Thirty-two South West College construction students were the recipients of a total of £57,000 in bursaries, as they were presented with scholarships from a variety of industry leading construction companies.
Sean O’Donnell, head of finance at South West College, opened the prizegiving by thanking the generous businesses that had sponsored the bursaries. He said: “These scholarships will be invaluable in assisting these students with their studies, which, in turn, will hopefully lead to them embarking on successful careers. Well done to all the recipients. We wish them the best of luck with their future studies at South West College and in their future education and careers.’
Bursary Awards came from industry leading companies, SSE Airtricity, Dalradian Gold, CIOB, Terex and The Institute of Civil Engineers (ICE), alongside an internal award made by the Industrial Advisory Board.
Civil Engineering project officer at South West College, William Young, said: “South West College is delighted to host the second annual bursary event, and we’re delighted to have quite a number of our sponsors and quite a number of our students here today. In total 32 students will benefit from a fund of approximately £57,000. It’s an excellent means of financial support for our students and we’re very much indebted to the sponsors who provide the funding.’
Nineteen students were recipients of SSE Scholarships, and Vicky Boden, Corporate Affairs at SSE, passed on her congratulations to them at the event.
"Congratulations to the nineteen students receiving bursaries from us today. This is the fifth year we have been involved with South West College in this way, and we hope to continue the relationship in the years to come. We’re delighted to be here today and congratulate all the students and everyone else taking part."
For many of the students the bursaries will help pay for their future tuition fees. Speaking after the event, Thomas McCallan, a first year student in Business Service Management, explained: “This course being offered in Omagh for me has been brilliant and I’ve really enjoyed the wide range of topics it’s covered. I’m very thankful that SSE chose me as a successful applicant for one of the scholarships. The money will go towards my tuition fees and be of major benefit to me.”
Orlagh Coyle, a first year student in a Foundation Degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering, added: “When it comes to the recognition from a body such as ICE, a bursary like this is also a fantastic and impressive thing to put down on my CV, especially as I plan to apply for university when I’ve finished my studies here.’