Errigal College’s annual P.L.C. Graduation Ceremony Picture Special: This year’s P.L.C. Graduation ceremony was held in Errigal College on Friday 1st Sept. This is an annual presentation of Q.Q.I. Level 5 certificates to the school’s P.L.C. students.
Errigal College Principal, Mr Charlie Cannon opened this year’s Graduation by welcoming the graduates, their families and friends, members of the Board of Management, and special guest, Dr Martin Gormley, Co. Donegal E.T.B. Director of Schools.
“We are here today to celebrate the achievement of the graduating P.L.C. students of 2015/‘16”. He congratulated them for “undertaking the challenge of returning to school and successfully completing” their various courses. He went on to explain that Q.Q.I. plays a very important role in Errigal College.
Mr Cannon then congratulated and thanked Errigal College’s Q.Q.I. Coordinator, Mrs Michelle O’Reilly and her teaching team: “Well done on an excellent job!” He also stressed the commitment and hard work of Errigal College teacher and Q.Q.I. secretary, Mrs Elaine McGettigan and the Q.Q.I. coordinators. He also thanked the local employers in the Letterkenny area for providing work experience for Errigal College’s P.L.C. students every year.
Guest of honour at the ceremony was Dr Martin Gormley, Co. Donegal E.T.B. Director of Schools. He began by thanking Mr Cannon and said that it was always a pleasure when he was given the “opportunity to recognise achievement”.
Dr Gormley stated that Errigal College is unique because it provides both mainstream and P.L.C. education. He went on to thank the five coordinators of the P.L.C. courses, and he also thanked the teachers and all the ancillary staff in Errigal College. He paid particular tribute to Mrs Michelle O’Reilly for her hard work and dedication.
He encouraged the graduates to go into the working world or into further education, explaining the “Errigal College has afforded you all with the opportunity to take another step forward”. He advised them all to go on and develop a reputation as a good worker: “Build a brand for yourself”.
Many of the graduates have already taken the first step in this process, taking places in Level 7 courses, including Nursing, Social Care, Business and many others. Others have commenced work in areas as diverse as special needs assisting, sports coaching and healthcare.
Sports, Recreation and Exercise graduate Patrick McHugh later explained how grateful the graduates are “for allowing us all the opportunity to take the next steps in our careers and in education”.
Mr Cannon thanked Dr Gormley and before beginning the presentations he explained that 85% of Errigal College’s teaching staff are working with the P.L.C. students.
Errigal College’s Q.Q.I. Level five P.L.C. courses are:
Art, Craft & Design coordinated by Mrs Marie Crossan;
Business Studies coordinated by Mrs Michelle O’Reilly;
Early Childhood Care and Education coordinated by Ms Deirdre Markham;
Nursing Studies coordinated by Ms Eimear Logue;
Sports, Recreation and Exercise coordinated by Mr Sean Molloy.
The Students of the Year in each course were:
Art, Craft & Design – Paul McCaffrey;
Business Studies – Liam Gillespie;
Early Childhood Care and Education – Liam Callanan;
Nursing Studies – Maira Ahmed
Sports, Recreation and Exercise – Charlene Squires.
Taylor Mae Lynch won this year’s overall student of the year. Mr Cannon spoke in glowing terms of her record as a mainstream student in Errigal College, as well as the 100% dedication she always showed to her P.L.C. course. She is about to start a Level 8 Intellectual Disability Nursing degree in L.Y.I.T.
Errigal College would also like to thank Mr Eoghan Megannety for his excellent photography at these awards, as well as at many events during the school year.
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