IT Sligo Welcomes LC Announcement and is Open for Business
IT Sligo Welcomes LC Announcement and is Open for Business
IT Sligo welcomed the announcement this afternoon from Minister Joe McHugh TD, clarifying the situation regarding the Leaving Certificate and the replacement of the Leaving Certificate examinations with an alternative grading system. The decision brings certainty to Leaving Cert students and will lift some of the anxiety and stress they have felt over the past few weeks.
The announcement will allow this year’s students to concentrate on their future and for those who wish to attend third-level in 2020/21 they can now do so earlier than previously expected. The Institute of Technology Sligo looks forward to welcoming this year’s cohort of students and is rapidly preparing for the start of the next academic year. Responding to the announcement, President of IT Sligo, Dr Brendan McCormack said;
“Today’s announcement will end the uncertainty and concern felt by many 2nd level pupils and allows them to concentrate on the next step in their future. We look forward to welcoming students in September and we are preparing for a new and exciting way to teach and to collaborate with students that works with the present social distancing requirements. IT Sligo is looking to adapt to a new way of delivering education using a blend of remote and on-campus delivery. This year will be a unique experience for all of us but we are preparing to make IT Sligo a safe and exciting 3rd level experience for our students.”
The Institute has already adapted in how it will hold events and will be hosting its next Open Day online. Marketing Manager of IT Sligo, Rosie Gileece say’s IT Sligo is very much open for business this September;
“Sligo has so much to offer students and as national leaders of off-campus learning we have been able to adapt to remote and blended learning very quickly. We have always believed in smaller class sizes to make education more personal to our students. This allows us to prepare for any social distancing we may need to adhere to in the autumn.
Sligo offers one of the safest environments for students with an abundance of spacious, affordable housing. Our courses are second to none and we ask all students across the region to look to their local 3rd level institution this year under the present restrictions.”
Before the crisis, IT Sligo has, and continues to offer a range of alternative access routes to education. For many years the Institute, renowned for its online capabilities, has offered alternatives for those who couldn’t attend on campus or who chose not to go to college but still wanted a third-level education. Dr Brendan McCormack says the Institute will prepare very quickly to accommodate all circumstances;
“IT Sligo has over 20 years experience in alternative methods of delivering education remotely. We were the first institute to offer a full degree through apprenticeship learning, allowing students to “Earn & Learn”. This may well become a more popular option for many who want to get into the workforce quickly while getting a qualification paid for by the company.”
Before the crisis, IT Sligo had just launched Education4All – an initiative to provide full degree level courses to people who couldn’t attend on-campus for a multitude of reasons including health-issues. Dr McCormack added;
“Due to this pandemic, these courses are now relevant not just to people with health issues who under the present situation are at high risk and may need to study remotely but also to the wider population who may have other reasons they cannot attend on-campus learning. Our many years experience of online and distance learning has prepared us better than most for this situation and we are very confident we will be able to offer an uninterrupted educational experience in September 2020.”
IT Sligo is holding its first virtual Open Day on Tuesday the 12th of May daily until Friday the 15th of May. Further information can be found at www.itsligo.ie/caovirtualevents.