IT Sligo will host a Part-Time Learning Open Evening on Monday, May 28th to provide information on the part-time, online and postgraduate study options available through the Institute this September.
With almost 50 courses to choose from in the areas of science, engineering, business and humanities from higher certificate to Masters and PhD level, there are courses to cater for every interest and level.
Information will also be provided about the Government Springboard Initiative which is provides free places on selected courses for the unemployed.
Further education provides a good opportunity to build on existing skills or to work on a career change, and Registrar Dr Brendan McCormack said that IT Sligo’s part-time, online and postgraduate courses are proving to be increasingly popular.
He explained that providing flexibility for the learner is central to the part-time offerings at the Institute: “People looking to further their education may be trying to study while in a job, or they may have family commitments and flexibility in their scheduling is crucial,” he said.
IT Sligo is recognised as a national leader in online learning and won a ‘Digital Media Award this year for ‘Best in eLearning’ in 2011. A new Centre for Online Learning was recently launched at the Institute, which will work on further building on the Institute’s reach.
More than 1,500 students are currently enrolled on the Institute’s part time programmes and some 800 of these are studying online. Many students ‘log in’ for their classes from abroad, some as far afield as Canada, Africa and Israel. The fact that students doing the most complex laboratory work can access and control equipment remotely, means that the college continues to lead the field in the provision of online education.
“Our tag line is ‘your lecture in your time’”, Dr McCormack said. “The point is you can take part in our online lectures anytime, anywhere and you don’t need to be at the computer to receive the lecture. Students can interact and can communicate with each other either privately or in an open forum.”
The majority of people who take up part-time courses at the Institute tend to be in the 25 to 50 age group, and most have significant experience in the workplace and are up-skilling either to maximise career promotion opportunities or because of redundancy and the need to change to a different sector, he said.
“Some of our courses are delivered at the Institute in the evening time, but the majority are delivered online. This makes learning and up-skilling possible, no matter what your location or work situation,” he said. “We will also be offering a range of courses through Springboard, which are fully funded courses for people who are unemployed. This is a very worthwhile opportunity for those who find themselves out of work, to gain a new or additional qualification which will help them get back into the jobs market.”
The Part-Time Learning Open Evening will be held in IT Sligo’s Yeats Library (Lower Level), in IT Sligo’s Main Building from 6pm to 8pm on Monday, May 28th. Admission is free and all interested people are welcome to attend. For further information see www.itsligo.ie or telephone 071 91 55222.
For more information on IT Sligo’s Open & Distance Learning courses click here.
Heads of Department of Business and Tourism, Marketing and Leisure, Catherine McGuinn and Ann Higgins pictured with students in advance of the Part Time Learning Open Evening. Amongst the part-time business courses on offer at the Institute from this September are the Higher Certificate in Business Studies, aBachelor of Business in Management Applications, and a Masters in Marketing.
