€11 million in funding announced for further education in Dundalk

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris TD has today announced an €11 million investment in the Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre of Excellence (AMTCE) in Dundalk.

Minister Harris confirmed capital investment to expand and refurbish the centre to facilitate AMTCE.

In addition, Minister Harris also confirmed Dundalk Institute of Technology has been given approval to proceed to the next stage of proposal development for a National Centre for Craft Apprenticeship Provision under the Technological Sector Strategic Projects (TSSPF) Fund.

Speaking today, Minister Harris said:

“This is a significant investment for Dundalk. The investment in further education in Dundalk is the largest single capital investment in further education since the establishment of this Department.

“The Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre of Excellence has been extremely successful in re-skilling and up-skilling students to use the new emerging technologies, as well as enabling them to develop new careers in advanced manufacturing through apprenticeships and traineeships.

"It has created partnerships with DKIT and across county borders with Cavan and Monaghan ETB.

“Today, we are confirming we will be spending €11 million to expand the work underway there.”

The building in Dundalk is on a long-term lease from the IDA. LMETB will now re-purpose all existing services and the reconfigure all spaces.

In addition, Minister Harris confirmed that DKIT has been successful under the Technological Sector Strategic Projects (TSSPF) Fund to proceed, following a strategic assessment process to further develop its proposals to create a new ambitious Centre for Craft Apprenticeship Provision. 

Minister Harris added:

“At the beginning of the year I set out my vision for a new phase of capital investment in the higher education sector, and specifically the technological sector, that would act as an enabler to achieve and meet the ambitions and needs of this sector.

“Today is a key milestone as we start DKIT emerge from the first part of a robust strategic assessment process, and move to the next phase of the project life cycle development, which will see the development of a preliminary business case.

“Investment will play an important role in supporting the technological sector as drivers of regional development by allowing them to better meet the needs of learners in their region, to deepen existing and forge new relationships with business and enterprise and to respond in an agile fashion to future developments.

“This project will ensure learners, economic and societal needs are at the heart of all our decision making. The outcomes of the business case stage will inform the development of a pipeline of projects and future capital investment decisions. The proposal developments to be advanced under the Technological Strategic Projects Fund will complement significant investment right across the technological sector.”