Nov 16, 2020
The ‘Class of 2020’ received their graduation awards at the Institute of Technology, Tralee’s Virtual Conferring of Awards Ceremonies on Friday 6th Novebmer.
This year’s graduation was noticeably different as it was held virtually online due to the COVID19 Pandemic. The innovative online ceremonies were broadcast on the IT Tralee website with the School of Health & Social Sciences at 10am, Business Computing and Humanities at 12pm and Science Technology Engineering & Maths at 2pm. Graduates and their families can look back and view the ceremonies again by going to ittralee.ie/graduation.
In order to create anticipation for the event, IT Tralee featured a number of its staff using the popular “where it started, how it’s going” meme from the internet showcasing the successful careers graduates can look forward to as a result of the completion of their programme. This helped to create a personal feel to the online proceedings.
Aileen Kennedy, Acting Vice President Academic Affairs & Registrar commented, “Today marks a momentous occasion for the graduates of the IT Tralee who will celebrate their achievements in a very different but no less special way. Their personal and academic achievements deserve to be showcased and I am glad that the staff here at the Institute found a safe, but compelling way to hold our graduation ceremonies.”
This year’s graduating classes includes students from the School of Business, Computing and Humanities, the School of Hotel, Culinary Arts and Tourism, and the School of Health and Social Sciences and represent direct CAO applicants, mature students, international students, and those completing studies on a part-time basis. Graduates from the school of Business, Computing & Humanities heard from the CEO of the IDA Martin Shanahan.
The total number of students receiving their parchments on Friday was over 1,100 ranging from Higher Certificates at Level 6 to Masters Degrees at Level 9, and includes the first cohort of students from the Level 6 Higher Certificate in Pharmacy Technician and the level 7 Bachelor of Arts in Culinary Arts programmes.
Testament to the multicultural diversity at IT Tralee, this figure also includes 321 International students who hail from Canada, China, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Jamaica, among other countries. There were a further 330 graduates from programmes offered through IT Tralee’s Lifelong Learning department. Lifelong Learning are developed in close consultation with industry to meet skills shortages and provide opportunity for job seekers or returners to gain fully accredited third level qualifications, and for existing employees to enhance their qualifications or gain a new qualification to advance careers.
President of the Institute, Dr Brendan O Donnell, paid tribute to all graduates and their families for what they have achieved, “Conferring Ceremonies are a time for great celebration and the highlight of IT Tralee’s Academic calendar. Today, we congratulate all of our graduates, their families and friends and recognise the hard work and dedication that led to this moment. This is the beginning of a new chapter in our graduates’ lives as they go forth into the workforce and either begin or continue their career journeys.”