Community Leaders, Students, Professors and Principals were on hand at TUS Coonagh last week, as the University celebrated the Certificate in Transition to Higher Education programme.
Established in 2017, by TUS Access Service, in partnership with TUS Flexible Learning Dept., the programme is a foundation preparation course providing a pathway for students to acquire the knowledge, skills and competencies required to successfully participate and embark on a degree programme.
This course aims to enable students to maximise their potential and make a successful transition to higher education. On successful completion of the programme, each participant is awarded a Special Purpose Award Certificate, 20 Credits at Level 6.
Professor Vincent Cunnane, President of The Technological University of the Shannon (TUS), said the programme embodies TUS’ values: “To those who have completed the Transition to Higher Education Certificate, I wish you my very heartiest congratulations. And I extend those congratulations not just to the learners, but to their families, their teachers, their supporters, the TUS Access Office, Flexible Learning and all of our partners on this journey.
“In TUS, we believe that Higher Education should be accessible to all who would benefit from it, and this event allows us to celebrate and reflect on this programme, on those who have emerged from it, and on those who have enabled it. This is a gathering of people who are the very embodiment of our key values, this is a community effort as well as a personal one. Nobody embodies this more than those who have gone through this programme, into degree programmes and then into the workplace. I wish all of the learners every continued success, and I will be watching you on that journey. We will continue to support you in maximising your potential. To our Access Office, Flexible Learning, our academic staff and our partners, I also say a sincere thank you. This is about our culture, our commitment, our values and the beating heart of TUS.”
Tiernan O’Neill, Principal of Corpus Christi National School since 2000, Moyross, who spoke at the event, is a passionate supporter of the ‘transformative’ programme.
He said: “For almost a quarter of a century I have worked with children with massive hopes and dreams who, as they grow into adulthood, face a myriad of challenges that very often have created an impenetrable ceiling for them to break through.
“With the support of TUS and their transition programme, we are chipping away at this ceiling and so many of our past pupils and parents are now fulfilling their potential and breaking free from the shackles of educational underachievement.
“The beauty of our engagement with the TUS Transition to Higher Education Programme is that it is not about fanciful, idealistic notions but about creating a platform where this community can become masters of their own destiny.”
A booklet featuring student stories funded by N-Tutorr was presented at the event, where graduates like Richard, spoke of their experiences.
“I returned to education about 10 years ago and I lasted about four or five months,” Richard said. “I felt out of my depth and I went back to the building sites and that was it.
“I heard about the Transition course from a friend, and while I was reluctant to start given my age and the time it would take to complete it, I took my friend’s advice and entered. I’ve always wanted to come back into education and when my kids got to a certain age it became possible.
“I initially struggled with Maths and I got frustrated, but the support system that the Access Course offered to us on campus was great. My advice for anyone in their mid-30s or 40s, or who’s late starting and thinks they’ve run out of time – you haven’t. You’re never too old and situations are never that hard to get around. There’s always a way.”
Fellow graduate, Sonya, who also spoke at the event, thought she’d never return to education before she was introduced to the programme by her son’s school principal.
“I heard about the Transition to Higher Education programme from him – he’d known me since I was a child and asked if I’d go back,” she said. “I was 25, working and had three kids and I thought that was my life!
“Right before the programme was supposed to start, fear took over and I emailed to say I couldn’t come to class – but between the principal and the staff at TUS, they convinced me to believe in myself and just see what it was like.
“It was a whole different experience to what I expected. The lecturers were there to help and support and they really cared about my education. When I completed the programme, I enrolled in a full-time BA (Hons) in Social Care Work within TUS and graduated in November 2023, and I now work with Tusla.
“I would 100% recommend the programme to others who are thinking about getting back into education. You will see the development in yourself, you will see the progress.”
