A Castlebar native who is making his mark as one of Ireland’s leading online education providers, has increased his workforce by 20 per cent to meet growing international demand.
Dr Seán Rowland, founder of Hibernia College, has extended his workforce by 25. The announcement was made this week by Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny.
With offices in Westport, Dublin and London, the college runs online postgraduate programmes in primary teaching, financial management, and pharmaceutical medicine.
The college educates in excess of 7,000 students spread over 30 countries. These online students complete masters’ degrees, higher diplomas, and short term professional development courses.
Hibernia College is the largest provider of qualified primary school teachers in Ireland. The college has already won awards in England for its very successful initial teacher education programmes run with the Training and Development Agency for Schools. This programme addresses the shortage of secondary school teachers in mathematics, physics, and chemistry and facilitates professionals who want to move from industry to teaching.
The college is continuing its expansion overseas and has developed partnerships with third level and government institutions in the UK, South Africa, European Union, Haiti, and the USA. Welcoming the new jobs, Deputy Kenny said: “The Hibernia College model fits perfectly with several of Fine Gael’s campaign themes in this election. Firstly, it is supporting the highest standards of teacher quality and bringing qualified teachers to the profession - key elements of our education policy. Secondly, the college is actively realising the huge potential for Ireland as an international education hub – an opportunity Fine Gael has specifically identified.
“Distance, location, and time are no longer obstacles in education. Only quality matters and that is what Hibernia College is all about. It is the future of what Ireland must become and is a perfect case-study of how Ireland and technology can come together to provide jobs at home as we spread our global wings.”
Dr Rowland, president of Hibernia College, added: “In Ireland, Hibernia College is offering exceptionally qualified teachers at no cost to the taxpayer to meet the growing numbers of young people in primary education.”
