Innovative higher education programme launched at Offaly's three remote working hubs

THE Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) has teamed up with the Offaly Innovation & Design Centre to deliver its '”Learning Gate” programme.

The higher education programme will be delivered in remote workings hubs in Tullamore, Birr and Edenderry.

The official opening of the “TUS Learning Gate” was performed by the Leas Cathaoirleach of Offaly County Council, Cllr Tony McCormack at a function in the Junction at the Axis Business Park in Tullamore recently.

The brief launch was attended by members of Offaly County Council, representatives of TUS and by Mary Hensey. Manager of the Junction.

Acting as Master of Ceremonies, Ms Hensey explained that all three hubs in Offaly – the Junction in Tullamore, Beehive in Edenderry and Stream in Birr – were taking part in the collaboration with TUS.

She revealed that students were already taking part in the higher education programme at the Junction and she hoped more would come on board in the near future.

Orla Martin, Head of Enterprise at the Offaly Local Enterprise Office (LEO), who is also one of the directors of the Offaly Innovation and Design Centre, said her office works hand in glove with the three hubs in Offaly.

“We are delighted to see this collaboration taking shape,” stressed Ms Martin.

Cllr Tony McCormack said the partnership opened up huge opportunities for students in the region.

“It will allow students to study at the Junction and the other hubs in Offaly without having to travel to Athlone,” he noted.

The Tullamore based councillor predicted that new businesses would spring from the higher education collaboration.

Speaking of his own experiences doing at MBA at Athlone in 2011, Cllr McCormack said he would have been delighted to have had the opportunity then to benefit from the remote working experience.

Dr Michael Tobin, Director of the Faculty of Continuing Professional Online and Distance Learning at TUS said that one of the main objectives of the partnership was to make learning opportunities more accessible for students.

He added that TUS and the former Athlone Institute of Technology had a history of developing higher education opportunities in Tullamore.

But Dr Tobin noted the education landscape had changed and TUS was determined to provide as many opportunities to students as possible in this new era.

The speaker revealed that TUS now had over 1400 students learning online compared to just 80 in 2019 in the pre-Covid era.

The objective of the “TUS Learning Gate” is to bring the delivery of higher education to the Midlands region and beyond, to ensure that those living and working in these localities can access flexible part-time higher education programmes.

“This will go some way towards supporting these regions' social, business and industrial communities through the provision of access to appropriate skilled staff, through either up-skilling or re-skilling opportunities, to be made available through the partnership with the three remote working hubs.”

For more details log onto www.tus.ie