'A fantastic day for Cork': Investment pledged to develop Cork campus as ‘college of the future’

The Government has announced a multi-million euro investment to develop the Bishopstown campus of Cork College of Further Education and Training (Fet) into what has been billed as “a college of the future”.

Visiting the Bishopstown campus yesterday, Further and Higher Education Minister Patrick O’Donovan said Government funding worth tens of millions of euro would drive the development of Bishopstown campus into a new central Fet College for Cork.

“This is a fantastic day for Cork and I’m thrilled to announce that Cork ETB [Education and Training Board] is moving to the next stage in the process of delivering a further education and training campus that the entire county can be proud of,” he said.

“Cork has been a shining example of how best to deliver a quality and responsive tertiary education system that meets the needs of its region, and today’s announcement will allow its Fet sector to take another significant step towards delivering a world-class environment for its learners, staff and community.”

Asked for a precise figure on the investment in the Cork campus, Mr O’Donovan said he didn’t have an exact amount.

“The figure that I have is €4.5bn — not for this building obviously — that’s the figure that I have for 2025 from the department, and we’ve the largest investment ever into apprenticeship and further education,” he said.

Mr O’Donovan said the plans for the Cork College of Fet reflected the needs of society and the needs of the economy into the future and would encourage people to look at different pathways to employment when completing their Leaving Certificate.

“It’s not all about the CAO, there are fantastic opportunities and great incomes that people can derive from carrying out an apprenticeship in particular,” he said.

“I think we are probably starting our career guidance a bit late in life, we should nearly be looking at it in the primary school curriculum to encourage children at a time when they’re about to transition into second level, that they’re certainly looking at schools that have the subject offering that will be best placed for them, as opposed to coming to a stage in your life where you’ve all the subjects done and you’re there with a CAO form, for a lot of people that’s very daunting.”

He added that his department was adding €77.5m extra toward apprenticeships next year, a figure that he said would help address immediate needs.

Denis Leamy, chief executive of Cork ETB, said the announcement marked the largest infrastructural investment in further education and training in Cork’s history.

“With Government approval and departmental , it paves the way for the creation of a new ‘college of the future’ at the existing Bishopstown Campus on Rossa Avenue,” Mr Leamy said.

Asked about the ongoing shortages in student accommodation, Mr O’Donovan said his department was at the final stage of a consultation process with the university sector “amongst others”.

“We’re at the finalised stage of the development of a detailed design for purpose-built third-level student accommodation,” Mr O’Donovan said.

“We have money in the 2025 budget that we will be able to work with the Higher Education Authority and the university sector around leasing, and we have also in this budget encouraged again more people to avail of the opportunities that are there for digs accommodation and I know particularly here in Bishopstown that would be a big part of the local economy.”