The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
International college set for Killarney
THE Brehon Hotel in Killarney will be home to a new third-level college from September, as IT Tralee and the Gleneagle Group join to provide an International College of Hotel Management.
The college takes its nod from the Swiss hotel management education system, and will be the first of its kind in the country.
Offering higher education programmes to a contingent mainly consisting of international students, the college will receive backing from similar colleges in Germany and Austria.
The college will welcome its first students in September, with the full degree programme - an NFQ Level 8 Honours Bachelor Degree - will be on offer from September 2018.
IT Tralee President Dr Oliver Murphy said the new college ‘represents an excellent opportunity for IT Tralee’ and ‘a key development on the pathway to attaining Munster Technological University (MTU) status in partnership with CIT’.
IT Tralee Head of School of Business, Computing and Humanities Mary Rose Staffore described the college’s offerings as ‘unique’.
“Programme delivery will focus on work-based learning and distance learning, as well as traditional lectures and practical demonstrations,” she said. “Students will contribute to the economy of the town and will undertake their work-placements in hotels throughout the region. We hope to gain the support of hotel providers and we will encourage them to reap the benefits of highly trained and skilled personnel for placements.”
The college’s courses will combine practical training with work in the classroom and online, with the intention of developing students’ skills for a successful career in the industry.
Gleneagle Group CEO Patrick O’Donoghue said Killarney’s reputation within the tourism sector makes it the ideal location.
“Killarney is the home of Irish tourism, there is a wealth of knowledge here,” he said. “This college will harness the intrinsic expertise of our locality.”