DkIT Attracts More than 2,000 to Open Days

10 November 2018

Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) opened its doors to more than 2,000 prospective students and their families as part of its two-day open day celebrations. More than 90 schools from across the North Leinster-South Ulster region visited the campus to get a taster of what undergraduate life is like at DkIT with opportunities to meet with lecturers, speak to current students and explore the latest facilities and equipment in use across the DkIT Campus.

Set across two days, the campus was alive with activities, performances, presentations and showcases taking place across all corners of the campus. Visitors were treated to musical performances from Applied Music students and they received all access passes to the Creative Media and Arts suites including film studios, recording studios, editing suites and creative media labs. They were also able to explore the latest innovations in computing from Vex Robotics to virtual reality, 3D animation to coding showcases and webpage & app design.

Tours of the nursing & midwifery clinical skills labs proved to be a popular attraction for high-schoolers as they were able to receive demonstrations of the state-of-the art equipment in use day-to-day by this department. Another highlight included an interactive workshop entitled ‘Digital Literacy in the Era of Fake News’ which was organised by the DkIT library and explored data literacy and how it applies to the modern world, replete with fake and misleading news which is backed up by unreliable data.

DkIT’s Faulkner Hall was transformed into an exhibition hall for DkIT’s eclectic range of courses, from applied music to applied bioscience, early childhood studies to agriculture, mechanical engineering to accounting, sports and digital marketing. Visitors had the opportunity to take part in Q&A sessions with DkIT student ambassadors and lecturers, to help them with their CAO choices.

There was also a workshop for guidance councillors from participating schools which included a welcome address by DkIT President, Dr. Michael Mulvey and VP for Academic Affairs and Registrar, Dr. Sheila Flanagan. The primary focus of the session was on Skills for the Future workplace and included presentations from employers in the region including Paycheck Plus, Tekenable and Prometric. Guidance Counsellors heard from DkIT’s work-placement students who spoke about how experience in the workplace has enhanced their learning and enabled them to develop job-ready skills.

Diarmuid Cahill, Schools Liaison Officer at DkIT, says:

We were delighted to welcome so many students of all ages, guidance counsellors and their families to our campus on Open Day. This is an exciting time for students to be considering DkIT for third level as we embark on a strong trajectory of growth. With 49 degree courses available across a wide variety of disciplines, our prospective students now have more choice than ever. Our hands-on approach to third-level learning means that our graduates are highly employable; in fact last year 94% of DkIT graduates entered full-time employment or study within 9 months of studying.”

DkIT will organise its next Open Day on Saturday 19th January 2019 and invites students of all ages to attend. The event will include a CAO Clinic with advice and support on completing CAO application forms. For more information, visit www.dkit.ie/openday.