*Minister for Higher and Further Education, Simon Harris.
FUNDING FOR A project at the College of Further Education Training Scariff Campus has been announced.
Minister for Further and Higher Education, Simon Harris (FG) was in Scariff on Monday last to announce the capital investment which will support Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board adding a purpose-built extension to the College of FET campus.
This project falls under the next tranche of capital investment under the Further Education and Training (FET) Strategic Infrastructure Upgrade Fund. “The funding I am announcing today is going to expand and add the number of courses available here in Construction and Engineering. These courses and their availability are crucial as they will help to meet the skills and lifelong learning demands locally and nationally,” he stated.
Minister Harris commented, “This purpose-built extension will facilitate integrated FET learning on one Campus, enhancing the crucial role our Further Education Institutions play in supporting an inclusive and progressive society which serves the needs of everyone in society”.
According to Minister Harris, the Scariff investment is “of huge importance and will benefit those learners who are to come through the door in the coming years”.
Funding for this project will be provided through SOLAS to Limerick and Clare ETB. The project announced today will now move forward to the appointment of a design team, with a view to development of a more detailed project brief in consultation with relevant stakeholders.
Chief Executive of SOLAS, Andrew Brownlee, said the capital investment announcement was “a significant development for learners and communities in the Clare region, but also an important milestone in the evolution of FET facilities and provision nationwide”.
Chief Executive of Limerick and Clare ETB, George O’Callaghan commented, “The ETB very much welcomes the significant planned investment by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research Innovation and Science through SOLAS in the Further Education and Training facilities in Scariff that are in need of an upgrade. The announcement aligns with the ETB’s FET Strategic Framework priority of ensuring FET facilities provide the best learning and working environments that reflect quality and industry standards, and promote innovation and sustainability”.
