City Status Group also call for new National Apprenticeship Office to be located here

Ever since Vivian Geiran presented his scoping report to Minister for Justice Helen McEntee in March there has been a sense that Drogheda is on the brink of a bright new future.

There can be no doubt that education will have an important part to play in that future and the Drogheda City Status Group (DCSG) is therefore seeking input from interested parties such as schools, students and parents along with community and business interests to help them develop a priority listing of Further and Higher Education needs for the area and what Third Level institutions are best positioned to provide these needs locally.

“DIFE has been doing wonderful work in responding to many of the local needs for Further Education and has strong connections with DkIT.   However, there are wider needs, especially in the area of Higher Education that need to be responded to” said DCSG Chairperson Anne McKenna.

The group has been in contact with Minister for Further and Higher Education, Simon Harris who, they say, appears sympathetic to Drogheda’s position as Ireland’s largest town and emerging city – yet has no Third Level presence.   

“This can result in students from families on lower incomes being the denied the opportunity to secure a Third Level qualification” Anna pointed out. “For others, the cost of travel and accommodation to attend college places a heavy burden on family finances.   

“A Third Level University campus in the Greater Drogheda Region with good access to public transport would be an overdue first step to address this” she said.

The City Status group now want all interested parties to email their needs and ideas to droghedacitynow@gmail.com ahead of their engaging with the Minister in the weeks ahead, placing the word “EDUCATION” in the “subject” box.

In particular, they need to hear what Third Level courses could or should be run from Drogheda; what Colleges and Universities can deliver these courses and how should they be delivered?   For example, in the Post-Covid era, how practical is the concept of “blended learning,” that would involve remote study and lectures, backed up by physical attendance in college lecture theatres and laboratories?

Drogheda City Status Group are also calling for the new National Apprenticeship Office to be located here, given the major focus on apprenticeships and training in the Geiran Report. They point out that the construction phase of the Port Access Northern Cross Route alone has the potential to generate hundreds of apprenticeships in the local construction sector.

“Locating the National Apprenticeship Office in Drogheda would be seen to be a tangible response to some of the more critical needs articulated in that report and would help develop a substantial and local response for young people in the Greater Drogheda Region,” said Anna McKenna.

“We are asking Minister Harris to prioritise this as a matter of urgency and already, we have spoken to senior representatives of the LMETB regarding the matter.   In our ongoing discussions with LMETB, we also continue to raise the overdue siting of their new headquarters here in Drogheda and they have assured us that plans are progressing for this project, which will also generate much needed local employment.”