STEPS at Dundalk IT inspires transition year students

For the fifth year running, Dundalk IT recently welcomed Transition Year (TY) students from across the region to the campus to explore the world of engineering. Organised in collaboration with Engineers Ireland STEPS Engineering Your Future (STEPS EYF), the TY students participated enthusiastically in some engineering site visits and a series of practical workshops.

These have been designed to give Transition Year students a hands-on, fun and practical insight into engineering at third level and as a career choice. The group of 30 students come from a range of different schools and gelled extremely well during the team-based activities.

The activities have been designed by School of Engineering staff to be practical, interdisciplinary and career focussed ranging across Mechanical Engineering, Electrical and Electronics and Civil Engineering. These included Robot Assembly and programming, Lean Manufacturing and Business, 3D printing, Biomedical Engineering, Renewable Energy workshop, Site Surveying and using Bridge Building software. 

The students also had the opportunity to engage with local industry in the sector, experiencing trips to the IKON Kingspan Research Centre and MultiHog. Local Industry have been very supportive of the programme and these visits provide a fantastic context within which to understand engineering careers. Thanks are also due to Engineers Ireland North East branch for their support.

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Programme co-ordinator Kimmitt Sayers said:

“It was fantastic to welcome Transition Years once again to the DkIT campus to explore Engineering hands-on. The variety of courses available in the School of Engineering have gone from strength to strength in respond to industry demand. It was wonderful to see the engineers of the future experiencing first-hand what a career in this area can look like. The students brought great energy and positivity to the week and we look forward to welcoming many of them back as DkIT students.”