Press release
Secretary General Bernie McNally welcomes the first P-TECH ‘Community Day’ of 2023-2024
Published on
Last updated on
Published on
Last updated on
Today marked the first P-TECH ‘Community Day’ of the new school year. Originally pioneered by IBM, P-TECH is an education initiative that combines post primary school with elements of further education and workplace experience, which has been in operation in the North East Inner City since 2018.
This event brought together P-TECH Transition Year students from Larkin Community College, Marino College and St Joseph’s Fairview with the P-TECH partners hosting their work experience placement next year: A&L Goodbody, Cisco Systems, Deloitte, IBM, Irish Life, Irish Water, SAS and Virgin Media.
Students spoke with P-TECH industry partners, to understand what type of job role and skills they would be working on within the range of projects on offer. While the work experience will take place in February of 2024, this early engagement supports the industry partners and students in building their working relationships ahead of placement.
The full P-TECH partner network, including the industry partners of Irish Rail and Salesforce, P-TECH schools of Rosmini Community School and O’Connell’s Secondary School, academic partner of National College of Ireland, supporting departments of Department of the Taoiseach, Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, the City of Dublin Education and Training Board, and the North East Inner City Initiative, were welcomed to the event.
The new P-TECH partnership for this year, including recently joined schools and industry partners, was highlighted, including the new role of Business in the Community. Business in the Community Ireland have taken on IBM’s previous role as a strategic partner for P-TECH in Ireland since summer 2023.
The Secretary General of the Department of Education, Bernie McNally, provided a digital opening address for this event, saying:
“The P-TECH programme has been in operation in the North East Inner City since 2018, and since it has gone from strength to strength. We have seen changes and growth since it was first introduced - new Industry Partners joining, new schools of Rosmini Community School and O’Connell’s Secondary School, and new faces working together to support the programme, including the recently introduced role of Business in the Community as P-TECH strategic partners. They say that a strong tree has many roots; in this way, I know the NEIC students involved will be supported in this year and in the future by all of the P-TECH partners in realising their full potential.”
Minister for Education Norma Foley said:
“On this first P-TECH ‘Community Day’ of the new school year, I am pleased beyond measure to send best wishes to the students of the five participating North East Inner City schools taking part in the programme, along with the industry partners who will host students on work experience placement next year and all of the other partners involved.
“Combining classroom-based education with workplace experience, as well as elements of further education, can bring about a myriad of benefits for students and companies alike. Since it was first delivered in 2018, the P-TECH programme has made a significantly positive different for students in terms of equipping them with relevant IT skills, as well as helping to encourage and develop their problem-solving, creativity, teamwork and communication skills. The students taking part this year can look forward to an enriching and enjoyable experience and I wish them all the very best.”
In July 2016, the government launched a major initiative for Dublin’s North East Inner City (NEIC) to oversee the long term, social and economic regeneration of the area.
The Mulvey Report entitled “Dublin’s North East Inner City – Creating a Brighter Future” was published in February 2017 and made a number of recommendations. As part of this response, in November 2018, P-TECH was launched as a pilot programme with three post-primary schools in the NEIC of Dublin by the Taoiseach, Minister for Education and Minister for Finance.
The P-TECH School Model, pioneered by IBM, is an education initiative that combines post primary school with elements of further education and workplace experience.
P-TECH as a model requires a three-way partnership between school, higher/further education institution and industry partners, with each required to commit to the success of the school and its students. It includes a structured workplace learning strand with mentoring, worksite visits, speakers, project days, skills-based and paid internships. Whilst the acquisition of relevant IT skills in key areas are included in the course work, P-TECH also seeks to encourage and develop student’s problem solving and creativity and places emphasis on teamwork, collaboration and communication skills.
P-TECH is now in operation across five NEIC schools - St. Joseph’s Fairview, Marino College, Larkin Community College, Rosmini Community School and O’Connell’s Secondary School - and has multiple industry partners supporting the programme, including IBM Ireland Limited, Cisco Systems, Irish Water, Virgin Media, Irish Life, Iarnród Éireann, Salesforce, SAS, A&L Goodbody and Deloitte.
The National College of Ireland is the P-TECH academic partner who have developed the Certificate in P-TECH. This is a Level 6 Special Purpose Award (10 ECTs) for students who complete the P-TECH programme in post-primary. The Certificate in P-TECH 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.
P-TECH partners also include the City of Dublin ETB, the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, the Department of the Taoiseach, and the North East Inner City Initiative. Business in the Community Ireland have recently joined the P-TECH pilot as the P-TECH Strategic partners, stepping into the role previously held by IBM in P-TECH operation in Ireland.