Technological universities (TUs) are native establishments, with smaller elegance sizes and a extra numerous territory of classes, from apprenticeships thru to PhD degree. CAO issues have historically been decrease at technological universities than on the major universities.
All of this has supposed that the TUs have tended to draw a numerous pupil frame. This contains mature beginners, neurodivergent scholars (who will have, for example, ADHD, autism, dyslexia or dyspraxia), disabled scholars, carers, lone oldsters, scholars from deprived backgrounds and scholars from ethnic minorities.
“Within the classroom setting, lecturing staff find that diversity — whether it’s students with a disability, or from diverse ethnicities or socio-economic backgrounds — encourages creativity and alternative opinions which demonstrates to students how to critically think and develop their own mindset,” says Sinéad Dunne, senior supervisor for get entry to and outreach at TU Dublin.
“We believe that multiculturalism on campus fosters an appreciation for other cultures and diversity of thought.”
In 2023, TU Dublin enrolled greater than a 3rd of full-time undergraduate unutilized entrants thru non-standard routes, over 1 / 4 of which got here from additional training. TU Dublin has its personal get entry to foot programme, aimed toward mature scholars and younger adults from socio-economically deprived backgrounds.
There’s a devoted autism coordinator at TU Dublin to aid the expanding choice of scholars with autism, life two occupational therapists and two assistive era officials aid scholars with a incapacity. An get entry to and outreach undertaking officer from the Travelling nation has just lately been appointed to paintings intently with Traveller and Roma communities and likewise to aid present TU Dublin scholars from those communities.
“The accessibility that was there when we were regional technical colleges and, later, institutes of technology, have carried over,” says Perry Percentage, the top of pupil luck at Atlantic Technological College (ATU).
“CAO points have not soared and our student profile continues to be diverse. Because we have apprenticeships as well as degrees, there are many ways to be a student at ATU, and we try to be as flexible as possible when people come to us. We have long been leaders in online education at our Sligo campus [formerly Sligo IT], long before the pandemic, which has made us accessible for those students who may not, for whatever reason, have been able to attend in person.
“We have mature learners, students from across a disadvantaged area that includes the islands and Gaeltacht, and we are developing programmes for learners with intellectual disabilities.
“The challenge is always to ensure that the curriculum reflects that diversity of experience, and this is helped by our academic staff becoming more diverse, too.”
At TUS, in the meantime, get entry to officer Dr Carolann Bargary says that the Certificates in Transition to Upper Training supplies a pathway for extra scholars to embark on and whole a point programme.
TUS has a territory of scholarships and helps designed to help scholars with the prices of faculty. The technological college has a Traveller undertaking which objectives to grant alternatives for Travellers and to aid and schoolmaster scholars who travel to raised training. There also are 10 sanctuary scholarships each and every educational generation for college kids residing in world coverage or from a refugee background to travel to TUS classes.
Bargary says that Upper Training Authority investment has been instrumental in supporting their tasks.
Dr Laura Keane, head of the segment of pupil era and finding out at South East Technological College (Setu), says that there was a 44 in step with cent building up within the choice of scholars registering with their incapacity carrier between 2017 and 2023.
Setu runs a number of tasks to aid scholars from numerous backgrounds.
“Attains — assistive technology training assisting independent success — is an evidence-based programme targeted at students with disabilities from underrepresented groups, and it leverages existing local-level connections between Setu, Deis [disadvantaged schools], community partnerships, and cohort-specific advocacy groups, in partnership with 10 schools,” says Keane.
Setu runs a number of transition and orientation programmes and helps for underrepresented scholars, with mentoring alternatives and fiscal backup to be had to backup, too. It additionally runs programmes to aid individuals of the Traveller and Roma communities to get entry to training, offering pupil bursaries to 13 Traveller and Roma scholars in 2022-2023.
Around the upper training sector, there’s a rising working out of tips on how to safeguard neurodivergent scholars are absolutely incorporated, in addition to the advantages that alternative ways of considering and finding out convey to the campus.
TUS is the primary college to be formally recognised as ADHD-friendly life, at ATU, the campuses are turning into autism-friendly areas.
“Staff here are training in universal design for learning, which is about how they teach [to a broader range of students — an approach that ultimately benefits all learners and, evidence shows, makes for more engaging courses] and assess, while the layout of campuses is ensuring more quiet spaces,” says Perry.
Within the southeast, Setu is creating tutorial programmes and coaching educational and aid group of workers about autism.
“Work has been undertaken to develop education and training materials for those who work with students with autism, either in an academic or support capacity,” says Keane.
“Some of these include the creation of a pre-transition guide for autistic students, peer mentor autism training, the establishment of a Neurodivergent society and the introduction of biweekly quiet times in the gym for students who prefer a lower sensory experience.”
All of this means now we have come a ways, transferring from a hour when inclusion was once visible as a charitable employment to these days, when the true worth of numerous pupil our bodies is well-established.
Profiles in variety
Zach Winters (21) BSc in industry at Setu
“I sat down with the CAO form when I was 18, not entirely sure what I wanted to do.
“Because I have cerebral palsy, my career options are a little more limited: I couldn’t do a trade, for instance.
“But, during secondary school, I was very good at business and accounting, so the course in Setu was a good fit. It is a four-year course, with a work placement in third year. I am hoping to use my qualification to teach at third level, which means I am likely to do a master’s.
“I like the campus here, it is relatively accessible — although there is room for improvement, very welcoming and well-designed. I’m now in my second year and I am involved as a student mentor.
“I like that there is a lot of diversity on campus, with mature, neurodivergent, disabled and international students all just part of the mix.
“The supports for disabled students are great, with extra time in exams among the ways we are facilitated. The disability office is currently running an autism awareness campaign on campus. One of the lecturers here has cerebral palsy, like me, and they have established a disability support network.
“I think my generation is perhaps more aware of disability and it is normal for us to be at third-level.”
Dave Doherty (54) BA in social help paintings, TUS
“I grew up in Moyross, a socially disadvantaged area in Limerick. I left school at 15 and went straight into employment.
“For years, I drifted between dead-end jobs and spells of unemployment. My lack of education was embarrassing for me and it affected my confidence in looking for jobs.
“I was a full-time dad for the last six years, but I knew it would be time for me to eventually return to the workplace. But at my age, with no qualifications, it was daunting, so I thought about returning to education.
“I discovered the Limerick Lifelong Learning Festival and came across an information session on pathways to education for mature students, held here in TUS. So I went along and signed up: the course was a one-year programme, with a mix of online and in-person learning, where we worked on personal development, academic writing and maths. It boosted my confidence, so I applied to the CAO and here I am at the end of my first year of a social care degree.
“I’ve had moments where I questioned my abilities and wanted to quit, but I am determined to come through the other side. Being a mature student, I have the advantage of lived experience. I learn from my younger classmates and they learn from me.
“I’m hoping that, when I come out of here, that I can perhaps work in the education system or in the community, helping young people like 15-year-old me. Maybe I can help them and stop them from falling away from the education system.”
