P-TECH in Ireland

In 2018, the Irish Government announced support for a pilot programme of P-TECH in Ireland, centered in the NEIC, with the aim of tackling educational disadvantage.

NCI & P-TECH

National College of Ireland became the Higher Education partner alongside IBM, Cisco, Virgin Media, Irish Water and Irish Life, and the Department of Education and NEIC, to collaborate with local secondary schools St Joseph’s, CBS, Marino College and Larkin Community College. P-TECH is supported by the Department of Education (DOE) and the Department of the Taoiseach, as well as the North East Inner City Programme Implementation Board (NEIC PIB).

NCI worked with industry partners and schools to reimagine the original P-TECH model and to design a whole new curriculum tailored to complement the Irish education system. P-TECH in Ireland is a unique industry, education and community-based collaboration. The Certificate in P-TECH is a new programme which seeks to provide students with a range of skills and experiences that help their development, future learning and future career. The programme, which is made up of two modules, (Skills for Business & Career and Skills for a Digital World) introduces students to new ways to develop knowledge, digital skills and work experience. In addition, the programme highlights the importance of empowering students to develop self-awareness, self-belief, and personal autonomy. It also creates lots of opportunities to learn about collaboration, project working, appreciating other perspectives, problem-solving and how to reflect on learning and experiences.

NCI Location

National College of Ireland is based in Dublin’s North-East Inner City (NEIC), an area at once synonymous for International Finance and Silicon Docklands, and with a history of high unemployment and poverty. NCI originated as a Workers’ College, founded by the Jesuits, and it retains a strong ethos of social justice. The College’s mission is to Change Lives Through Education. NCI has a 6,000-strong student body, from undergraduate to doctoral level, in its core areas of computing, business, psychology and education.

Centre for Education and Lifelong Learning (CELL) at NCI

The Centre for Education and Lifelong Learning (CELL) at NCI is at the forefront of education and learning innovation, with research and practitioner expertise in Early Childhood Education, Further Education, Technology Enhanced Learning, P-TECH, Lifelong Learning, Universal Design for Learning and design for 21st Century skills. As well as offering a range of programmes for education and learning professionals, CELL also provides professional support for Teaching Enhancement and Digital Learning Design throughout NCI. CELL runs an annual Festival of Education and Lifelong Learning, allowing the sharing of best practice within the sector.

P-TECH Certificates

There are 2 certificates provided under the P-TECH initiative, one designed for students and another for teachers, to help deliver the certificate to students.