Page 20 - Linkline Summer 2018

and that’s never going to change, whether we have autonomous trains, autonomous cars, or our food arrives on the shelves of a supermarket using robotics, we will always need people behind the transport, the plan, the operations and manage the whole transport system There have always been jobs in this area
• 67% of graduates last year gained full time employment within three months
• 20% of graduates went on to Level 9 programme’s in either DIT or elsewhere
• Many graduates go abroad as the degree is internationally recognised to Australia, Canada and around Europe
What does the programme consist of?
Depending on the year, class hours range from 18 to 24 hours per week A lot of theory classes are delivered in DIT Bolton Street We do modules such as marine operations, airline operations, aircraft technology, introduction to transport, road transport operations and railway operations There’s a range of modules that students will be studying over the four-year period
What’s also great about this degree is that we have work placements in Semester Two of Year Three so that’s essentially three months where the students go out on placement, ideally to a company where there’s an interest in We call it the three-month job interview because sometimes there’s an opportunity when the students graduate to go back and work in their work placement company Also, there are some opportunities for part time work and for summer work as well We try and let students dip their toe in the water and get a good feel for the industry by placing them in a company or an organisation that will really expose them to the sector and to the industry
They use the theory they have learned and put it into practice It also allows students to build up their CV and expose them to the industry before they graduate It helps them make up their mind as to which area of the transport sector or transport industry that they would like to work in It also allows them to make contacts which is really important, to network and get to know who’s who within the industry
Are the majority of people applying for this course just out of the Leaving Cert and finished school? Many are, however we really seeing a change in applications Our final year group that just finished is made up of 20% of mature students Many of these worked in the industry but
not in a designated role or higher position For example, we have truck drivers who come back into us and want to upskill, and they want to change their direction and career focus in the transport industry We’ve had someone who’s a bookkeeper who was working in a transport company and she said she’d like to get more involved in the operations side of things
Another 20% of the class would be students who studied elsewhere or started the mechanical engineering degree and felt it wasn’t focused on transport enough There’s a broad list of students now which is great for the class dynamic and all the international students So, in all it’s a great mix of traditional CAO Leaving Cert students and much more
Entry Requirements:
In terms of the CAO points, we’re looking at about 270+ points, however this is unpredictable as it’s demand driven In terms of the advanced entry students, it’s on a case by case basis that we look at their experiential learning and certified learning There may also be an interview to meet and greet applicants, to understand their interest in the transport sector and see how motivated they are in pursuing the degree Most importantly, they need to understand they are signing up for four years of fulltime study For international students, we would have an entry requirement of 6 0 on the International English Language Testing System, these applicants can apply through the DIT international office
DIT Final Year Student Exhibition
The School of Transport Engineering, Environment and Planning at DIT hosted a final year student exhibition on Wednesday 20 June The event showcased work from final year students across the school including students who have just completed the BSc in Transport Operations and Technology, BEngTech in Automotive Management and Technology and the BSc in Spatial Planning and Environmental Management The event was attended by invited guests from industry and representative bodies including CILT, Glanbia, Citroen, Joe Duffy Motor Group, Irish Planning Institute
DIT Final Year Student Exhibition, presenting their nal project
20 The Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport
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