A new 21,000 sq ft apprenticeship training building will be part of the €3.7m plans for Kerry Education and Training Board (KETB).

Minister Simon Harris TD at Kerry College Listowel with from left: Miriam Galvin Cllr Maria O’Gorman Senator Ned O'Sullivan Cllr Jim Finucane Minister Norma Foley Stephen Goulding Owen O’Donnell Mayor of Listowel Aoife Thornton and Colm McEvoy. Photo: Don MacMonagle

Minister Simon Harris TD visited Kerry College of Further Education and Training (FET) Campus in Monavalley Tralee on Monday with from left: Owen O’Donnell Andrew Brownlee Ioseph Nesto John Herlihy Kasia Lyko Cllr Mike Sheehy Con O’Sullivan Cllr Jim Finucane Minister Norma Foley Elaine Sharp Tom O’Reilly Colm McEvoy and George Emerson. Photo: Don MacMonagle.

Minister Simon Harris TD visited Kerry College of Further Education and Training (FET) Campus in Monavalley Tralee with from left: Maria Brennan Colm McEvoy Cllr Jim Finucane Cllr Deidre Ferris Johnnie Wall Cllr. Terry O’Brien Cllr. Norma Moriarty Minister Simon Harris Minister Norma Foley Mayor of Tralee Cllr Mikey Sheehy Brendan Griffin TD Owen O’Donnell Con O’Sullivan and Betty Corkey. Photo: Don MacMonagle

This Substantial Capital Investment - a total of €8,696,719 - was announced by Simon Harris TD, the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research Innovation and Science when he visited Kerry College of Further Education and Training (FET) Campuses, in Monavalley Tralee and Listowel yesterday (Monday) under the FET Strategic Infrastructure Upgrade Fund.

This investment will provide new modern facilities for FET staff and learners in both Tralee and Listowel that have traditionally been provided from a building in Listowel shared with Coláiste Na Ríochta post-primary school and rented premises in Tralee.

The announcement for these two projects is part of the first tranche of capital investments under this fund, with 13 projects being funded nationally.

Kerry ETB has become an innovative provider of FET services since their establishment of the first fully integrated college of Further Education and Training in Ireland.

Kerry College of Further Education and Training was established in September 2019 when Kerry ETB integrated the former training centre and post-Leaving Certificate college into a single college structure.

Kerry College’s continued development since 2019 has been a welcomed and positive one for the sector, leading the way in terms of embedding a new approach to a FET provision that is fully aligned to the SOLAS FET Strategy 2020 - 2024 and their vision of the FET College of the Future. The capital investment announcement is a very important step on this journey.

“Both of Kerry ETB’s proposed projects under the SIUF are included in the first phase of projects to be advanced under the initiative," Minister Harris said.

"This is a testimony to Kerry ETB’s strategic vision and commitment to advancing the development of the FET College of the future concept.”

In welcoming this announcement an Cathaoirleach of Kerry ETB, Cllr Jim Finucane thanked Minister Harris.

"This funding is very significant and supports Kerry ETB in its vision of ensuring that the learners of Kerry have access to further education and training opportunities locally. In our ETB Strategy Statement 2018-2022 we emphasised the need to enhance the working and learning environment for staff and learners and this investment announcement is another milestone in working towards achieving this objective."

The Investment announced for the Listowel Campus will provide funding for the refurbishment and expansion of the Building at Clieveragh Business Park, Listowel purchased by the ETB in 2021.

The Kerry College Monavalley Campus is synonymous with the provision of innovative FET programmes and apprentice programmes for decades. The expansion of the campus facilities is very important and this investment is welcomed.

Campus Manager Con O'Sullivan said that Kerry College Monavalley Campus has a long and established tradition of delivering apprenticeship training in Kerry.

"[The] announcement by the Minister will further enhance our training capacity and increase the campus profile from a national context. We view this investment announcement as a vote of confidence in the work we do at Kerry College and we look forward to the completion of these works as we plan for continued development of this Campus"