“The secret of success is to be ready when your opportunity comes,” these were the wise words of Benjamin Disraeli, a former British prime minister and the first Earl of Beaconsfield, words that Atlantic College founder John Daly has taken to heart and used as inspiration to build what began as a small language school into an internationally recognised success story.
In the hard economic times we find ourselves in it is unfortunately rare to find a business which has grown from strength to strength, and has ambitious plans to expand even further with the aim of providing students, from home and abroad, with more access to quality assured training into the future.
The story of Atlantic College started in 1994 in a two classroom space in Upper Abbeygate Street and, 17 years later, with plenty of work and determination, the college has grown and expanded and now boasts a state-of-the-art 25 classroom facility at Fairgreen House, Fairgreen Road, teaching a range of language, social studies, and business courses to more than 4,000 students a year. Further international recognition was achieved when Atlantic College was the proud and well deserved recipient of the Best Language School in Europe award at the 2009 Language Travel Star Awards ceremony in London.
Never one to rest on his laurels, principal and managing director, John Daly, says that Atlantic College took a further leap of faith in 2009 when it launched the new arm of the business extending its course programme to include a range of part-time day and evening courses in accountancy and finance, human resource management and training, computer/IT, psychology, childcare and social studies, as well as nursing studies. A quality product, hard work, and constantly searching for ways to diversify are key to building a successful business model such as Atlantic College, says Mr Daly, who is looking to further expand the college facility, by an additional 3,000 square feet, in a couple of months time.
“It is one of the few success stories in the west. We’ve been very lucky, the students learning English is a major part of the business, it is our anchor, and have allowed us to create a successful business model. The Best Language School in Europe award was a big moment for us. The profile of the business in Galway and internationally is now well established.
“In some ways the recession has done a favour to those involved in adult and further education. This may seem a strange analysis of our current travails but long gone are the days when anyone could set up shop and deliver non-accredited courses to the unsuspecting public at exorbitant fees. We all know of these fly-by-night operations when students, and employers in some cases, paid out hard-earned money for courses that led nowhere and were of very little value, if any,” said Mr Daly.
Before Atlantic College embarked on its programme of expansion two years ago extensive research into the needs of adult learners was carried out. Surprisingly, it was found that major gaps existed in what, on the face of it, seemed like a crowded market.
“We found a demand for short, sharp, skills-based courses, offered at affordable prices at times and places which suited the students and which graduates could use immediately as employment currency. There is a reason why we have been so successful. There isn’t really a private college of this size and dimension in Galway. In Dublin, the market is crowded, while the west doesn’t have a lot to offer. There was certainly a gap in the market for courses such as childcare and nursing studies especially as there were not a lot of places. The recent Prime Time Investigates programme which revealed the scandals in the home care area also prompted us to provide courses in caring for the elderly as there was an urgent need for training and education.
“There is also an anomaly which exists in the funding for PLCs (post Leaving Certificate courses ) for school-leavers and mature students. It is widely acknowledged and accepted by the powers-that-be that a PLC place enables students - regardless of age - to move forward, increase their chances of securing employment, and contribute to economic growth and recovery. There is a major shortage of PLC places, about one in three applicants secured a place last year. Atlantic College is making places available locally in a very cost-effective manner but PLC students at Atlantic are victimised by having to pay fees because they attend a private provider. The existing restriction on places makes no economic, social, or educational sense. The Government is looking for PLC places and acknowledges the major shortage yet people coming to us cannot take up the places we offer because they cannot get their fees funded. I predict that in the first couple of months of the new Government there is going to be a major shake-up in the way courses are provided and funded. They will be looking at existing education providers, including FAS and the VEC which are heavily funded, and making use of more cost-effective models. Ours is one of those cost-effective models which could help the exchequer actually save money as the cost of extra resources necessary to take on new students would be greatly offset by savings otherwise payable in the form of Jobseeker’s Allowance. Private colleges are set to grow over the next couple of years, and the Government will realise there is a more efficient quality assured model out there.”
The aim of Atlantic College is to provide second-chance and further education in a supportive environment which is learner-centred. “We strive to ensure that our courses have a friendly and adult ‘feel’ to them. Learners’ needs are respected in a personalised, caring, and supportive manner,” said Mr Daly, who explained that all the courses provided at Atlantic College are FETAC registered and it is hoped to soon become HETAC registered with the view of providing full-time degree courses in the near future.
“We started a small business and it grew internationally. We are extremely lucky to have such a strong team of experienced, dedicated, and talented tutors in place who combine their own practical experience in the workplace, their academic qualifications, and their love of teaching to provide excellent courses. Our team of tutors is ably supported by a strong background team. Our aim is to provide an opportunity for people to gain a recognised qualification in the most convenient and flexible way possible, while providing clear value for money. For many students, the transition to third level education can be a challenging one, however our small group teaching model with easy access to tutors and our proactive student support services work together to ensure that every student has the best possible chance of success,” said Mr Daly.
Atlantic College courses include certificates in areas such as nursing studies; healthcare support; childcare; child/adolescent psychology; nutrition and food hygiene; care of the older person; and palliative care. There are also courses available in areas such as accounting, employment law, criminalistics and forensic psychology, website design, supervisory management, and manual and computerised payroll/SAGE. The college also provides an outreach programme offering courses in Tuam, Ballinasloe, Mountbellew, Portumna, Ennis, Roscommon, Sligo, and Castlebar.
For more information log onto www.atlanticcollege.ie or contact Atlantic College Admissions Team, Atlantic College, Fairgreen House, Fairgreen Road (opposite the new coach station ), Galway,
on FreeCall 1800 938868
or email [email protected]
