There is quite a buzz about the campus at Dunboyne College and the future is looking very bright as applications for Sept 2022 opened.
With a new €42 million campus planned, over 60 qualifications including new courses in the Pre-University areas of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Science, Law and Politics, and Politics, Economics and Social Science, along with a course in Auctioneering and Estate Agency are all planned for 2022.
There is an increasing demand for places on all courses according to College Principal Denis Leonard.
Advice and support from Career Guidance Counsellors
“The last few years have been very stressful for the Leaving Certificate of 2022 and we recognise that many have lost out on the opportunity to really investigate the options that are available to them,” says Mr Leonard.
The college has seen a growing number of applications from Leaving Certificate students for entry in Sept 2022 but they have also been dealing with calls from many students who are still unsure.
“The uncertainty surrounding the Leaving Certificate has now been resolved but there are still many students not sure what their options are so the Career Guidance team will always be on hand to answer their questions. They will outline how students can use their qualifications from Dunboyne College to gain entry to University degree courses or progress straight into employment if they so wish.”
No need to panic re the points race
Reflecting on the debate on CAO points Mr Leonard, a qualified Career Guidance Counsellor, says there is no need to panic over the points race as there are many ways of getting onto the university course of your choice.
Progression from Dunboyne College to Maynooth University, TU Dublin, DCU, Trinity College, UCD and many other 3rd level colleges has grown dramatically in recent years.
“In 2021 three hundred and seventy-four (374) Dunboyne College students received a Level 8 honours degree offer and two hundred and forty-eight (248) received and for a Level 7, ordinary degree course via the CAO.
“What many parents and indeed students are not aware is that there are reserved places at Universities for students who complete a QQI Level 5 course. They can use their results from Dunboyne College instead of their Leaving Certificate to access some of the very high point courses including Law, Teaching and Science. In fact, most courses on the CAO accept QQI qualifications for entry.”
The progression rates from Dunboyne College to university are the highest in the country, exceeding many of the top performing secondary schools but they don’t tell the full story.
“These figures do not include the many mature students who received early offers and those who took up offers in the UK for Nursing, Law or Sports degrees. In addition, many students who studied on the vocational skills courses including Hairdressing, Beauty Therapy, Childcare, Airline Studies, Cookery and Animal Care obtained jobs straight from their course.
“Many of these were with employers who used the work placement option on the courses as a recruitment platform.”
Full return to on-site classes as new college campus is planned
Over 8,000 students have studied at Dunboyne College with enrolment exceeding over 1,000 students since 2020.
Denis Leonard says they were delighted to welcome students back on-site in recent weeks following the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions.
“It has been a long hard road for students. The move to fully on-site classes has been achieved through the diligence of our staff and students and the hard work of our Covid team. We have implemented very strict Covid protocols over the past 2 years to keep everyone safe but it is just great to have all our students back on campus.
“Online learning has its place, but for practical classes, assessments and the normal day to day college activities there is no substitute for face to face learning.”
New plans for the future
Staff and students have also been celebrating the announcement of plans for a new €42 million euro purpose-built college campus
In December Minister Simon Harris announced the first purpose-built FET College of the Future for Dunboyne. The investment is a testament to the hard work of staff, students and its focus on delivering a quality service, says Denis Leonard.
“Dunboyne College is a college with a family atmosphere which gives students a wealth of learning, enabling, communicating, collaborating, and inspiring each day. It is a comfortable and supportive place to learn. We are proud of our staff, our students and their achievements and we look forward to welcoming the Leaving Certificate class of 2022.”
Dunboyne College applications are open at www.dunboynecollege.ie
