aimed at delivering over 60,000 additional permanent school places, over 300 extensions to existing schools and build 14 new schools by 2021 Teacher education – Launch a competitive call to increase access to teacher education by students from members of the Irish Traveller community, students with disabilities and students from underrepresented socio-economic groups Gaeltacht – Publish and implement an education strategy for the Gaeltacht

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Dual Degrees at UL's Kemmy Business School INTERNATIONAL Business students at University of Limerick will also receive a degree from one of Europe’s top business schools under a new agreement.

BA in International Business (BAIB) students from UL’s Kemmy Business School will spend their first two years studying at the Limerick campus and their last two years studying at KEDGE’s campus in Marseille.

KEDGE students will spend their first two years studying in France and their final two years at UL. Upon successful completion of their four years of study, students will receive both UL’s BAIB degree and KEDGE’s IBBA degree.

KEDGE Business School is one of only approximately 70 Schools around the world to hold the ‘triple crown’ of international accreditations (AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA).

The BAIB degree was launched by the KBS in 2012 and has already seen a remarkable increase in its popularity with CAO points for the programme jumping from

430 in 2012 to 505 in 2016.

As part of the BAIB programme students must complete an academic exchange placement at one of the KBS’s 70 exchange partners worldwide as well as an international Cooperative Education placement.

KEDGE has over 12,000 students across seven campuses in France (Bordeaux, Marseille, Paris and Toulon), China (Shanghai and Suzhou) and Senegal (Dakar) and was ranked as the 30th best Business School in Europe by the Financial Times in 2015.

KEDGE’s Executive MBA programme was also ranked 23rd in the world by the Financial Times in 2015.

Assistant Dean International for KBS, Dr Dónal Palcic said: “the new dual degree agreement with KEDGE is the first of its kind to be established at the undergraduate level in the University of Limerick and represents an amazing opportunity for students on our BAIB degree."

Schoolwise working at MaynoothWorks SchoolWise, an online platform founded in 2015 that allows principals and teachers to streamline the process of planning, assessment, and reporting, is claims to raise the overall performance of subject departments in Irish secondary schools by up to 60%.

SchoolWise is a start-up based at MaynoothWorks - the University’s new incubation hub, which opened last October.

The cloud-based platform aims to save teachers up to 65% of the time they currently spend on tasks, while also giving teachers and management the capacity to track each student’s progress in key skills development, assessment performance and overall learning outcomes.

MaynoothWorks Director Owen Laverty observes: “MaynoothWorks is now home to fifteen client companies, and SchoolWise is a great example of the innovative and important companies that are flourishing on our campus.”

Ireland to host International Geographical Congress IRELAND will host the International Geographical Congress (IGC) in 2024 for the very first time. Niamh Moore-Cherry, the President of the Geographical Society of Ireland (GSI) and Associate Professor, UCD School of Geography, led the successful proposal to host the congress in Dublin.

Held every four years, the IGC is the conference of the International Geographical Union (IGU). The conference represents the largest gathering of international geographers. The IGU was established in 1922. Professor Cherry-Moore said the conference would be an “excellent opportunity for all of the higher education institutions and geography schools on the island to work together and showcase the power of a collaborative approach to academic and public engagement".

Dr Frances Fahy, NUI Galway, and Gerald Mills, Associate Professor, UCD School of Geography, who are Vice-Chairs of the GSI, worked closely with Professor Cherry-Moore on the bid.

“The success is a reflection of the intense period of preparatory work and of the on-the-ground networking that Niamh co-ordinated,” said Associate Professor Mills.

Professor Moore-Cherry and her colleagues began preparing for the bid after open calls for applications to host the conference were made in December 2015.

She presented the GSI bid for the conference to the General Assembly meeting held in Beijing during the IGC 2016 in August.

The Irish bid won the majority of votes cast by national representatives. Following a vote by the General Assembly, made up of national delegates from member countries, Dublin emerged the decisive winner. The bid competed with proposals from Copenhagen/Malmo, Melbourne and Prague.

The proposed venue for the conference is Dublin City University.

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Including children’s views in new obesity policy THE Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Katherine Zappone TD has launched a consultation with children and young people ‘Healthy Lifestyles Have Your Say: A Consultation with Children and Young People’.

This formed part of a national consultation process with stakeholders for the new National Obesity Policy, A Healthy Weight for Ireland: Obesity Policy and Action Plan 2016 – 2025.

The consultation report was commissioned by the Department of Health and conducted by the Citizen Participation Unit, Department of Children and Youth Affairs (DCYA).

Two consultations were held – one with 34 young people aged 13 to 17 years, from Comhairle na nÓg, and one with 48 primary school children between the ages of eight and 12 years.

As part of the consultation process a team from the School of Applied Social Studies in University College Cork (UCC) worked closely with the Citizen Participation Unit of the DCYA. Dr Shirley Martin, Dr Deirdre Horgan and Dr Margaret Scanlon observed and recorded consultations; analysed consultation data/results; and prepared the final report for publication.

Much research speaks to the importance and benefits of listening to children - it helps us to understand children’s experiences and produces better policy and better services. The right of children to participate in decision-making that relates to them is enshrined in Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. In addition to this, involving children and young people in decision-making is

national public policy in Ireland.

The first Strategy on Children and Young People’s Participation in Decision-making, 2015 – 2020 was published in 2015 (DCYA, 2015).

The goal of this Strategy is to ensure that children and young people will have a voice in their individual and collective everyday lives across the five national outcome areas.

Specifically, in relation to health and well-being it states, Children and young people will have a voice in decisions that affect their health and well-being, including on the health and social services delivered to them (DCYA, 2015: 3).

Children and young people, like other members of society, have a stake in debates about body size, and their ideas about health and other aspects of their lives are increasingly seen as valid contributions to the development of social policy. Giving children a voice in how policies and services are developed promotes citizenship and active inclusion of children and enables them to learn that they can make a difference and influence what happens in their environment.

The report found that children and young people’s constructions of health and healthy lifestyles are multifaceted. Children and young people involved in the consultation appear to be well informed as to the general factors which contribute to healthy and unhealthy lifestyles.

Healthy lifestyles are often associated with balanced diet, physical exercise, with having supportive families and friendship groups, a good balance between school work and leisure, and having positive personal attributes (self-esteem,

Dr. Deirdre Horgan, Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Dr. Katherine Zappone TD and Dr. Shirley Martin.

"The older age group engaging more with issues relating to mental health and peer relationships, while younger children focused more on balanced diet and exercise

confidence, motivation).

Children and young people’s multi-faceted understanding of health was not limited to physical aspects but included mental and emotional health. There were some differences of emphasis related to age, with the older age group engaging more with issues relating to mental health and peer relationships, while younger children focused more on balanced diet and exercise.

Another key finding from the consultation is that young people see health as being influenced not only by personal choices, but by broader contextual issues, including family and friends, schools, the physical environment, community settings and wider societal issues.

Dr Shirley Martin and Dr Deirdre Horgan, School of Applied Social Studies, UCC.

UCC named best university in Ireland for second year in a row

UNIVERSITY College Cork (UCC) has become the first University to be named The Sunday Times University of the Year for two consecutive years in the 15-year history of the award.

According to the Sunday Times, UCC’s success is underpinned by making teaching as much of a priority as research. The University has seen a 15% growth in research funding over the past five years, generating the second highest amount of research income in Ireland per head of academic staff (around €128,000). Moreover, the University has the highest number of academic staff (70%) with a qualification in teaching and learning.

The University is the first in Ireland to develop an online programme in teaching for staff in higher education. UCC has seen improvements in its rankings in the past year both for the low level of graduate unemployment, currently standing at around 4%, and for the proportion of students leaving with high class degrees – firsts or 2:1s - a feat achieved by 70% of students.

Trinity College Dublin was the runner-up for the University of the Year award while Dublin Institute of Technology was named The Sunday Times Institute of Technology of the Year.

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NEWS ................................................................................................................................

Terminal 5 designer an “exceptional role model” for women in engineering BOARD member and trustee of Arup, the engineering company that first came to the world’s attention with the structural design of the Sydney Opera House in the 1950s, Dervilla Mitchell has been awarded an honorary Degree of Doctor of Science by UCD. Mitchell was Arup’s design management lead for Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 5 project (2000 – 2006), the largest construction project in Europe at the time. She is currently the company’s project director on the £2 billion Abu Dhabi Midfield terminal development.

She is a member of the Council for Science and Technology that advises the British Prime Minister on science and technology policy.

A Fellow of Engineers Ireland, the Institution of Civil Engineers and Royal Academy of Engineering, she graduated from University College Dublin with a BSc Engineering in 1980. She was one of only four women in a graduating year of 200. Mitchell is now Arup’s most senior female professional.

“Dervilla is an exceptional role model for those considering a career in engineering and for engineering graduates aspiring to achieve excellence and distinction,” said Associate Professor Amanda Gibney, Vice Principal for Teaching and Learning, UCD College of Engineering and Architecture.

“She is strongly of the opinion that a solid technical basis is a key building block in the making of a successful career, the foundations of which were developed through her studies here at UCD.” Mitchell has been committed to addressing the gender balance

in science, engineering and technology during her career. She is the current Chair of the Royal Academy of Engineering Diversity Committee. Mitchell was a founding member of Arup’s Diversity Steering Group and played an important role in establishing Arup’s women’s network, Connect Women.

In 2014, Engineers Ireland awarded Mitchell with the ESB Outstanding Contribution to Engineering Award. In 2011, she received the Women of Outstanding Achievement Award for Inspiration and Leadership in Business and Industry.

Dervilla Mitchell and Prof Andrew Deeks, UCD President.

Ulster University transforms

Queen’s University asks 10,000 prisoner rehabilitation worldwide men ‘how are you doing?’

CORE Systems, a prisoner self-service technology solutions, has QUEEN’S University researchers are calling on 10,000 men over 50 to take part in a study to find out about their health and quality of life.

Men across Northern Ireland received the survey in the post, part of the ‘Life after Prostate Cancer Diagnosis’ (LAPCD) study – the world’s largest ethically approved study aimed at finding out what life is like for men with prostate cancer.

An important part of this study is to compare men with and without prostate cancer to find out how their experiences differ. To achieve this, Business Services Organisation on behalf of Queen's University Belfast is sending surveys to a random sample of 10,000 men over 50 without prostate cancer to find out about their health and quality of life.

The survey includes sensitive questions about symptoms that are common among patients diagnosed and treated for prostate cancer such as bowel, urinary and sexual issues but are also common in the general public. Participation is entirely anonymous. This work links with a survey sent in July 2016 to 2,000 men who have been treated for prostate cancer, as part of the UK-wide study to find out about their experiences and find out what life is like for them now.

Dr Anna Gavin, Director of Queen’s Northern Ireland Cancer Registry, said: “This survey will help to measure the health of men in Northern Ireland over 50 years old and also help to plan services for men treated for prostate cancer.

8 Education

accessed expertise from Ulster University to further develop its latest software product, which is improving prisoner rehabilitation and streamlining criminal justice systems across the globe.

Part-funded by an Invest Northern Ireland Innovation Voucher, Core Systems enlisted support from experts at Ulster University’s stateof-the-art UX Lab to better understand how prisoners interact with its Direct2inmate software platO'Hagan, Chief Executive form. Ulster University’s UX Lab Patricia Officer of Core Systems and Dr Raymond Bond, lead researcher works with industry to enhance from Ulster University’s UX Lab. usability of digital products to increase user efficiency and satisfaction.

The Direct2inmate platform provides prisoners with secure access to a range of applications including electronic messaging, e-learning, entertainment, shopping, meal ordering, facility requests and library services. Using cutting-edge biometric technology such as eye-trackers and video recording instruments, Ulster University researchers assessed prisoners’ usability of the software.

Prisoners’ usability of the Direct2inmate platform is central to their prison experience as well as their ICT and communication skills, and encouraging personal responsibility, all of which are vital for successful rehabilitation and reintegration into society. It is also provides staff with access to real-time tracking of inmate requests and communications.

Opinion

Young People and European identity WHAT is the most pressing lesson from the outcome of the EU-referendum in the UK? For me, it is clear: we have to do better at creating a European identity. A European identity not to replace the identities we already have, but to complement them. And I believe that we have to put young people at the heart of this.

Many people in the EU seem to feel that different identities compete with each other. That a European identity competes with a national one, as well as with regional, local, cultural, ethnic, religious identities.

I do not think that this conflict exists. Rather I believe that we can all have many different identities.

This indeed makes our lives richer.

Young people understand this intuitively. For example, of the roughly 64% of registered voters between 18 and 24 years old who voted in the UK referendum, 70% are estimated to have voted for Britain to remain in the EU. This is the Erasmus generation – young people who find it completely natural to freely cross borders between Member States, to discover different cultures, to experience studying, working or volunteering abroad.

Multi-layered identity European integration and the Erasmus programme in particular have helped young people to have a multi-layered European identity.

Latest figures for Ireland show that the Erasmus programme sends almost 3000 Irish students a year to other EU countries' universities, while it brings close to 7000 EU students to study in Ireland. Some experts predict that this number could grow significantly once Britain exits from the EU. When asked about the most positive achievement of the EU, 30% of those born after 1980 pick out Erasmus. Even across all age groups, Erasmus comes fourth after peace, free movement and the Euro.

most European, they point above all to culture, history and sport. We all have a sense of the influences and heritage we share - William Shakespeare is as much part of it as Pedro AlmodĂłvar, Galileo as U2. It makes sense to strengthen a programme like Erasmus which does so much to promote this common identity.

Studying in another country has an immediate impact on individuals.

As well as very specific, technical skills, going abroad also helps them develop the transversal skills employers are looking for, such as flexibility, creativity and problem-solving. This helps them on the job market: five years after graduation, the unemployment rate of young people who have studied abroad is 23% lower than for those who did not. And more than a third of those who do an Erasmus work placement are offered a job in the company.

Bringing together Erasmus now also connects school teachers and pupils via eTwinning.

This online platform links more than 380,000 teachers across Europe, making it the biggest teachers’ network in the world that allows pupils to work together on joint projects.

Around 100,000 young people have benefited from the Erasmus-linked European Volunteering Service. And Erasmus brings together around 220,000 young people and youth workers each year, enabling them to learn from each other and set up networks.

These connections lead to broader change in our societies. And it's not just about economic progress. They help us understand what differentiates us - and what we have in common.

When EU citizens are asked to name the things that make them feel

By Tibor Navracsics, Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport

"More than ever, we need to come together, to discover and accept each other - and ourselves"

Shared values and inclusion And we will work for this. Yearly budgets will increase for the final phase of the EU's current financing period (up to 2020). I want to use our funds to make Erasmus even more open to young people who have fewer opportunities. Today, one third of those who go abroad as part of EU youth mobility actions come from disadvantaged backgrounds. I think we can do even better. I want to continue the special focus on projects that promote our shared values and inclusion. And I want to strengthen the external dimension of Erasmus+ to help us deepen relationships with the EU's neighbouring countries.

We take for granted that we live in peace in the EU. That we live in open, diverse and strong societies where people have a stake in their communities and are prepared to live together. But we cannot take this as a "given" - the outcome of the UK referendum is just one reminder of this.

In a complex world full of uncertainty it can be difficult to find our place, to know who we are. But closing doors and retreating will certainly not help us. More than ever, we need to come together, to discover and accept each other - and ourselves. Strengthening and cherishing our identity as Europeans, as a rich addition to our other layers of identity, is vital in this - and where better to start than with young people, ideal ambassadors of open, multi-layered identities and the future of Europe.

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Apprenticesh the new norm

The Insurance Practitioner Apprenticeship is the first apprenticeship in Ireland to offe GOING to college might seem like a natural progression after the Leaving Certificate, but with 16% of students leaving courses in their first year*, alternative routes to earning a degree are becoming increasingly more popular. One such option is the Insurance Practitioner Apprenticeship, a new degree programme that has received phenomenal interest this year.

Apprenticeships are not widely considered as a post-Leaving Cert option in Ireland; those with the requisite grades are primarily encouraged to pursue a college course over vocational training.

For both employers and graduates, this is creating difficulties.

Employers cannot find the skills necessary to meet their business needs, since many graduates lack the key workplace skills required to hit the ground running. This is down to the fact that while college courses teach academic knowledge, students rarely learn the soft skills that are essential to career success.

Many graduates are faced with few options other than to complete unpaid work experience or take a job unrelated to their qualification.

When you take all of this into consideration, it’s surprising that apprenticeships are not higher on the list for bright and ambitious school leavers.

Insurance apprenticeships The Insurance Practitioner Apprenticeship launched in September 2016 with 66 participants for the programme’s first year. The work-based training programme combines academic teaching with valuable on-the-job experiential learning; combining technical and soft skills to create the perfect employee for insurance organisations.

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Many graduates are faced with few options other than to complete unpaid work experience or take a job unrelated to their qualification.

When you take all of this into consideration, it’s surprising that apprenticeships are not higher on the list for bright and ambitious school leavers.

The apprenticeship takes place over three years, where apprentices study online towards a level 8 degree – the BA in Insurance Practice – while working. This is the first apprenticeship in Ireland to offer a level 8 honours degree.

The programme is delivered through a combination of online study with IT Sligo Virtual Academy and The Insurance Institute, and onthe-job learning through an insurance employer. The degree portion of the programme is government-funded and apprentices are paid a salary by their employer.

Apprentice roles A huge variety of roles are available in the insurance industry and apprentices work in one of the three core industry areas – underwriting, claims or direct client advice.

The nature of the programme means apprentices learn about all areas of the business and complete projects and case studies that reinforce learning in the workplace.

They will also earn the insurance industry’s benchmark professional q u a l i f i c a t i o n t h e P ro f e s s i o n a l Diploma in Insurance, which means that by the end of the three years, they will be qualified to work in any area of general insurance – personal, commercial or private medical. This professional qualification is in addition to their BA degree.

Typical applicants Apprenticeships are not only a back-up for those who didn’t get enough Leaving Cert points for their preferred college course. This year’s applicants included: • School leavers who wanted to earn a degree without going down the university route.

• Third level students who wanted to switch from their current college course without having to incur the cost of starting a new course.

• Graduates who wished to further their education in the insurance and financial services sector, while gaining valuable workplace expe-

hips: mal

er a level 8 honours degree

Apprenticeship FAQ Information from Solas

What is an apprentice?

An apprentice is a person who works for an employer in a chosen occupation and gains the necessary skills, knowledge and attitudes to become a qualified craftsperson.

What are the educational qualifications required to become an apprentice?

The minimum educational qualifications necessary to become an apprentice are 5 D grades in the Junior Certificate examination or equivalent, or successfully complete an approved Pre-Apprenticeship course, or be over 16 years of age and have at least three years relevant work experience approved by SOLAS. However, some employers may specify higher educational qualifications.

Are there any other requirements?

An apprentice in some crafts must pass the “Ishihara” Colour Vision Test 24 Plate Edition.

rience through a structured programme.

• Career changes who have worked in other industries and wanted to move into insurance.

2017 programme The next recruitment drive for apprentices will begin in Spring 2017, with successful applicants starting the following September.

Entry requirements include a minimum of 2 honours in higher level Leaving Cert subjects or equivalent, with a pass in four additional subjects including Maths and English or Irish.

For those over 23, interviews or other selection tools are used to assess instead of these minimum requirements.

To learn more and to register your interest in applying for the 2017 programme, visit iii.ie/apprenticeships.

How do I become an apprentice?

You must obtain employment as an apprentice in your chosen trade. Your employer must be approved to train apprentices and must register you as an apprentice within 2 weeks of recruitment.

Possible options include:- A relative, neighbour or friend who works in the trade - Local or regionally-based companies operating in the trade - Register with your local Employment Office (Intreo) indicating your interest in becoming an apprentice. Local Employment Office staff try to match job vacancies with registered individuals where possible.

What is the minimum age?

The minimum age is 16.

How long does it take?

A minimum of 4 years. The only exception is for the trade of Print Media which is a minimum of 3 years.

How is an Apprenticeship structured?

Apprenticeship generally comprises of seven phases, three off-the-job and four on-the-job.

The only exceptions to the above are the Floor/Wall Tiling and Print Media apprenticeships, which have five phases, three on-the-job and two off-the-job training phases.

Off-the-job training is as follows:Phase 2: Training Centre Phase 4: Institute of Technology or College of Further Education Phase 6: Institute of Technology or College of Further Education

On-the-job training?

Employers have responsibility for providing on-the-job training in Phases 1, 3, 5 and 7.

How much will I get paid during my apprenticeship?

You will be paid an apprentice rate. The actual rates paid may vary depending on the occupation and the sector of industry in which you are employed. You should seek details of rates of pay from your prospective employer.

Do I get paid when I am in a Training Centre, IT or College of Further Education?

During off-the-job phases ,all qualifying apprentices are paid an Apprentice Training Allowance by an ETB (Educational Training Board) and where appropriate, a contribution towards travel or accommodation costs.

What if my employer goes out of business or if I'm made redundant during my apprenticeship?

Every effort will be made by SOLAS/ETB to help you progress through your apprenticeship if you find yourself in this situation. You should contact yourTraining Adviser assigned to you when you were registered as an apprentice who will be able to offer you advice and assistance.

What are my career prospects?

On successful completion of your apprenticeship, a Level 6 Advanced Certificate Craft is awarded. This is recognised Nationally and Internationally as the requirement for craftsperson status. You may further develop your career i.e. companybased, cross-skilling, up-skilling, management or self-employment.

Further Study – Progression?

On successful completion of your apprenticeship you are eligible for consideration for entry into related degree programmes provided by the Institutes of Technology provided you also meet other special entry requirements. Details of the higher education institutes offering progression from Advanced Certificate - Craft to levels 7 and 8 are available on the QQI.ie.

*Statistics from the Higher Education Authority (HEA), 2014

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Technology in

Compu b bring teaching into t Case Study: Coláiste Iósaef AT Compu b we are passionate about education. We believe that learning should be inspirational and accessible for all. We believe that when the right technology is placed in the hands of a knowledgeable and confident teacher learning can be revolutionised for the 21st century.

We are an Apple Authorised Solution Expert for Education, with 25 years of experience in delivering learning solutions. Our team of Teachers, Apple Education Trainers and dedicated Education Specialists understand curriculum, pedagogy, and ICT. We believe that Apple Mac and iPad can make a major difference to the educational outcomes that s c h o o l s a n d c o l l e g e s d e l i v e r.

Whether you are a Nursery, Primary, Secondary, Specialist, College or HE setting, we would love to partner with you on your Apple technology journey.

1:1 deployment The benefits of 1:1 deployment are numerous; by raising motivation levels, increasing interest and participation and encouraging learning to happen anywhere at any time.

These elements create a personalised learning environment where educators have the opportunity to develop innovate and challenging methods of teaching.

At Compu b, we will ensure a 12 Education

smooth role out of 1:1 deployment and make sure you have the structures in place for on-going management and success. iPad Class Set solution Increase accessibility, creativity and collaboration with shared devices via an iPad Class Set solution.

We understand the positive environment an iPad class set can develop and are able to design the perfect shared device solution for you. Our class set solutions include the following components: • Your preferred choice of iPad • A range of rugged iPad case options • Charge and storage cases/trolleys • Your preferred choice of Mac • Mobile Device Management (MDM) • Volume Purchase Credit for apps • Apple TV for mirroring to IWBs and screens • Technical set up and ongoing support • Curriculum focussed training for teachers and pupils By forming a partnership with your school we will work alongside you for your entire journey with Apple technology. What starts as an initial class set may develop into multiple sets spread across key stages or curriculum areas, or even a full 1:1 device programme.

We believe that Apple Mac and iPad can make a major difference to the educational outcomes that schools and colleges deliver... ...whether you are a Nursery, Primary, Secondary, Specialist, College or HE setting

Sean Twomey, Principal "EDUCATION has changed a lot. In the past teachers stood at the top of the classroom and they just dictated the information.

"From a learning point of view, it's shown that recall from students is usually around ten percent. When it's a more interactive learning environment then students recall jumps up to sixty or seventy percent.

"Compu b came to me with solutions, just while I was thinking about the questions that I needed to ask.

"The technology allows students to take charge to a certain degree of their own learning.

"I suppose from our point of view the transformational effect has been on the students and on their engagement with the learning, and the enthusiasm that is brought into the classroom.

the classroom

gs learning and the digital age in Kilmallock, Co Limerick

SĂ­le Barry, Irish and History Teacher "Really I have to admit that I'm only realizing the potential that iPad has in the classroom. I can have up to 30 or even more in my class, and it is very hard to keep a group of students like that on task and engaged with the work. iPad has such potential, it is an excellent method of communication between home, school and student.

"It is an excellent facility for assessment, for monitoring assessment, for monitoring all elements of school management.

"At the touch of a button I can track any student, any teacher, I can find any timetable that I need to.

"I see now the benefits to my students of using iPad instead of the chalk-and-talk or the whiteboard They're so much more engaged.

"One of the real benefits of Apple technology in the classroom is that it redefines the very meaning of traditional classroom teaching and that students nowadays a re no longer confined to the four walls of the classroom and they're accessible 24-7."

Eoin Shinners, IT, History and Multimedia Teacher

"Students are born into technology. We often refer to students nowadays as 'digital natives' and as educators we need to tap into that."

"One of the real benefits of Apple technology in the classroom is that it redefines the very meaning of traditional classroom teaching and that students nowadays are no longer confined to the four walls of the classroom and they're accessible 24-7."

"As a teacher you can work ahead very much like third level. You can publish and upload your content well in advance of where students will be."

"There's a time and a place for history textbook but there's nothing better than being able to put up a video of the key battle in World War Two and before we've even dis-

cussed it or outlined the concepts to students already engaged in the topic.

They're using their imagination.

They're trying to make links to other topics that they might have covered in that video and it's got meaning.

They can take and visualize exactly what it is they're learning and it makes sense.

"With Compu b one-to-one programme, it's fantastic, the support that's there for us is second to none.

"We have students now that are engaged on levels which we've never seen before.

"The iPad is a key tool getting students engaged and motivated in the learning process. It gets them to take ownership of their learning and to taking an active role in their own learning, rather in just a teacher facilitating learning students are currently involved in.

"Since bringing the iPads in and running the initiative, whereas the good students will always do well, it's that is the weaker students that have made huge progress.

FIND OUT MORE: www2.compub.com/education-2/ Education 13

CÚRAM - Centre for Rese

CÚRAM – preparin the way in medica LIFE expectancy in Ireland has increased significantly in the past thirty years. Despite this being a positive trend, a growing ageing population brings an increase in people suffering from chronic illness like heart disease, diabetes or Parkinson’s disease, and complications associated with chronic illness have a huge impact on people’s quality of life.

Researchers in CÚRAM, the Centre for Research in Medical Devices, are making life easier for patients with chronic illness by developing medical devices that can last longer in the body and be more in tune to the needs of the individual patient.

CÚRAM is one of 12 national Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) research centres. Based at the National University of Ireland Galway, CÚRAM’s academic partners also include University College Dublin, University College Cork, Trinity College Dublin, University of

Limerick and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.

Ireland is recognised as one of the major global hubs for medtech research and development (R&D), a leading area of innovation, employment and export. The establishment of CÚRAM, a world-leading Irish medical device R&D centre, is strengthening this position. CÚRAM has a unique strategy in place that involves building and working within strong clinical, industry and academic networks, to stay ahead of the curve in medical-device development.

ENGAGMENT WITH SCHOOLS CÚRAM has a strong publicengagement programme, which supports Science Foundation Ireland’s Agenda 2020 aim of ‘having the most scientifically informed and engaged public’. The programme is built around core residency programmes at CÚRAM,

for teachers, filmmakers and artists and offers screenings, workshops and talks at public events like the BT Young Scientist Competition, the Galway Science & Technology Festival and even the National Ploughing Championships.

"Ireland is recognised as one of the major global hubs for medtech research and development leading area of innovation, employment and export

Puppet PhDs for Primary Schools Puppet PhDs is a new initiative that invites primary schools around the country, to send their classroom mascots on an adventure to the CÚRAM laboratories. While at CÚRAM, puppets spend time with our key researchers, learning about best practice in the lab, basic principles of science and getting to hear about some of the work our researchers are involved in. The entire experience is documented and the puppet returns to the classroom armed with a colourful and informative photo presentation for the classroom, explaining all about his or her adventure in science - complete with a CÚRAM 'Puppet PhD' certificate! If you haven’t got a class mascot, no problem! You can contact us and receive your own CÚRAM Puppet PhD to introduce your class to the laboratory environment.

Teachers in Residence CÚRAM’s ‘Teachers in Residence’ programme brings both primary and

Hildegard Naughton TD with teachers and Sarah Gundy, Programme manager of Teachers in Residence

14 Education

'Puppet PhDs' familiarise primary students with the laboratory environment

earch in Medical Devices

ng Ireland to lead al-device research

secondary school teachers together, for the first time ever to work with researchers to develop a MedTech learning model for classes at both 5th and 6th Class and Junior Cert levels. The programme supports teachers and promotes equal opportunities in science for all students in the classroom.

The programme has ten places available annually, for five primary and five secondary school teachers to participate. Presentations are given each week by CÚRAMs researchers on a specific area of research and followed by Q&A sessions and discussions about adapting

"The programme supports teachers and promotes equal opportunities in science for all students in the classroom

For more information, visit www.curamdevices.ie or follow us on Twitter @curamdevices.

information for lesson plans at primary and secondary level and linking with curricula.

Teachers work directly with researchers to develop content for the classroom, while learning about the medical device research being carried out at CÚRAM that will improve the quality of life for patients with chronic illnesses like Parkinson’s and heart disease.

During the residency, teachers will be introduced to and linked to the range of educational resources provided by Science Foundation Ireland and to the ReelLife Science video competition for primary and secondary schools. Teachers will also be linked in with outreach resources available across NUI Galway will have the opportunity to attend educational workshops with their

students, run by CÚRAM, during Science Week in Galway.

The residency programme commences in October and is run over ten, two hour sessions at CÚRAM between 6pm and 8pm, until March.

Lesson plans and classroom activities developed during the programme are shared with all participants and online. The resources developed will constitute a ‘learning module’ about CÚRAM and MedTech in Ireland, that links with multiple streams and themes in the primary and junior cycle curricula.

Science on Screen Working with community partners is key to the programme, with projects like ‘Science on Screen’ under way in collaboration with Galway Film Centre, to produce science Education 15

Minister Mary Mitchell O'Connor with CÚRAM research student Gillian Murphy at the launch of CÚRAM in September

documentaries that show how Irelands scientists carry out cutting edge research and how that impacts on our society. Screenings of the two documentaries produced in 2016 will screen during the Galway Science & Technology Festival on November 19th in Galway City.

The first of these documentaries is called ‘Feats of Modest Valour’ which investigates three individuals’ challenging physical reality of living with Parkinson’s Disease. The film features the EU funded BrainMatTrain project, being carried out at CÚRAM which is investigating novel biomaterials-based treatments for Parkinson’s Disease that could potentially halt or even cure the devastating disease. Woven together

"Artists in residence, work directly with researchers to understand the scientific process and let the work in CÚRAMs laboratories influence their art

with observation and animation, the film invites us to witness the story of ground breaking research taking place at CÚRAM and the profound impact this will have on people with Parkinson’s Disease, both nationally and worldwide.

The second of the documentaries is called ‘Mending Legends’ and explores the physical and psychological impact of tendon injuries amongst sports players. The documentary visits the team of CÚRAM researchers who are trying to design a new type of tendon implant – in the form of the world’s first 3D cell assembled tendon prototype. Sports fanatic and seasoned sports presenter, Máire Treasa Ní Dhubhghaill, presents a number of informative interviews with scientists involved in this field of research and through the personal experiences of amateur and professional sports people, this documentary will highlight the progressive attitudes towards scientific research in Ireland – and what it could mean to the world of sport.

Artists in Residence CÚRAM hosts a number of artists in residence, who work directly with researchers to understand the scientific process and let the work in CÚRAMs laboratories influence their art. Previous artists in residence have held public exhibitions of their work, where schools and members of the public can visit and are given an opportunity to learn about the science behind the exhibit in a new and exciting way. The current Artist in Residence, Joanna McGlynn, whose ‘School of Alternative Possibilities’ initiative recently hosted a soup kitchen event during September’s ‘Culture Night’ had over 120 visitors come to engage in conversation with researchers about their work and its purpose.

Teachers in Residence

16 Education

OTHER PROGRAMMES AT CÚRAM MedTrain MedTrain is a new industry-academia fellowship programme that will roll out over the next four and a half years. The MedTrain programme will offer 31 prestigious two-year postdoctoral fellowships over the next four and a half years to experienced researchers in the area of medical device research and development, including tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, biomaterials and drug delivery, glyco and protein engineering, and neuromodulation and medical device design.

The MedTrain programme will provide a chance for researchers to enhance their creative, entrepreneurial, and innovative potential. For anyone wishing to diversify their skill set, through advanced training, international, and inter-sectoral mobility, in the area of medical device research and development, this will be a really valuable opportunity.

CÚRAM works closely with academics, industry and clinicians and this programme will further enhance those networks across Europe and internationally which are critical for driving medical device research and development.

Participants will have access to state-of-the-art infrastructure and teams of multi-disciplinary experts in the broad area of medical device research and development.

It will deliver high quality tailormade training for fellows that will equip them with skills and experience required to meet their career goals as well as facilitating their engagement with industry through non-academic secondment partnerships.

DCU Business School

At the forefront of business education in Ireland DCU Business School is an engaged, innovative internationally-focused business school which prides itself on its excellent reputation for impacting students, the academic community, industry and wider society. Our focus is not only on knowledge acquisition, but also on enhancing and developing the professional and personal skills and competencies required to be a successful manager of tomorrow.

Enterprise and innovation are at the heart of our programmes. For example, by the end of first year, our students will have created their own blog, attended a number of industry mini-conferences and conceptualised a mobile app.

In third year, most students will undertake a paid work placement, giving students the opportunity to gain real-world experience. Some students may choose to spend this year abroad. In final year, students will participate in the New Enterprise Development module, gaining first-

hand experience of the creativity, leadership and team management skills involved in planning for a new venture.

Engagement with industry is central to what we do. Students will experience this in many ways – from listening to industry experts in the classroom, having the opportunity to undertake industry-sponsored projects and by benefitting from the industry-led research undertaken by academic staff.

DCU Business School takes a global view of business. We have links with prestigious universities throughout Europe and across the globe. Students on our International Business and Global Business courses will spend part of their degree studying abroad, gaining the language and cultural skills demanded by the global and connected world that business operates in today.

Whichever DCU Business School degree, students you will be exposed to a combination of lectures, industry

Students on our International Business and Global Business courses will spend part of their degree studying abroad, gaining the language and cultural skills

guest presentations, case studybased learning, team work, and class participation, developing critical thinking and communication skills, while having fun and making friends for life along the way.

Global Accreditation It is for these reasons that AACSB, the world’s oldest and most prestigious global accrediting body for business schools recently awarded us their accreditation. AACSB accreditation is widely recognised as the hallmark of excellence in business education, placing us among the top 5% of business schools worldwide.

While DCU Business School has an excellent reputation both at home and abroad, AACSB accreditation will add a new layer of prestige to the qualifications of our graduates, particularly for those looking for work internationally.

To learn more about our undergraduate courses visit dcu.ie/ business Education 17

ICT Education

FIT and J.P. Morgan broaden skills access and opportunities TRAINING and skills organisation FIT launched a new partnership with J.P. Morgan in July 2016, a partnership to widen access and support diversity through the FIT ICT Associate Professional programme.

With support from the JPMorgan Chase Foundation, FIT said it is aiming to attract women and men from diverse backgrounds to consider careers in ICT, as demand grows for skilled entrants.

The FIT ICT Associate Professional programme is aimed at those who have an interest in and a passion for technology, but perhaps have not had the opportunities to develop those interests, either academically or professionally.

The programme provides training and experience in software development and network engineering. The dual education nature of the courses, combining college-based learning with work-based training, broadens the choices available to people, says FIT, particularly those who favour learning by doing. Candidates gain a qualification that will position them well for a career in a technology role across any sector.

Carin Bryans, Senior Country Officer of Ireland, J.P. Morgan said: “While the overall labour market situation has improved, young people without university degrees and long-term unemployed still find it difficult accessing quality jobs.

"We know that quality training and development of key in-demand skills, including Software Development and Network Engineering, is a powerful strategy for expanding access to opportunity and promoting economic mobility.

18 Education

"We are excited to support the mainstreaming of apprenticeships in high growth sectors in the economy, like technology, and scaling the ICT Associate Professional apprenticeship-style programme is a great way of doing this.”

Mr. Liam Ryan, FIT Chairperson and Managing Director of SAP Ireland said: “The gap between those qualifying with relevant skills and the number of opportunities available in technology roles continues to grow - demanding a new and innovative response. " We b e l i e v e t h a t t h i s n e w approach to education will play a critical part in providing access to a new pool of people with the right skills that are in demand by industry now. Employers have the opportunity to directly influence the skills that form part of the qualification – the ‘on the job’ learning is a critical component – ideal for a student but also for the employer as it means that someone is ready for work – and indeed already working for them – on the day that they qualify.”

Harnessing efforts At an event in the Clock Tower in the Department of Education in Dublin, Minister for Training and Skills John Halligan TD officially launched the partnership, pledging his support for the work of FIT. “The collaboration between FIT, J.P. Morgan, the ICT industry and Education and Training Boards (ETBs) is an example of how we can harness our joint efforts and create excellent opportunities for people to gain skills and thereby enter quality careers. I am particularly pleased with the

"We know that quality training and development of key in-demand skills, including Software Development and Network Engineering, is a powerful strategy for expanding access to opportunity"

With the support of

J.P. Morgan inclusive approach adopted by FIT and commend and welcome the support for this from J.P. Morgan.

This type of initiative complements the existing actions in the ICT Action Plan and I will follow with great interest the progress of the initiative and the lessons we can learn from it.”

The Minister emphasised that demand is such in the high tech industry in Ireland that the output of third level graduates and beyond cannot be relied upon alone to meet demand. He said that such a move would “leave thousands behind”.

■ Minister for Training and Skills John Halligan TD launching the partnership

■ (Left to right) BACK ROW Liam Ryan SAP, Michael Moriarty ETBI, Minister for Training and Skills John Halligan T.D., Carin Bryans J.P. Morgan, George Ryan FIT, FRONT ROW Edel Hesnan FIT, Betty McLaughlin President IGC

Programme graduates Two graduates of the programme spoke of their experiences leading up to and after their FIT engagements.

Shara O’Toole had been a fully qualified and working hairdresser when the salon in which she was employed closed down. Having had various office administration jobs since, she had been exposed to and realised an aptitude for all things ICT. Having, through FIT, achieved FETAC level 5 & 6 qualifications in both Microsoft and Cisco environments in the systems and networks tracks, she now works on the support desk for Fujitsu. O’Toole emphasised that her qualifications alone, though impressive, were insufficient to get a job. She said that FIT’s work placements allowed her to gain the experience she needed to complement those qualifications.

Anthony Carroll had trained as an architectural technician and worked with a construction firm, however, the recession left him facing redundancy. With a slight change in focus toward property management, he again faced redundancy a few years later and made the decision to capitalise on his ICT skills through FIT. Carroll now works for SAP Ireland in its enterprise support services.

With a different situation every day, Carroll said he thrives on the diversity of the job.

This was a point picked up on by Paul Sweetman, director, ICT Ireland.

Sweetman emphasised that those who come through the likes of apprenticeship based programmes, and the dual vocational programmes such as the FIT ICT AP, often have the ability to cope with ambiguity and fluid situations thanks to life and work experience from outside the sector.

Game changer “Ireland has had incredible success in establishing a vibrant multinational and indigenous tech sector, but we can’t take future success for granted.

Competitor economies are upping their game and we need to compete aggressively. The ICT Associate Professional is a game changer and will enable Ireland to become a global technology powerhouse.

Today’s partnership between FIT and J.P. Morgan strongly reinforces this ambition,” said Sweetman.

“FIT is delighted that J.P. Morgan is supporting FIT to broaden opportunity for smart people with smart skills,” said Peter Davitt, CEO, FIT. “Over the last 15 years, FIT has

"Ireland has had incredible success in establishing a vibrant multinational and indigenous tech sector, but we can’t take future success for granted"

supported people from diverse backgrounds to enter the tech sector and build great careers.

"Developing this new ‘earn and learn’ route is already proving to be a success and is made possible with the active collaboration and support of SOLAS, ETBI, ICT Ireland and the participating ETBs in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Athlone, Monaghan and Dundalk.”

FIND OUT MORE: See www.fit.ie Education 19

Fastrack into Information Technology Start Your New Career NOW FIT is a not for profit industry initiative which works in collaboration with government departments and national education & training provision to bring new talent into the tech sector in Ireland.

FIT’s mission is to promote an inclusive Smart Economy by creating a fast track to marketable technical skills for those at risk of unemployment long term.

FIT develops and promotes technology-based programmes and career development opportunities for job seekers nationally. To date,over 18,000 job seekers have completed FIT skills development programmes of which in excess of 13,500 progressed into quality employment.

Go on Give It a GO – You’ll Never Look Back!

www.fit.it 20 Education

Get involved in Maths Week NOW celebrating eleven years of promoting Maths for All, the Maths We e k t e a m a re w o r k i n g w i t h schools, colleges, museums, universities and communities across Ireland to help deliver an exciting programme of events for Maths Week 2016 which will take place from the 15th to the 23rd of October.

Maths Week has grown to be the largest festival of its kind in the world with over a quarter of a million expected to participate. Founded by Calmast at Waterford Institute of Technology, Maths Week is a partnership of universities, institutes of technology, libraries and other bodies concerned with mathematics.

Launching Maths Week Ireland 2016, the Minister for Education and Skills, Richard Bruton T.D. said, “With widespread recognition of the importance of maths for the future of our graduates, it is crucial that we encourage a positive attitude towards maths, making it accessible to all. Over 250,000 people of all ages are expected to attend maths events throughout the week, I would encourage people to get involved.”

Last month posters were delivered

■ Launching Maths Week: Minister for Education and Skills Richard Bruton and Erin Whelan (11), Dáire Sheehy (11), Katelyn McCormack (11), Michael Sadbaatar (11), Anthony Smida (11) and Tameron O'Brien (10) from Rutland National School, Sean McDermott St., Dublin. Picture Conor McCabe Photography.

to all schools on the island and there is huge interest in schools events. Dr James Tanton, Mathematician-atL a rg e w i t h t h e M a t h e m a t i c a l Association of America has booked out the RDS Concert Hall twice for TY students while mathemagican Andrew Jeffrey will fill the Helix theatre twice for primary schools.

Saturday the 15th will see the week kick off in the heart of Dublin city with Maths in the City and a day of wonderful and interactive talks and workshops aimed at teachers being held in the Fitzwilliam Hotel on St. Stephen’s Green. These will be facilitated by the multi-talented maths educators and presenters that are all gathering in one place for Maths Week.

Schools and colleges are encouraged to take part in the biggest festival of its kind by registering and putting your school on the maths map at www.mathsweek.ie.

Below are a sample of some of the activities that you can take part in for Maths Week: • Simultaneous Equations Schools sign up and download a Simultaneous pack and get all pupils, in all year groups to complete them simultaneously! There are packs suited to varying levels of difficulty and the emphasis should be on completing them simultaneously.

• It’s a Maths World Maths really is all around you and Maths Week Ireland have created a fantastic interactive map where you

can highlight and pinpoint all the great mathematical wonders that are in your local area.

• PRISM (PRoblem Solving for Irish Second Level Mathematicians) Organised by NUIGalway – hundreds of schools will take part in this year’s PRISM contest!

• Twiznight Join the social media buzz for Maths Week and take part in the Twiznights taking place on the 13th and 18th October.

• #EdChattIE Take part in a debate about current educational issues – you decide what the discussion will be about!

• Have you got Maths Eyes An initiative from IT Tallaght which encourages people of all ages to look for the maths in their surrounding environment and capture it in a photo’.

Trying something new in your school for Maths Week? Let the Maths Week team know when you register or drop them an email at mathsweek@wit.ie.

Maths Week is coordinated by Calmast STEM Outreach centre at Waterford IT. It is supported by Department of Education and Skills, SFI Department of Education Northern Ireland, ESB, Xilinx and CRH. For more information visit www.mathsweek.ie.

Education 21

Tec2ScreenÂŽ Bringing Connected Learning into the learning laboratory

With its patented Connect interface, Tec2ScreenÂŽ represents the link between the real and the virtual worlds, and together with the base forms the core of the system. Courses and simulations developed by Festo Didactic deliver the content for learning, informing, controlling, measuring, regulating and programming, which can be linked to hardware via the Connects. Students can thus explore the exciting world of technology through interactive experiments.

To request a brochure or for further assistance please contact: margaret.lynn@festo.com or call (01) 2954955 22 Education

Connected Learning The New Learning Dimension Connected Learning creates a new dimension of learning with a seamless connection between virtual and real worlds. Methods such as face-to-face, hands-on and self-guided learning are all linked through Connected Learning. Additionally, Connected Learning creates a new and direct interaction between software and hardware and hereby vanishes the boundary between theory and practice.

Simple and intuitive learning is becoming possible.

In an extensive learning scenario, the methods are specifically tailored to the learner’s individual abilities - the key to fast and successful learning – adding a new dimension to the learning process for technical education and training.

A sustainable learning success can be ensured by applying the Connected Learning concept while the attractiveness of training is maximized. At the same time the action and media skills of professionals will be increased and their independence is getting encouraged.

An excellent example of how the Connected Learning concept can be realized within technical learning labs is the interactive multimedia learning-companion Tec2Screen® of Festo Didactic.

Author: Jonas Schimmele, Campaign Manager Connected Learning Festo Didactic Visit: www.tec2screen.com

Education 23

Dún Laoghaire Futher Education Institute

24 Education

Education 25

St. Angela’s College, Sligo Nutrition, Food and Business Management Degree in the North West ONLY minutes from Sligo Town, St. Angela’s College, Sligo offers a range of Undergraduate degree programmes. A College of NUI Galway, the St. Angela’s College programmes are accredited by the University, offering the only university-level education in the region.

Academic Departments include Nursing, Health Sciences and Disability Studies (offering programmes in Nursing Degrees; Health and Disability Studies; Disability Equality Studies) Education and Home Economics (offering programmes in Home Economics Teacher Education; Nutrition, Food and Business Management; Textiles, Fashion and Design with Business Management).

With Ireland’s Food/Agri industries continuing to thrive, the College recognises the need for professionals in the sector. With that in mind, the Bachelor of Applied Science in Nutrition, Food and Business Management is designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills required to work in areas such as New Product Development, Quality Assurance, Research Development and Management Roles within Food Companies. “Our students undertake a 20 week work placement in Year 3 of the programme and this is pivotal as they get the opportunity to network and gain valuable hand-on experience in the industry” explains Rónan McArt, Co-Director of the programme. Róisín Lydon (Co-Director of the programme) continues “Graduates are being rewarded by securing employment as a direct result of their placement and companies are now contacting us when an employment opportunity arises”.

For more details see www.stangelas.nuigalway.ie

For more information on St. Angela’s College, Sligo contact Seán Kelly on 071 9195512 or schoolsinfo@stangelas.nuigalway.ie or visit www.stangelas.nuigalway.ie

ADVERTSING TELE-SALES PART TIME FOR EDUCATION PUBLICATIONS

Office or home based.

Some previous sales experience desirable but not essential.

Email C.V. to education@clubi.ie 26 Education

Pembroke College of Beauty and Body Therapy

Dedication to training and development LOCATED in the heart of Limerick City the Pembroke College is one of Ireland’s leading International Schools of Health, Beauty and Body Therapy. It has been established since 1987 and is a licensed CIDESCO, CIBTAC & ITEC College.

Through constant dedication to training and development it is now regarded as the most prestigious school in the South and Mid West of Ireland.

Helen O Sullivan Quinn is the principal and managing director of the college. Helen is a former student of the college who continued her training with Steiner in London before working as a therapist on the Cruise Ships in the Caribbean.

Having spent some years in the retail end of the business she decided to make a career in Training and Development.

Helen has been the prime motivator in the successful development and supervision of training programmes at Pembroke for the past

twelve years.

Helen also contributes the success of Pembroke College to her strong team of staff for their constant dedication and commitment to the college and students alike.

Pembroke College offers both full time and part time courses that run on weekdays, evenings and weekends so there is a suitable course and time for everyone to pursue their chosen career in the following areas l e a d i n g t o I T E C , C I B TA C a n d CIDESCO internationally recognised qualifications...

• Beauty Specialists and Facial Electricals • Body Therapy and Body Electricals • Electrolysis • Holistic massage with Anatomy and physiology • Reflexology • Manicure and Pedicure • Waxing • Make up • Skincare and Eye treatments.

Courses run on weekdays, evenings and weekends so there is a suitable course and time for everyone to pursue their chosen career

We also offer post graduate training and courses for beginners in the following areas: • CIDESCO International Post graduate course • Indian Head massage • Hot stone massage • Advanced Specialised Waxing • Astonishing Nails Gel & Acrylic Nail technician course • UV Polish course and UV Polish Design Level 1 & 2 • Spray tanning • Hollywood Eyelash extension course • Threading and many more Train with the professionals...29 years in the industry

FIND OUT MORE: Contact us now to secure your future on 061-410628 or info@pembrokebeautycollege.ie www.pembrokebeautycollege.ie Take a look inside Pembroke College by taking our virtual tour and clicking on the following link: https://goo.gl/maps/sujzXRbepJq

Pembroke College

International School of Health, Beauty and Body Therapy

WANT A CAREER IN THE BEAUTY INDUSTRY???

We have the FOLLOWING COURSES: * Full time CIDESCO day course * Part time ITEC Beauty Therapy * Weekend ITEC Holistic Massage * ITEC Reflexology * Indian Head massage * Hot Stone Massage * Gel & Acrylic Nail Technician & Nail art * Semi permanent eyelash extensions * Threading * Spray tanning courses & UV Polish * Advanced Waxing and many more.....

TRAIN WITH THE PROFESSIONALS....

29 years in the industry!!!

PEMBROKE COLLEGE, 123 O CONNELL STREET, LIMERICK | ESTD 1987

Ph: 061 410628 | www.pembrokebeautycollege.ie Education 27

28 Education

SmartFutures.ie

How teachers can help inspire the next generation in STEM WITH the Leaving Certificate year well underway and CAO applications in the offing, Science Foundation Ireland, which manages the Smart Futures Programme in partnership with Engineers Ireland’s STEPS, is calling on teachers to encourage their students to think about careers linked to STEM – science, technology, engineering and maths.

Teachers, along with parents, are a significant support to young people making subject choices as they transition into post-primary education, and again from Junior to Senior Cycle, and can help break careerrelated stereotypes. Research commissioned by Science Foundation Ireland in 2014 found that how students see themselves ‘fitting in’ to a course, any course, is the most significant factor influencing their decisions (62%), when choosing study paths.

So ‘fitting in’ ranks higher than career prospects (56%) or entry requirements (28%) for when students are considering what to do when they finish school. This highlights how any negative stereotypes students might hold about certain subjects or career paths can limit the potential career areas they’d explore.

What are the opportunities?

Approximately 70,000 people work in science and engineering in Ireland, along with over 100,000 working in the tech sector. The world is increasingly in need of problemsolvers, creative thinkers and people with a desire to make the world a better place.

A person with a background in science, technology, engineering or maths will have a skillset that is not only in-demand across the globe, but that also makes them adaptable and analytical, and often ideal for senior management and consultancy roles.

Despite misconceptions, STEM roles often require strong communications and language skills, and can often have a commercial or businessrelated focus.

With employment in the technology sector growing by more than 30% over the last ten years in Ireland (when overall employment grew by only 1%) and salaries in these companies at 29% above the national average, we need to encourage students to look beyond negative stereotypes.

So, what is the problem?

Students are still put off by negative perceptions when it comes to a careers in STEM-related areas, especially among girls. The Science Foundation Ireland survey found 51% of college students said their parents influenced their decision making, and that they’d advised their son or daughter to pursue something they (as parents) thought would suit their personality.

So if a parent holds any stereotypes about science and maths themselves (“It’s too hard!” or “it’s not really for girls”) this can be picked up on. Teachers also play an important role here in not further perpetuating stereotypes and giving

Students can discover that all kinds of people work in STEM, in everything from designing video games, to addressing climate change

students the courage to explore all options before making an informed decision about the right career for them and making the most of their own abilities. Opportunities to meet real people working in research and industry is an important way to help students to do this.

What can teachers do?

Teachers of any subject area can register their school for free career talks from people working in science, technology and engineering in Ireland through Smart Futures.

Students can discover that all kinds of people work in STEM, in everything from designing video games, to addressing climate change and even helping save lives through cancer research.

Volunteers can even attend parent-teacher evenings as well!

Register now on www.SmartFutures.ie and request a career talk for Science Week (13-20 November), Maths Week (15th – 23rd) etc. or if you are a TY coordinator, or guidance counsellor…at any time!

Education 29

Your Locker Solution

Peter Cahill Engineering

Ireland’s Leading Locker Manufacturer

The Locker Specialist Laptop and iPad charging lockers Merrywell Business Park, Ballymount Road, Dublin 12

Tel: 01 450 0030 Web: www.pce.ie • Email: info@pce.ie

PETER Cahill Engineering is Ireland’s premier locker manufacturer.

We have been supplying lockers to schools & businesses around Ireland for almost 30 years. We offer a locker solutions for almost any application (clean rooms, swimming pools, gyms, spas, schools, offices etc). Our lockers comply with the Dept of Education furniture specifications.

We specialise in supplying to a broad range of industries which include education, fire and police services, hospitals, hotel and leisure facilities and retail to name but a few. If our extensive range of lockers does not have exactly what you are looking for, we can design a bespoke solution to suit your specific needs.

Our lockers are fully welded (no rivets), independently tested to BS 4680 (Determination of Strength & Durability of Storage Furniture) and have added safety features such as reinforced doors, concealed hinges, door closing folds on 4 sides and sloping tops.

We offer a full after sales service supplying spare parts for all our lockers including built in locker locks (butterfly / camlocks with keys), padlocks, spare keys, replacement doors, touch up paint etc.

FIND OUT MORE: To speak to one of our experienced sales team, please contact us on 01-4500030 or email us on info@pce.ie

Shape a Future Courses:

Higher Certificate in Arts in Early Years Montessori Education (Level 6) BA in Montessori Education (Level 7) BA (Honours) in Montessori Education (Level 8)

Higher Diploma in Arts in Early Years Montessori Education (Level 8) 30 Education

Go to www.snmci.ie Call 01-2806064 / 01-2300080 email: admissions@snmci.ie or visit us at 16 Adelaide Street, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin

Saint Nicholas College

Shape a future with Saint Nicholas Montessori College Ireland SAINT Nicholas Montessori College Ireland (SNMCI) has been the source of many graduates in Montessori and early years’ education since 1984. The College’s programmes aim to develop educators of the highest quality, based on the Montessori principles of education.

While many think of Montessori teaching as confined to 0 - 6 year old children, it is only part of the story.

There are a number of Montessori schools providing the National Primary Curriculum to children up to the age of 12. Indeed, there is one such school on the College’s campus in Dún Laoghaire.

Peers as a Role Model Montessori Education is based on the premise that children are best supported in a learning environment which meets all their needs. This in turn will assist them to become valued members of society. Key to this is the multi-aged groupings, which fosters children’s development as role models for their peers. Encouraged by this supportive environment, each child learns to co-operate.

Furthermore, in the eyes of pedagogical experts, the Montessori Method is also strongly aligned to working in the field of Special Education. This is linked with the use of concrete, manipulative materials to support the cognitive development of the child. Montessori’s multi-sensory approach has, for example, been found to be successful for developing literacy and numeracy skills in children with learning difficulties in inclusive educational settings.

SNMCI’s Programmes SNMCI’s programmes of study are accredited by Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI), so applicants can be assured of the quality of its programmes. Each of these programmes continues SNMCI’s strong tradition of developing educators of the highest quality, who will serve and support children within all sectors of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) settings.

Not only does the College deliver highly regarded undergraduate Level

7 and Level 8 Bachelor of Arts programmes, we have recently changed the format of our postgraduate programme, the Higher Diploma in Arts in Early Years Montessori Education, to meet changing demands within the Education Sector. Also, 2015 will see the introduction of a Level 6 Higher Certificate in Arts in Early Years Montessori Education, in response to a recognised need, from both learners and stakeholders, for the provision of a solid foundation programme for early years’ education.

This year, school leaver enrolment onto SNMCI’s Level 6 and Level 7 programmes will be managed via the CAO Handbook. Applications for part-time provision, Recognition of Prior Learning or the Higher Diploma programme should continue to be made directly to the College.

Part-Time Study Options Many school leavers choose to defer full-time study and opt to work instead. SNMCI’s Level 6 and Level 7 programmes are available on a parttime basis and have recently been reformatted in order to improve on their delivery.

Financial Considerations Uniquely among private colleges, full time students of SNMCI are eligible to apply for financial assistance under the Higher Education Maintenance Grants scheme operated

by SUSI. If school leavers don’t qualify for this, the College has an instalment plan in place to assist with the payment of fees. This plan is also available to those wishing to pursue SNMCI programmes on a part-time basis.

Career Opportunities On successful completion of their programme, SNMCI graduates are ready to enter the workforce, with many pursuing careers in ECCE settings. Depending on the level of the qualifications, career opportunities include teaching in Montessori preschools, working as Special Needs Assistants and as expert practitioners in ECCE settings.

Furthermore, Graduates of the

A Saint Nicholas Montessori College qualification will be a distinct advantage for educators.

Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Montessori Education receive restricted recognition from the Teaching Council under Regulation 3 for working with children with special educational needs in recognised mainstream primary schools and in recognised special schools where Irish is not a curriculum requirement. (Please note that this is currently the subject of consultation).

Many graduates opt to progress to Level 9 programmes in education, special education or other care, therapy, or education related programmes.

They may also progress to Higher Diplomas in Primary Education in I re l a n d , o r t o a P o s t - g r a d u a t e Certificate in Education in the UK. Looking to the Future One message should be clear from recent Government publications such as the Right from the Start report and wider policy initiatives. There is an increased emphasis on professionalising the early years’ work force, including developing a graduate-led workforce in ECCE settings. While this may take some time to achieve, a Saint Nicholas Montessori College qualification will be a distinct advantage for educators.

Full details of our programmes are available on our website at www. snmci.ie

FIND OUT MORE: The College welcomes requests for more information - email admissions@snmci.ie.

Education 31

Educating the future

INTRODUCING SECOND-LEVEL TEACHING PROGRAMMES AT MIC, ST. PATRICK’S CAMPUS, THURLES.

Mary Immaculate College, Limerick, is a university level College of Education and the Liberal Arts, serving the needs of a growing and diverse student population of over 3,600 students.

INTRODUCING MIC, ST. PATRICK’S CAMPUS, THURLES. BA in Education, Business Studies and Accounting: (MI009) BA in Education, Business Studies and Religious Studies: (MI010) BA in Education, Irish and Religious Studies: (MI011) BA in Education, Irish and Business Studies: (MI012)

UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMMES BA in Contemporary and Applied Theatre Studies: (MI001) *NEW Bachelor of Arts (MI002) (Offered in collaboration with UL) B.Ed. in Primary Teaching: (MI005 and MI006) BA in Early Childhood Care and Education: (MI007) B.Ed. in Education and Psychology: (MI008)

POSTGRADUATE PROGRAMMES Mary Immaculate College also offers a wide range of postgraduate qualifications up to and including Masters and Doctoral degrees in the Liberal Arts, and in Education.

FURTHER INFORMATION AND APPLICATION PROCEDURES AVAILABLE FROM: Admissions Office, Mary Immaculate College, South Circular Road, Limerick

T: + 353 61 204929 / + 353 61 204348 F: + 353 61 204903 E: admissions@mic.ul.ie

32 Education

www.mic.ul.ie

Mary Immaculate College (MIC)

Choosing excellence A new Bachelor of Arts (MI002) programme and an exciting BA in Contemporary and Applied Theatre Studies among MIC’s programme offering.

MIC’s retention rate is 94% (HEA, 2016), among the highest in Ireland, which is exemplary. This indicates that when students choose MIC they are happy with their choice and prosper. External opinion on the College is equally as positive with a recent Higher Education Authority report placing MIC within the Excellent Progress Category of how Ireland’s universities and colleges are performing.

Adding to MIC’s appeal is a number of new programme developments including a new Bachelor of Arts (MI002) programme and the exciting BA in Contemporary and Applied Theatre Studies (MI001). While MIC, St Patrick’s Campus, Thurles offers four degree programmes that prepare students to become second-level teachers.

The Bachelor of Arts is a four-year degree programme in the Liberal Arts with three years on campus at MIC and one year on work placement and/or study abroad. The Degree is flexible and wide-ranging, offering 19 subjects in all. Students can study a combination of subjects from familiar arts subjects such as English, French, German, or History, to newer subjects such as Drama & Theatre Studies, Media & Communication Studies or Psychology. In Third Year, students will have opportunities to work, to travel, and to study abroad as part of the Off-Campus Programme.

Why students choose Arts at MIC? • The choice of a wide range of subjects at an institution where they benefit from real-world work experience and can live and study in another country; • The opportunity to learn how to communicate their own ideas effectively and persuasively; • The opportunity to engage critically and analytically with the

■ MIC’s student population now stands at 3,600 with numbers expected to reach 5,000 by 2020

world around them; • The chance to develop skills that will enhance their careers and, in the broadest sense, their contribution to society.

Students can choose from a set of 13 subjects taught at Mary Immaculate College, to which MIC have added the possibility of taking one of the subjects - Economics, Politics & International Relations, Public Administration & Leadership, Sociology, Spanish or Linguistics with TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) - from our partner institution, the University of Limerick.

Among the other new additions to MIC’s programme provision is the exciting BA in Contemporary and Applied Theatre Studies (MI001).

This new four year undergraduate programme (level 8) deals with an

Contemporary theatre signals that the programme will deal largely with current and emergent modes of theatrical production and reception.

area of drama and theatre education not currently catered for at third level in Ireland. Applied theatre is considered to be the study of drama and theatre across a range of practical applications and non-traditional settings, including but not defined by stage performance or the study of literary texts.

Contemporary theatre signals that the programme will deal largely with current and emergent modes of theatrical production and reception.

The other MIC Campus, Limerick undergraduate programmes provision includes B.Ed and Early Childhood Care degrees, and a range of postgraduate programmes at Diploma, MA and Ph.D level.

FIND OUT MORE: For full details see www.mic.ul.ie Education 33

International Education

New international education strategy for Ireland IRISH Educated, Globally Connected, an International Education Strategy for Ireland 2016-2020 builds on the significant progress made under Ireland’s previous International Education strategy, Investing in Global Relationships 2010-2015.

Internationalisation of education can be described as a comprehensive approach to education that prepares students, academics and staff to be active and engaged participants in an interconnected global world. This new International Education Strategy for Ireland sets a vision that aims to achieve that outcome as well as aiming to attract leading international student talent.

The Strategy places a high quality learner experience, academic quality, research and mobility and a distinctive Irish offer at the centre of our delivery of international education.

International Education in Ireland is a success story. The 2010-2015 Strategy set the overarching objective of Ireland becoming internationally recognised as a world leader in the delivery of high-quality international education by providing a unique experience and long-term value to students. The targets set for full-time international student recruitment and economic impact were exceeded. Our reputation as a destination for students and the student experience is very strong.

Global Trends and Economic Value Global competition in all aspects of international education is increasing. The dominance of English-speaking countries in the 34 Education

Ireland's intention to be a key player and provider in the international education market is often referenced by politicians and commentators. The government has finally launched a strategy Irish Educated, Globally Connected - which seeks to implement the ambition. It aims to increase the economic value of the sector to €2.1bn per annum by 2020 involving some 37,000 additional international higher education Students.

Here we publish the executive summary of the report summarising the thinking and the plan.

"The Strategy places a high quality learner experience, academic quality, research and mobility and a distinctive Irish offer at the centre of our delivery of international education.

provision of education programmes is being challenged by non-native English speaking countries delivering programmes through the medium of English. Competitive pressure is also increasing in other areas of international education such as fee levels, immigration rules and employment opportunities. Disruptive technologies, new modes of delivery and transnational provision are transforming the landscape.

The analysis of the economic value of international students that underpins this Strategy will significantly support the development of policies and strategy for international education in Ireland. It clearly demonstrates substantial increases in the number of full-time international Higher Education and English Language Training students choosing to study in Ireland in recent years.

The economic value of interna-

tional students is measured on an output impact basis and shows that the sector is now worth a minimum of €1.55 billion per annum to Ireland, outperforming the very challenging target of €1.2 billion that was set in the last strategy.

This highlights the tremendous contribution that International education brings to our economy and society and the potential that further enhancements to our policies can create in this area over the next number of years.

Irish Educated, Globally Connected - Vision, Goals and Strategic Priorities Building on all of the great work and achievements in recent years, our vision for international education is “to support Ireland to become internationally recognised for the development of global citizens through our internationalised education system and a market leader in attracting international student talent.”

This vision will be delivered through the achievement of a number of high level goals that reflect our aim of increasing the numbers of international students and researchers coming to our institutions, increasing outward mobility for Irish students and academics/researchers, connecting the benefits of internationalisation with enterprises in support of national economic ambitions and building world class networks of learning and innovation.

In pursuit of the overall vision and the high level goals, the Strategy establishes four strategic priorities

through which the outcomes and targets are established. These priorities are: Strategic Priority 1 - A Supportive National Framework Ensuring strong policy cohesion across related areas of Government Strategies and a strong regulatory environment that supports the objectives of internationalisation are central to this strategic priority.

Taking a whole of Government approach to the alignment of a range of policies, initiatives and institutions underpins the achievement of the goals and targets established.

Links to the National Skills Strategy 2025, the forthcoming Foreign Languages Strategy, the Trade, Tourism and Investment Strategy and our labour market strategies are clearly set out and the implementation of this Strategy will take cognisance of those related actions and objectives from those policies.

Reforming and enhancing the regulatory environment for international education providers and for students will also support the further development of our international education offering.

Working with relevant Agencies and Departments on immigration, visa regulation, inspection and bringing forward legislation where needed will all serve to enhance the assurance that all participants in the sector will have as we continue to build the sector into the future.

delivery. These strategies will factor in the opportunities and the challenges presented in a realistic manner while reflecting ambition in terms of their outputs and outcomes.

Strategic Priority 2 – Internationally-oriented, globally competitive Higher Education Institutions Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are the primary drivers of the internationalisation of higher education.

The focus of our HEIs must remain on quality and building long-term engagement with students and partners. HEIs will continue to play to their unique strengths on the global stage, while ensuring that their individual internationalisation plans dovetail with national policy and ambition. They will also work in partnership at regional level, particularly where this enhances the prospects of market success in specific regions of the world. The strategic dialogue under the higher education performance framework provides a strong mechanism to oversee and monitor progress in this regard.

Opportunities and threats are present in relation to student recruitment, future funding of the sector, student accommodation and the mobility for students, academics and staff. The potential for transnational education and for greater internationalisation of the curriculum, underpinned by the principles of equality and diversity in the delivery of individual HEI strategies, must also be reflected in planning provision in the years ahead.

The internationalisation strategies of the HEIs will include the achievement of the goals, priorities and targets set out in this Strategy in their key elements of planning and

Strategic Priority 3 Sustainable Growth in the English Language Training sector

"The English Language Training (ELT) sector has performed very well on all indicators of revenue, student numbers and student weeks

In recent years, the English Language Training (ELT) sector has performed very well on all indicators of revenue, student numbers and student weeks.

A number of core growth areas have been identified for further development. In general, these can be categorised into specialised programme opportunities and specific product offerings. These programmes include those for academic or specific business purposes, while the products will feature opportunities for internships, pathways to higher education and teacher training courses.

Research has established that the inclusion of ELT in the broader international education package would improve the ability of our Agencies to sell Ireland as destination for international students. The future development of the ELT sector will benefit greatly from Government support and access to official branding and in-market promotion. It is proposed that the Education in Ireland brand will move to include the promotion and marketing of the adult non-EU ELT sector when appropriate improvements to the regulatory system are in place.

This Strategy also establishes Education 35

institutions increased 321% from 514 to 2,166.

North Ameri

Chart 5: International Students by Institution Type, 2010/2011 and 2014/2015

As

European non-E

25,000 E staff between the jurisdictions.

In light of the recent Referendum 19,487 on the future of the UK in the 20,000 European Union, negotiations on the IRISH EDUCATED GLOBALLYfuture CONNECTED An International EU-UK relationship willEducation now Strategy for Ireland, 2016-2020 Strategic Priority 415,000 13,423 be required and the Irish Succeeding Abroad Numbers Government will continue to empha10,000 E d u c a t i o n i n I r e l a n d a n d t h e sise our very particular relationship Turning to Department of Foreign Affairs and with Northern Ireland and the UK in 5,945 change in s 5,000 Trade, in particular through its these negotiations, a fact that is 2,805 numbers h 2,166 Embassy network, play a key role in widely understood by our EU part514 2014/2015. identifying and building presence ners.

0 2,355 to 3,1 2010/2011 2014/2015 Recent years have seen the weland concrete outcomes in internaChart 1: 2.2 cohort whic Colleges/Other Institutes of Technology Universities come development of considerable tional education markets.

Number of EU and non-EU Students in Higher Education.

Trends and Economic Value of International Along with the Department of North-South engagement and coopStudents by Institution Type 2010/2011International and 2014/2015 Chart 7: Nu 2010/2011 a Education andStudents Skills, they will con- eration on education issues. At Domicile Origin of International Students – HEA 35,000 tinue to grow links with other institutional level, there is a broad funded HEIs 6,000 An analysis of the trends and of economic valuecollaboration of cross-border Governments and their agencies to range Looking 30,000 at the composition of international students by students undertaken as part of the particularly in research and innovacreate the rightinternational environment for col- was 5,000 continent, the South American and Asian cohorts saw of thisin Strategy.

The analysis is supported attached as tion, which has been by laboration forpreparation our institutions 25,000 the largest increases (see Chart 6). The number of South 4,000 E U f u n d ihere. n g p rIto g a m m e s aby nd overseas markets.

They 1 have Appendix andbeen it is summarised isrinformed American students increased from 51 in 2010 to21,440 1,431 in national research funding prohighly successful in assisting the the work carried out by Crowe Howarth for the English 20,000 3,000 2014/2015 and the number of Asian students increased building of long-term partnerships grammes in Ireland. Each jurisdiction Language Strategy under the aegis of Fáilte Ireland, from 4,448 to 10,094. for our institutions and for Ireland in has sought to pursue internationali15,000 11,604 the Department Skills and Enterprise 2,000 sation and strategies relevant to their all areas of economic interest. of Education APPENDICES The main drivers of the Asian increase were significant Ireland.

Supports, including those provided own priorities. There is increasing 10,000 increases in students from Singapore (1,277 - additional), 1,000 through the Irish Aid programme, recognition of the potential for proSaudi Arabia (862 additional), Malaysia (862 additional) part sustainof the analysis outlines the recent trend in 11,678 moting a whole-of-island approach have helped toThe buildfirst broader 5,000 9,351 0 and China (817 - additional).

There were also notable international student numbers HEA-funded across throughinjoint measures HEIs intended to able partnerships with partner increases in students from Oman (23 to 473) and Kuwait 0 Tot deliver mutually-beneficial outcomes countries. While this Strategy will categories such as EU and non-EU students, postgraduate (81 to 436).

2010/2011 2014/2015 and this should be explored further continue to support the deepeningprogrammes, and undergraduate institution type and EU Non-EU in the coming of existing market relationships The number of South American students increased domicile of originand and then details theyears. student numbers in Chart 6: International byHigher Domicile of Origin, Institutional Number ofStudents students in Education connections, it is proposed to also Breakdown – HEA funded HEIs largely as aand result of the rise in Brazilian students coming This sectio 2010/2011 2014/2015 the ELT sector.

Chart market 5 shows that,Strategic between 2010/2011 and 2014/2015, Actions and explore other highpotential to Ireland to study, primarily under the Science Without numbers in all types of HEA-funded Higher Education Institutions Resources opportunities in a proactive manner.

Borders initiative of the Brazilian Government. Of the 1,382 both sector Other/Unknown The second part details the incomes from international increased their number of international students.

Theand English Training In support of the visions, goals Education in Ireland and our additional Language South American students in 2014/2015, 1,323 2014/2015 Ocenia across HEA-funded and privately-funded increased their international students 45% strategic priorities set out inbythis Embassies will students be centralUniversities to this both task were Brazilianlanguage origin. A similar trend is present theStudygrowth in t In theofEnglish sector, figures frominthe institutes and the likely output impact of international 13,423 Institutes of Technology’s Strategy, some 24 specific (IoTs) actions and to the promotion offrom Ireland as ato 19,487.

African increase in the number of North American with Travel Magazine, Global Market reportstudents indicate aroundcategories. increased their student numbers by 112%tofrom 2,805that students in Higher Education in 2014/2015. have been included ensure centre for human capital developthe United States and Canada accounting for 96% of the South African came from 106,000 students in high-quality English Language to 5,945 while thethese numbers the Colleges Other areindelivered onand in concrete ment to Governments, agencies, increase over the period.

North Ame North America Training organisations – a 10% increase on 2010 estimates. institutions increased 321% from 514 to 2,166. terms. institutions and businesses where These reports also indicate 29% growth in student weeks These actions include a range of opportunities are identified. Allied to Asia Chart 5: International Students by Institution Type, 2010/2011 International Numbers in Ireland targets, administrative the further strengthening of Student the initiatives, in the sector between 2010 and 2014, suggesting that more and 2014/2015 European non-EU Education in Ireland brand, employ- enhancements and legislative students are staying in Ireland for longer periods.

Public and Private Higher Education 25,000 EU changes that will Institutes enable Ireland to ing improved communications 21,440 33,118 advance our internationalisation methodologies and building on In 2010/2011, 20,995 students attended publically and 0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 10,000 12,000 19,487 objectives at national, international Ireland’s alumni and diaspora 20,000 links, privately-funded Irish HEIs. This increased by 58% to 2010/2011 2014/2015 the scope for growing our interna- and institutional level. They are out33,118 in 2014/2015. The increase over the period was International Students by Domicile of Origin tional education outcomes is very lined in detail in Part 4 of this 15,000 13,423 primarily driven by increases in the non-EU student cohort, Strategy. substantial.

33,118 106,000 of students in Implementation Numbers International Students – Private 111,604 which increased by 85% from to 21,440 (compared and HEIs The 11,604 implementation of these 10,000 high-quality English Monitoring actions will require further resources European Union, the UK and to a 25% increase in the EU student cohort).

"The Irish Turning to private HEIs, Chart 7 below describes the Language Training 5,945 The actions to deliver on this and investment in international edu- Government North-South cooperation growth in student organisations – anumbers.

10% change in student Since 2010/2011, student Looking at5,000 the breakdown by level study since 2010, Strategy involve all stakeholders, cation by of Government and the the will increase Ireland has had a special relationweeks in the on grown 2010 by 31% from 4,213 to 5,520 in sector continue 2,805 numbers have 2,166 2010-11largest 2014-15 2010-2011 2015 including Government Departments, sectors involved. ship and partnership at all levels of been between 2010 and 2014 increase has seen in the number of students estimates to2014/2015. emphasise 514 The number of EU students grew by 32% from State Agencies, education instituThe Government is68% considering the our very society and economic interaction 0 at undergraduate level, which increased by from 2,355 to 3,119 compared to the 29% growth in the non-EU 2010/2011, 20,995 students The non-EU student cohort,2014/2015 tions and representative bodies. It is report on future funding of higher particular with the UK since the foundation of 2010/2011 attended publically andin privately by from 11,604 tonumbers of 15,821 2010/2011 toincreased 26,549 in 85% 2014/2015.The cohort which increased from 1,858 to 2,401.

Colleges/Other Institutes of Technology Universities essential therefore that implementaeducation and this will be important ourfunded State.Irish TheHEIs. IrishThis Government aims increased by 21,440 relationship students also increased by 32% from tion takesStudents place in onPrivate a partnership in terms of the resource issues4,758 raised with to maintain andpostgraduate that relationChartNorthern 7: Number of International HEIs, 58% to 33,118 inprotect 2014/2015.

6,283. Domicile 2010/2011 and 2014/2015 basis.

Strategy. The resources for the Ireland ship and our to connections to the Origininofthis International Students – HEA and The High-Level Group on greatest extent possible toHEIs the new and additional initiatives identi- the6,000 funded UK, a fact 21,440 33,118 International Education (HLG) will be mutual benefit of our societies and fied for the Exchequer will be that is widely Looking atare the composition of international studentsproby 5,000 responsible for monitoring overall pursued through the Estimates economies. These connections understood continent, the South implementation of 2,401 this Strategy. c e sAmerican s a s t h and e nAsian e e d scohorts a r i s esaw . T h e by our EU expressed in many deep and long(see Chart number South 4,000 A number of sub groups, responfor 6). feeThe income in of support s t a n d i n g c o o p e r a tthe i o largest n s a nincreases d possibility partners.

American students from 51systems in 2010 toand 1,431 in sible for driving specific actions, will of increased new regulatory supcollaborations33,118 between our HEIs and 106,000 1,858 students in 111,604 3,000 2014/2015 and the number of Asian students also beEnglish formed. A formal review, led ports also offers some increased potential those in the UK. There are also high-quality fromflows 4,448 to by the HLG, will take place midrevenue to see the necessary funding strong and long-existing of10,094.

Language Training 2,000 growth in student organisations 2018. – a 10% students, academics, researchers and come on stream.

3,119

growth targets for student numbers to 2020 that are challenging and ambitious, yet realistically achievable.

+58%

+85%

+58% +85% € 9.75m €177m

+10%

+10% € 29.6m

The main drivers of the Asian increase were significant

36 Education

increases2014-15 in students from Singapore (1,277 - additional), 2010-11 2010-2011 2015

1,000

Saudi Arabia (862 - additional), Malaysia (862 - additional) 2010/2011, 20,995 students The non-EU student cohort, and China (817 - additional).

There were also notable

0

increase on 2010 2,355 estimates

+29%

+29%

weeks in the sector between 2010 and 201

Teagasc College of Amenity Horticulture

Careers in horticulture THE Teagasc College of Amenity Horticulture is located in the National Botanic Gardens in Dublin’s northside suburb of Glasnevin.

At this location we teach full time courses in Horticulture at Level 5 (Certificate, 1 year), Level 6 (Advanced Certificate, 1 year) and Level 7 (Ordinary Degree, 3 years).

We have approximately 200 students from all over the Dublin, greater Leinster area and beyond.

Students who enter the courses have the ability to learn in the fantastic outdoor classroom which is the plant collection of the National Botanic Gardens, complimented by the brand new state-of-the-art college teaching facilities which were completed in 2014.

All of our students spend time training on the National Botanic Gardens as part of their programme, which is invaluable.

We have the added benefit of students being taught by top class Teagasc and OPW staff of the Gardens who take students on practical work experience during their studies in the college. This is also emphasised by the fact that students partake in work based training as part of their courses which is organised through the college with different employers in the industry.

Career path Our qualifications are fully accredited and suit people who wish to follow the area of Horticulture as a fulltime career path. The basic science of horticulture is covered in all courses, soils, plant science and plant identification and then students can further study areas like Landscaping, Sportsturf, Nursery stock and Food Crop production.

These subjects give people the foundation to build a strong career in the horticultural sector. There are lots of careers for horticulture graduates and opportunities are to be found in plant nurseries, landscaping companies, sportsturf facilities and other areas of horticulture involved in food production.

Students can enter first year either by applying directly to the college for

the Certificate course or through the CAO for the level 7 degree course (WD097). We have a partnership w i t h Wa t e r f o rd I n s t i t u t e o f Technology for the delivery of the d e g re e c o u r s e i n t h e B o t a n i c Gardens.

It is important to note that students spend all of their time on the degree programme based in the TeagascCollege 18.5cmx4 11/02/2016 Teagasc in Dublin.

The programme is awarded by Waterford

There are lots of careers for horticulture graduates and opportunities are to be found in plant nurseries, landscaping companies, sportsturf 2:26 pmandPage facilities other areas

Institute of Technology.

Students who wish to apply for the certificate course can do so directly to the college this year by the 10th June 2017. Application forms are available directly from the college or on the Teagasc website www.teagasc.ie/botanicgardens.

You are most welcome to come along to see our facilities and meet 1 staff regarding course choices in Horticulture.

eer in Horticulture... r a C A Situated in the National Botanic Gardens Glasnevin, the Teagasc College of Amenity Horticulture offers a range of courses in Horticulture. This wonderful setting provides the unique blend of the finest park setting in the capital coupled with the experience of the staff of the gardens and the Teagasc staff.

All students can avail of work experience in the Botanic Gardens as well as in parks around the city and other placements further afield.

Botanic graduates are leaders in the field of Horticulture and develop clear career pathways. Careers in landscape design and construction, parks,garden centres, fruit and vegetable production are all followed by the graduates.

Teagasc are proud to have new state of the art classrooms to support the learning of the next generation of Horticulturalists in the National Botanic Gardens. Careers and Course Information day:

Thursday 9th March 2017 @ 2.00 to 4.00pm in the college.

•QQI Level 5 Certificate in Horticulture •QQI Level 6 Advanced Certificate in Horticulture •QQI Level 7BSc in Horticulture in Partnership with WIT (WD097)

NEW Part time Component Awards at L5 and L6 Application procedure for Certificate and Component Award courses directly to the college (Closing date June 10th – check website for updates) Application for Degree course through CAO application process www.cao.ie Details on all courses can be found at www.teagasc.ie/education/teagasc-colleges/botanic-gardens or telephone: 01-8040201 or email botanic.college@teagasc.ie National Development Plan 2007 - 2013

National Development Plan 2007 - 2013

Education 37

Dunboyne Business Park, Dunboyne, Co. Meath

P: 01-8026577 F: 01-8015968 W: www.dunboynecollege.ie E: dunboynecollege@lmetb.ie

Post Leaving Cert Courses at QQI Level 5/6 2016-17 Health Care & Community Care • Applied Social Studies • Nursing Studies • Childcare/ Special Needs Assistant • Health Service Skills

Multimedia and Computers • Multi Media and Computers • Creative Media • Sound Production • Business Administration, eBusiness and Computers

Pre-University Courses • Arts (General and Languages) • Law • Science • Agricultural Science • Animal Care

Sport • Sports Science • Sports Management and Coaching (GAA) • Sports Management and Coaching (FAI Soccer)

Food • Professional Cookery • Food Science The Arts • Art • Music and Music Performance

Advanced Certificates (FETAC Level 6) • Childcare, Community Development (social studies), Art, Sport, Cookery, or Multimedia.

All courses are one year and are QQI Level 5 or Level 6 accredited.

They have direct links to universities and institutes of technology.

Business • Pre-University Business • Business, Tourism and Public Relations

Registration is now open on www.dunboynecollege.ie 38 Education

GREEN NEWS.....................................................................................................................

Wind energy to add over 1,000 jobs - IWEA A SURVEY of the wind industry claims that over 1000 new jobs will be created in the sector by 2020. The Irish Wind Industry Association (IWEA) released the survey of 150 wind based companies at its autumn conference.

The IWEA said that 300 jobs a year since 2013 had been created and that a total of 4,400 are now working in the sector. Elsewhere the International Energy Agency says that Ireland is now third in the world for wind penetration with 22.8 per cent of electricity now generated from wind (see below).

The survey indicates future investment of €2.5bn in the coming years resulting in the installation of 1.6GW of new generating capacity.

However the bullish assessment doesn't address the increasingly organised opposition to wind turbines around the country. Plans for extensive wind farms in the mid-

1

lands became an election issue and those plans are on hold.

On the other hand some of the big tech companies such as Apple and Facebook are locating large facilities in Ireland partly because of the availability of renewable energy, mainly wind. In addition, the IWEA say that independent energy experts have confirmed that the availability of wind energy is reducing the wholesale cost of electricity in Ireland.

2132

2011 (%)

2012 (%)

2013 (%)

2014 (%)

2015 (%)

33.6

21.9

28.0

29.9

32.7

39.1

42.0

Portugal

50.4

17.0

18.0

20.0

23.5

24.0

23.0

Ireland

29.2

10.5

15.6

14.5

16.3

18.3

22.8

Spain

245.0

16.4

16.3

17.8

20.9

20.4

19.5

Germany

600.0

6.1

8.1

8.3

8.5

9.6

14.7

Sweden

136.0

2.6

4.4

5.0

7.0

8.0

12.2

UK

332.6

2.6

4.2

5.0

5.0

9.0

11.9

Austria

60.0

3.0

3.6

5.0

5.8

7.2

8.7

Greeceb

51.2

4.0

5.8

5.8

5.8

6.1

7.1

Belgium

81.2

1.4

2.6

3.3

4.4

6.4

6.7

118.4

4.0

4.2

4.1

4.7

4.8

6.3

3,724.5

2.3

2.9

3.5

4.1

4.4

5.1

575.0

1.8

2.3

2.8

3.1

3.8

5.0

Italy

315.2

2.6

3.0

4.0

4.7

4.9

4.6

France

476.3

---

2.2

3.1

3.3

3.6

4.2

5,654.4

1.2

1.6

2.0

2.6

2.8

3.3

286.0

0.6

0.6

1.2

1.5

2.0

3.2 2.8

United States Canada

China México

b

Finland

83.0

0.3

0.6

0.6

0.9

1.3

Norway

130.4

0.7

1.0

1.1

1.4

1.7

1.9

Japan

953.5

0.4

0.5

0.5

0.5

0.5

0.6

Korea

546.0

0.2

0.2

0.2

0.2

0.2

0.2

56.9

0.05

0.1

0.1

0.2

0.2

0.2

2.3

2.8

3.3

3.8

4.1

4.8

Switzerland Overall of IEA Wind Countries

2,059,850

Homes Powered Equivalent on the island of Ireland.

642MW

Denmark

Netherlands

3169MW

Installed Wind Energy Capacity on the island of Ireland.

Installed Capacity in Northern Ireland.

a

2010 (%)

207

The number of wind farms in the Republic of Ireland

2527MW

Executive Summary

National Electricity Demand (TWh) 2015

241

The number of Wind Farms on the island of Ireland.

Installed Capacity in the Republic of Ireland.

Ireland now third in the world for wind energy contribution Table 7. Contribution of Wind to National Electricity Demand 2010–2015 Country

Wind Energy in Numbers

Bold italic indicates Contribution of Windestimates to National Electricity Demand 2010–2015 - International Energy Agency

Percent of national electricity demand from wind = (wind generated electricity / national electricity demand) × 100 b [8]

MW Republic of Ireland Wind Generation Record reached at approximately 22.00 on 28th January 2016.

583MW

Northern Ireland Wind Generation Record reached at approximately 18.15 on 1st June 2015.

2683MW

All Island Wind Generation Record reached at approximately 22.00 on 28th January 2016.

The above are based on latest information available from ESB Networks, Eirgrid & SONI.

21%

Percentage of Ireland’s electricity demand met from wind in 2015 (SEAI figures).

3,258,556

Potential CO2 reductions (pa) in tonnes, from wind farms installed on the Island of Ireland.*

88.5MW

Installed capacity of Ireland’s largest wind farm, Meentycat in Co. Donegal.

1992

Year Ireland’s first commercial wind farm was commissioned at Bellacorrick, Co Mayo.

Credit IWEA

a

nd passed 5 GW mark in 2015. The installation rate is expected

projects and 600 MW tendering in process.

Education 39

La Verna Centre BALLINDERRY, MULLINGAR, CO. WESTMEATH

FRANCISCAN HOUSE OF SPIRITUALITY & HOSPITALITY

Ballinderry is just a 15 minute walk to Mullingar town and a 10 minute drive to several beautiful walks such as Belvedere Gardens and Lough Ennell.

For more information on booking a day, week or weekend contact: Sr. Clare Brady, Franciscan House, Ballinderry, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath Tel: 044-93-52000 Email: lavernacentre@gmail.com | Email: info@fmolireland.ie

www.fmolireland.ie

Laverna Centre

“Come away and rest a while” Mark 6:31 40 Education

Vocations

The La Salle community SAINT John Baptist de La Salle was born in France in 1651. He belonged to one of the more important families in the city of Rheims. At the age of 27 he was ordained a priest.

Attentive to God’s voice, a voice calling him to place all his trust in Him, John Baptist stripped himself of everything: first of his title as canon, then of his patrimony which he distributed to the poor during a famine that desolated France in 1683 and 1684, thereby becoming completely poor himself just as the young people who came to his schools, and just like the teachers whom he encouraged to place their faith in God. John Baptist de La Sallewas canonized in 1900. In 1950, Pope Pius XII proclaimed him “Special Patron of all Christian educators.”

The Lasallian family Today, the large Lasallian family is formed by about 5,000 Brothers,

who together with 84,000 men and women teachers and numerous other Lay associates help in running 1,000 education centers, in 80 countries. 850,000 students, children, youth and even adults, receive the best education available in Lasallian educational establishments.

The educational activity of the Lasallian Family is carried out on all social levels. The Institute is also positively involved in the educational rights of children.

During the International Year of Literacy/Schooling (1990), UNESCO awarded the NOMA prize to Lasallian Institutions.

"During the International Year of Literacy/ Schooling (1990), UNESCO awarded the NOMA prize to Lasallian Institutions

Social engagement The Lasallian Family also works with the inter-congregational project of “Solidarity with South Sudan“ of the Union of Superiors Generals; and is also a founding member of BICE (Bureau International Catholique de

l’Enfance) and as a follow-up to the terrible earthquake in 2010 that caused enormous damage in Haiti, the Institute is engaged in an important project on the scholastic, social and sanitary levels.

Education The educational centers of the Lasallian Institute exist on all levels: early education and primary schools, secondary /high schools, colleges, professional formation programs and universities.

Today Brothers and Lay Lasallians support more than 300 informal educational centers for young children, teen-age youth and adults who live in areas of social decay.

In the footsteps of the Founder, 14 Brothers have been canonized, 150 are beatified, 8 Venerables and another 5 are on either on the way to sainthood with their process begun or nearing completion.

IS IT THE TIME TO CHOOSE YOUR WAY OF LIFE?

Is there something stirring within you? Are you restless in spirit? Is there an urge within you to follow a new and different pathway? Are you listening to your deepest self with courage and conviction?

Is God speaking to you through silent prayer, your own thoughts, emotions, values and attitudes, a relation, friend, book, magazine, advertisement, a life experience, a meeting or even a phone call?

Are you waiting for someone to affirm, guide, support and encourage you to do what you are really thinking in your heart?

Is there an answer for you in religious life as a De la Salle Brother?

The life of a Brother is a GIFf OF THE SPIRIT.

It is the radical living of the VALUES OF THE GOSPEL.

It is a prophetic sign and a living memory of JESUS CHRIST It's a Gift to be Shared with Others.

Further information from: province@iol.ie Education 41

RECENTLY PUBLISHED ...........................................................................................................

Creating History: Stories of Ireland in Art By Brendan Rooney UPON leaving the National Gallery in Dublin during Easter week 1916, its registrar James Stephens was struck by ‘the rumour of death and war’ that gripped the air; one hundred years on, the National Gallery will evaluate these seismic historical events in its principal contribution to Ireland’s Decade of Centenaries in both a powerful new exhibition and stunning book, Creating History: Stories of Ireland in Art. The National Gallery’s exhibition comprises 54 paintings spanning the 17th century to the 1930s, depicting or inspired by episodes in Irish history from the arrival of St Patrick to the establishment of the Free State.

Jan Wyck, James Wheatley, John Lavery, Sean Keating, William Orpen and Jack B. Yeats are some of the major artists represented their masterworks are lavishly reproduced to stunning effect alongside essays from today’s leading art critics.

The exemplary contributors to feature –

among them Tom Dunne, Ruth Kenny, Róisín Kennedy and Roy Foster – deliver fascinating assessments that situate the Easter Rising and Ireland’s claim to independence through the historical significance and aesthetic value of Ireland’s major artistic works.

While the exhibition will run from 8 October 2016 to 17 January 2017, Creating History: Stories of Ireland in Art is set to be the National Gallery’s enduring tribute to the events of 1916, and will constitute a lasting legacy.

Brendan Rooney is Curator of Irish Art at the National Gallery of Ireland, and author/editor of numerous works on Irish art, including Thomas Roberts: Landscape and Patronage in Eighteenth-century Ireland (2009) and A Time and a Place: Two Centuries of Irish Social Life (2006). irish Academic Press • Around €22

Ever Seen a Fat Fox? Human Obesity Explored?

By Professor Mike Gibney

EVER seen a fat fox? Didn't think so. Why it is that only humans - or animals in the care of humans - develop obesity?

In Ever Seen a Fat Fox?: Human Obesity Explored Professor Mike Gibney delves into the history of the human relationship with food. He traces the evolution of our modern diet and looks to science to offer solutions to the phenomenon of human obesity. He calls on governments to cease the single-issue ad-hoc approach and demands a massive governmental long-term investment in weight management.

It is a commonly held belief that obesity is a recent phenomenon. Professor Gibney reveals that obesity is nothing new - in fact, the modern upward trend in obesity began in the mid-nineteenth century. Obesity has been part of human experience whenever and wherever we've had affluence.

There are many who seek to apportion blame for the epidemic of obesity. Blaming the food industry for obesity is always popular:

sugar is public enemy number one. Debunking exaggerated views and cutting through the mixed messaging Gibney demonstrates that most food processing techniques are old, hundreds and thousands of years old.

The genetics of obesity, the practice of dieting, and the value of physical activity are thoroughly assessed. The failures of the players in obesity including the media, scientists, academic organisations, international agencies, specifically the WHO, and the food industry are brought into sharp focus.

What can we learn from the fox? An expert in public health and personalised nutrition with bestselling books and over 300 peer-reviewed papers in the area, Professor Mike Gibney uncovers the full story behind obesity based on painstaking research, and offers us tangible solutions to this very human phenomenon.

The best is yet to come

Wherever the Firing Line Extends

A memoir about football and finding a way through the dark

By Alan O'mara ALAN O'Mara is a Gaelic footballer with Cavan and an Ulster u21 champion. In 2013, when he was just twenty-two years of age, he went public about his experience with depression.

Since then, Alan has become a leading mental health advocate in Ireland and is an ambassador to the HSE's 'Little Things' campaign and the Gaelic Player's Association.

In 2016, Alan founded 'Real Talks' to facilitate discussions on the importance of mental health, effective communication, personal leadership and resilience in schools, the workplace, sports teams and other communities.

Hachette Books Ireland • Around €15 42 Education

By Ronan McGreevy

THE First World War was the biggest conflict in Irish history. More men served and more men died than in all the wars before or since that the Irish fought in.

Often forgotten at home and written out of Irish history, the Irish soldiers and their regiments found themselves more honoured in foreign fields.

From the first shot monument in Mons to the plaque to the Royal Irish Lancers who liberated the town on Armistice Day 1918, Ronan McGreevy takes a tour of the Western Front.

At a time when Ireland is revisiting its history and its place in the world, McGreevy looks at those places where the Irish made their mark and are remembered in the monuments, cemeteries and landscapes of France and Flanders.

The History Press • Around €18

Located only 2 hours from Dublin, across the Irish Sea, close to Holyhead, students from Ireland could be eligible for a non-repayable tuition fee grant of up to £5,100 from the Welsh Government, and a tuition fee loan of £3,900. *Tuition fees are £9,000

• All Bangor LLB degrees have Qualifying Law Degree (QLD) status, meaning they are recognised by the Law Society of Ireland for professional purposes.

• You can combine the study of Law with a range of subjects including Accounting & Finance, Business Studies, Criminology, History, Media Studies or a European language.

• Bangor University LLB Law degree holders are eligible to take the Law Society of Ireland Entrance Exams.

• Scholarships and bursary support available.

• Bangor is considered one of the most affordable places in which to study in the UK. • Bangor University is placed in the top 15 in the UK* for overall student satisfaction (National Student Survey 2016).

• Bangor University is rated no.1 in the UK for accommodation, 2nd for courses and lecturers and 3rd for student support (Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2016). *excluding 'specialist' institutions

Education 43

44 Education