20 years a-growing – LIT celebrates 20 years of Environmental Education in Thurles

Pictured above at the Limerick Institute of Technology Thurles Campus conferring ceremony was Kevin Healion, LIT and with B.Sc (Hons) in Environmental and Geographical Sciences graduates, David Finane, Ballyshane Co. Offally, Grace English, Broadford Co. Clare, Eoin Fogarty, Roscrea Co. Tipperary and Lisa Sweeney, Castletroy Co. Limerick

The demand for highly skilled environmental scientists in Ireland has never been greater. The labour market needs qualified graduates to help manage the environmental challenges of climate change, habitat and biodiversity loss and to direct Irish agriculture onto a more sustainable path.
Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT), Thurles Campus has one of the longest established Environmental Science Departments in the country, and its graduates are considered work ready from their final exam.

LIT Lecturer Elisha McGrane said, “LIT Thurles has been successfully producing graduates in this area for 20 years and now we continue to use our extensive experience to develop courses that address the most pressing environmental, agricultural and sustainable development issues of the day. The courses at LIT Thurles have attracted both local and national students but also international students from as far away as Brazil, China, Nigeria, Austria and Switzerland.
“Our graduates are working in a wide range of sectors including environmental consultancies such as CDM Smith; agencies like Teagasc, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Coillte, Local Authorities, Irish Water, Inland Fisheries Ireland, ABP Food Group and AgriData.”
Employers continually comment that LIT graduates come to them “job ready” on completing their degrees, due to the practical skills and attributes with which the courses provide them.
The practical and hands-on elements of the courses are often among the students’ favourite modules, as it means “getting their hands dirty” in the outdoors Field Studies module or digging trial holes for percolation tests in the water quality module.
Field trips and taught modules in Gurteen College (LIT’s academic partners), laboratory work, professional development, computer and research skills, geographical information systems (GIS) and a work placement, all involve the students moving out of the traditional lecture room setting to learn new skills that are required in today’s workplaces.

Agriculture
As Ireland’s largest indigenous industries, agri-food and fisheries collectively employs approximately 168,000 people with an annual output of more than €26 billion.
Not all agri careers are worked out on the land, but are positions that support farmers as they work to increase production in a sustainable manner that does not negatively impact the natural environment.
The demand for graduates who have a clear understanding of the relationship between agricultural, food production and key environmental issues continues to grow.
Farmers are also well aware of the issues around climate change and how they are impacting on their livelihoods. They also belong to a sector willing to play their role in combatting climate change, with broad guideline to achieving this already set out in the Climate Action Plan.

Kevin Healion, Lecturer at LIT said “farmers and farming families need the best information available to assist them in sustainable and environmental farming, while also ensuring their farms remain profitable.”
“LIT, Thurles Campus, has responded to the region’s need for the information, research and skill set required to meet these demand from the agriculture sector, by developing a four year honours degree programme which provides graduates with the knowledge and skills to help manage the relationship between agriculture and the environment,” explained Mr Healion.
“Ensuring graduates can also provide a practical application to their knowledge is essential, therefore LIT has partnered with Gurteen College to deliver this innovative course. Students take modules in Gurteen College in first and third year, learning from the agricultural college’s large farm and modern facilities.”

- BSc Environmental Science and Agriculture (Level 7)
- BSc (Hons) Environmental Science and Agriculture (Level 8)
- BSc Environmental Science (Level 7)
- BSc (Hons) Environmental Science and Climate (Level 8)

The demand for graduates from the BSc (Hons) Environmental Science and Agriculture course is high, with many of this year’s graduates already in full employment.
Environmental Science and Agriculture staff who lecture on LIT Thurles environmental programmes are always available to speak or meet with anyone interested in hearing more about the courses and career possibilities after graduation. They can be contacted on (0504) 28253 and more information is available at http://cao.lit/courses