Galway Technical Institute (GTI ) is one of the leading colleges of further education in the west of Ireland. In uncertain times, a one-year course at GTI is a positive choice for your future. Experienced GTI staff have risen to the challenge of working in an online learning environment and implementing all Covid-19 safety measures. GTI has embraced this new blended learning approach and is committed to the belief that students will succeed in their chosen vocational area.
GTI's application system will open on Monday February 1 for all QQI Level 5 and 6 courses, and a virtual open day will take place on Tuesday March 2. Planning for full-time courses for 2021-2022 is at an advanced stage. Further education courses qualify for SUSI grants and GTI registration fees are a small fraction of those in the third level sector.
New courses for September 2021 include pre-university arts, pre-university IT skills, both in the new Arts and Social Sciences Department; law and criminology, logistics and distribution in the Business Department; and animal care - dog grooming in the Applied Health Sciences Department.
The further education sector is recognised as central to the skills needs of the economy. GTI offers almost 50 courses across 10 departments. These may offer direct employment into sectors as diverse as healthcare, media, construction, beauty, and hairdressing. The college is committed to implementing the new SOLAS Further Education Strategy of 2020-2024 which emphasises building skills, fostering inclusion, and facilitating pathways to employment, further training, and higher education.
With the recent expansion in the range of apprenticeships now available, PLC courses are the ideal pathway to a future career in many sectors such as the accounting technician apprenticeship, currently running in GTI. The college also offers an apprenticeship preparatory programme in carpentry/plumbing/electrical areas.
Due to higher CAO points for popular third level courses this year, many senior cycle students are researching all options for their future. Progression to third level education is very successful at GTI with 60 per cent of students being offered places in colleges including NUIG, GMIT, LIT, AIT, and IADT. Students who also complete a QQI Level 6 programme at GTI are eligible for direct entry to the second year of an undergraduate course in a related programme.
The college boasts a strong student support service which manages a variety of student related issues to include academic support, career guidance, personal counselling, and the provision of supports for students with disabilities. A class teacher is appointed for every class at induction and acts as a liaison with all students in that class group. Many courses offer small group practical work or group tasks where students develop skills and enjoy working with others.
GTI has established work placement links with a number of partner colleges in Europe through its ongoing successful Erasmus Plus projects. Partner countries include Portugal, Poland, Turkey, Spain, France, and Finland. These work placements are fully funded by the EU and offer students a unique opportunity to develop their cultural and educational expertise while also completing a work placement in their vocational area. In 2019-2020, GTI sent approximately 90 learners to Europe as part of GTI’s successful Erasmus Plus initiative. The college was awarded the Erasmus+ Mobility Charter by Léargas. This charter recognised the operational capacity of GTI to plan, manage, and implement high quality mobility projects for learners and staff.
GTI welcomes applications from both school leavers and mature learners who wish to retrain or upskill. Visit the GTI website gti.ie for full details of all courses.
