In Pictures: Autumn conferrings underway at University of Limerick

THE first ever students in Ireland to graduate with Masters level apprenticeships have been conferred at University of Limerick. 

The students – 34 of which are graduating from the Lean Sigma and Supply Chain programmes run by the Faculty of Science and Engineering’s Flexible Learning Centre – are the first to graduate with Masters level apprenticeships from any education institute in the country.

The Masters level apprenticeship students are among almost 3,300 new graduates being conferred at UL this week.

Speaking this Monday, UL President Professor Kerstin Mey said: “Today’s first ever Irish apprenticeship Masters graduates are all highly valued experienced professionals who have now broadened and significantly augmented their skillset while continually working. They are very deserving of our praise.  

“These graduates are significantly contributing to current or predicted skills gaps by growing their own in-house knowledge and talent with a combination of ‘on the job’ learning and formal studies.”

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The UL apprenticeships programme focused on structured education and training which formally combines and alternates learning in the workplace with learning in UL.

It is a dual system - a blended combination of on-the-job employer-based training and off-the-job training. 

The apprenticeships were developed by a consortium of industry leads, in partnership with UL, with the aim of meeting the expanding needs of businesses in Ireland and to prepare Irish industry to be leaders on a global scale.  

Minister of State for Skills and Further Education Niall Collins has congratulates all of the graduates.

“Today is a very special day for the graduates of these apprenticeship programmes. They should all be proud of their achievements. This is also a proud day for UL, as the first university in Ireland to offer apprenticeships from degree to post-graduate level and a global trailblazer in the provision of apprenticeships at doctorate level. The message is loud and clear: apprenticeships are open for business and in more areas than you might think."

In her conferring address, Professor Mey told the wider group of assembled new UL graduates that the ceremonies are a hugely important part of their learning journey.

“Your journey through education has been exciting, challenging and indeed not without a great deal of effort and commitment, but today you are celebrating the fact that you have excelled academically and all while we faced some of the darkest and most challenging days in recent history. This is an occasion that brings with it many reasons to celebrate and indeed to look to the future," she said.

“As you leave here today with your academic award, you too will become the leaders, pioneers and entrepreneurs that will drive societal change for the better.  Some of you will be the disruptors in asking how we do things differently, but all of you will be capable of meeting the challenges ahead," added Prof Mey.