Griffith College and ESS launch industry collaboration

Exciting new industry partnership between Griffith College and ESS Ltd.

Griffith College, Ireland’s largest private third-level college, has partnered with Engineering Support & Services Limited (ESS) in an exciting new collaboration to provide new courses in industrial manufacturing and maintenance skills and industrial electrical safety and systems.

Both programmes are at level 6 on the National Framework of Qualifications and involve work-based learning. Approved by Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI), they can be delivered from the college’s campuses, national training venues, or on an in-company basis at employers’ sites.

The QQI-accredited Certificate in Industrial Manufacturing and Maintenance Skills (CIMMS) is a one-year part-time programme that provides key knowledge, skills, and competencies in Industrial Manufacturing and Maintenance related subjects. The programme seeks to close an identified gap of technical skills in the market today and to both aid the learner in their role or employability and to ensure company future competitiveness and compliance.

The QQI-accredited Certificate in Industrial Electrical Safety and Systems (CIESS) is a part-time course, typically delivered in block-release over a 6-week period. The Certificate in Industrial Electrical Safety and Systems is recommended for anyone who works with electrical systems and is designed to give non-electrical personnel the ability to diagnose industrial faults and to carry out repairs/replacements safely.

Speaking about the initiative, Kevin O’Sullivan, Head of Campus at Griffith College Limerick, said: “We are delighted to announce this partnership. Griffith College prides itself on providing industry-focused learning. These new courses meet a clear demand from the engineering sector. Learners will benefit from the skills, experience and professionalism of Griffith and ESS’s dedicated academic teams.”

Bernard Yore, CEO at ESS, said “We are delighted to be working with Griffith College and excited to bring further innovative industry-led programmes to learners. We know first-hand the challenges that companies face when recruiting technical personnel. The CIMMS and CIESS programmes are targeting an identified technical and soft skill gap that exists in the industry. Process operators and technicians must be competent in a hybrid of skills to be successful in their role, while also supporting companies’ business growth, competitiveness, and compliance. Such skills development programmes, education initiatives and industry-led training will continue to play an instrumental part in ensuring company productivity, innovation, and sustainability.”

Editor’s Notes

Established in 1974, Griffith College is Ireland's largest independent third-level institution with over 7,000 learners at its campuses in Dublin, Cork and Limerick. Griffith College has gained an enviable, award-winning reputation for providing students with first-class lectures and excellent study material. The College offers internationally recognised undergraduate and postgraduate courses, complemented by a wide range of professional and corporate training educational solutions. For more information, visit www.griffith.ie

With a staff of 192, ESS are specialist providers of Asset Management, Maintenance Excellence, Reliability and Technical training and consultancy, and technical personnel for Ireland’s multinational pharmaceutical, medtech, food and other manufacturing industries. ESS delivers a comprehensive range of industry supports, including an outsourcing division that recruits and manages specialist on-site technical personnel, full maintenance and service contracts, delivery of training programmes and providers of specialist technical consultancy supports. Based in Limerick, since 1991 – with offices in Cork and Dublin – ESS has a proud industry reputation as an award-winning provider of training and consultancy services. For more information, visit www.essltd.ie