Claire McGee
CEO, Technological Universities Association
Across Ireland, technological universities are giving people a direct path to a meaningful career — and businesses the talent and expertise they need.
Ireland’s first Technological University (TU) was established in 2019 and the fifth in May 2022, yet they’ve already shaken up higher education and proved to be a win-win for people and businesses.
“TUs are a new breed of university,” explains Claire McGee, CEO, Technological Universities Association, an organisation recently created to represent Ireland’s technological university sector. “Technological universities (TUs) may be Ireland’s newest universities, but they build on deep regional roots and are already proving their value for learners, communities and businesses.”
“TUs have a special mandate to give students a direct path to a meaningful career — and to give businesses the talent and expertise they need to scale, grow and innovate. By combining wider access to higher education with flexible career-focused pathways, applied research and close collaboration with enterprise, TUs help to attract and retain employers and investment to make regions more dynamic and resilient.’”
Industry input creates programmes offering real career pathways
There are now seven of these institutions — five TUs and two institutes of technology — with campuses in 17 counties across Ireland, offering programmes ranging from apprenticeships, undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, PhDs, professional qualifications and special awards.
These programmes were developed with industry input, ensuring that graduates entering the workforce are trained in the disciplines, technologies and practices that regional employers are crying out for.
“Many programmes have work experience, project-based learning or experiential, hands-on learning built into them,” says McGee. “It’s very applied and focused on solving current, real-world problems.” Because they offer students such clear career pathways, TUs have been attracting the highest proportion of mature and part-time learners and first-generation collegegoers.
TU’s have a special mandate to give students a direct path to a meaningful career — and to give businesses the talent and expertise they need to scale, grow and innovate
Designing and delivering programmes that fulfil business needs
Another benefit is that their educational programmes are also geared towards the growth sectors of the Irish economy and the careers that will define the decades ahead.
Aside from hard skills, students are equipped with essential digital skills, plus soft skills — like interpersonal communication and teamwork skills — helping ensure they’re work-ready upon leaving.
Statistics show that over 80% of graduates are employed nine months after graduation.
“Collaboration with enterprise will always be central to the TU approach,” says McGee. For businesses grappling with skills gaps in data, sustainability, advanced manufacturing and leadership, TUs can design and deliver education programmes that are directly relevant to their needs.
Meanwhile, TU research programmes work on industry-facing challenges with the aim of increasing the innovation capacity of enterprise, both regionally and nationally.
“The TU sector is all about unlocking opportunity,” says McGee. “It’s the future of education in Ireland.”
