DIFE Principal Davy Mc Donnell receives the 'Best Further Education Provider in Ireland' award from Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee.

Award recognises excellence in the provision of further education

Drogheda Institute of Further Education (DIFE) has, for the second consecutive year, been awarded Best Further Education Provider in Ireland at the 2021 Education Awards in recognition of outstanding overall performance and excellence.

This prestigious award, which is open to all providers of further education and training in Ireland, recognises excellence in the provision of further education.

The judging panel benchmark providers against a set of criteria including innovation, learning outcomes, infrastructure, teaching and research standards, student experience, employment statistics, alumni relations, and development.

DIFE Principal, Davy McDonnell, said: “Winning this award for the second year is an amazing achievement. It is a great recognition of the hard work and dedication of our wonderful teaching staff in DIFE. Our ambition is to be the leading provider of further education in Ireland and our teachers work tirelessly each year to ensure the best educational experience and outcomes for our students.” 

Each year DIFE offers over 50 full time further education courses to more than 980 students within its state-of-the-art campus in Drogheda. The diverse range of courses includes Art, Design and Technology, Business Humanities and IT, Sports, Leisure & Tourism, Applied Science and Community and Healthcare.

DIFE is a dedicated FET college (Further Education and Training), established in 2003 and is the largest provider of Post Leaving Certificate courses in the North East Region providing Further Education courses to school leavers and adults returning to education.

These one-year full time courses allow students to progress to Higher Education and employment. All courses are fully accredited by QQI and other relevant professional examining bodies including: ITEC, City & Guilds, CIBTAC, National Examining Board for Dental Nurses, CIDESCO, Pearson etc.

An increasing number of students are choosing to study a one-year full time course in DIFE enabling them to upskill, gain relevant industry qualifications, progress to apprenticeships and degree courses in University or alternatively to progress directly to employment. Work placement is an integral part of every course, aiding students to make an informed career decision and develop excellent collaboration with local employers in the region.

Applications for 2022/2023 academic year are currently open, check out the college website: www.dife.ie  for more information on college courses or to apply for a course commencing in September 2022.