November NUI Galway Celebrates College Awareness Week 2018

NUI Galway are organising a series of events to mark the fourth annual College Awareness Week, which takes place from 19-24 November. The campaign promotes the benefits of a post-secondary plan that supports students to become college ready and also showcases local role models.

College Awareness Week aims to inspire and inform all students about the importance of having a post-secondary education plan. It advocates for students to have the choice to pursue the course best suited to their interests, abilities and dreams, whether that is a PLC qualification, an apprenticeship or a university degree.

To celebrate the initiative, NUI Galway is teaming up with Archbishop McHale College, Tuam, Co. Galway, to launch the ‘Attract-Transition-Succeed’ project, which is a partnership between the University’s Access Programmes, Techinnovate Centre and the James Hardiman Library. The partnership will help build on the role of the NUI Galway Access programmes in developing educational models that will support and facilitate under-represented student groups, teachers, families, and communities to access and participate and succeed at third-level.

Owen Mac an Bhaird, NUI Galway student teacher at Archbishop McHale College said: “We are delighted to be part of a nationwide campaign to promote the importance of post-secondary education. There are lots of options out there and College Awareness Week encourages people of all ages to consider further education as part of their future.”

In addition to this launch, NUI Galway together with professional services firm Grant Thornton, are launching a mentoring programme called Professional Engagement Module, which will give students the opportunity to gain exposure to the professional environment, develop career skills and increase their career readiness. It is the combination of mentoring, time spent in the Grant Thornton offices, and workshops that combine to give the students self-belief around progression in education and in planning for their careers.

Other events taking place during College Awareness Week will include:

• Talks from the University’s course coordinators to students in Further Education colleges studying QQI Level 6 courses about the pathway of progression to third-level.
• The launch of the 1916 Bursary Fund and Inclusive Centenaries Scholarships targeting students in the community who have the ability to benefit from and succeed in higher education but who, for a variety of social and economic reasons, are under-represented at third level.
• The University will celebrate the Access programmes during their Annual Awards Ceremony on Thursday, 22 November, and during the ceremony will officially launch the 20^th anniversary of the Access Programmes in Galway which will take place next year.

For more information on College Awareness Week visit www.collegeaware.ie.

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