The Irish Branch of the Institute of Asphalt Technology (IAT) and the Irish Asphalt Producers Association (IAPA) has donated a bursary of €3,500 to Institute of Technology Carlow to assist engineering and construction students of its Department of Built Environment with college costs this academic year.
The IAT is a professional body for individuals who work in the asphalt industry throughout Ireland and the UK. In previous years, it has invited third-level engineering students to submit their dissertation to compete for a cash bursary. In a new departure, this year’s bursary has been reimagined as a general fund to help engineering and construction students with college costs during what has been an extraordinarily challenging year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The fund will be administered by IT Carlow’s Access Office.
In a joint statement, Mr Mike Jordan (IAT) and Mr. Edmund Hegarty (IAPI) said, “On behalf of the Irish Branch of the Institute of Asphalt Technology (IAT) and the Irish Asphalt Producers Association (IAPA), we would like to express our gratitude to IT Carlow’s Access Office that has kindly agreed to administer our student bursary for the 2020/2021 academic year for students of the institute’s Department of Built Environment and Extended Campus. The IAT and IAPA are delighted to be in a position to provide a bursary of €3,500 to support IT Carlow students in these difficult times”.
“We would like to compliment IT Carlow and the Access Office on the excellent work that it does in assisting students who may be experiencing difficulties and we look forward to working with IT Carlow on similar endeavours in the future”, the statement concluded.
Commenting on the endowment, Dr Eoin Homan, Head of Department of Built Environment said, “On behalf of our qualifying students, I would like to thank the Irish Branch of the Institute of Asphalt Technology (IAT) for their generosity in sponsoring this bursary. The bursary will be of great value to qualifying students within the built environment department in supporting their continuing studies in the fields of civil engineering and construction”.
The Department of Built Environment at IT Carlow equips graduate professionals to meet the escalating demand in the disciplines of management, planning, design and technology within the construction industry. The department offers programmes in the fields of construction, civil engineering and architectural technology from levels 6-9 on the Irish National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ). The department also hosts a range of craft-based apprenticeship programmes. Its courses are accredited by Engineers Ireland (EI), The Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland, The Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists and The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB).