WIT campaign for university status gets a boost

THE long-running campaign to establish a university in the south-east as a catalyst for development in the region has received a boost with the publication of key education reports.

The OECD’s annual Education at a Glance survey found that more widespread university education yields more prosperous economies and provides rich rewards in the labour market for those who graduate.

Of particular importance for Waterford Institute of Technology in seeking re-designation as a university, the job prospects for the less well qualified do not appear to be damaged by the expansion of higher education and can be improved, according to the report.

WIT chairman Redmond O’Donoghue said: “In all countries with comparative data, the OECD found university graduates earn more money and find jobs more easily than people who have not had a university education, and these advantages have grown further over recent years. However, fears of a crowding-out effect, where more graduates would mean more unemployment at the lower end of the skills scale, appear not to be justified.”

The OECD-published “Higher Education and Regions: Globally Competitive, Locally Engaged” report discussed how OECD countries can mobilise higher education to support regional development.

According to WIT director Professor Kieran R Byrne, this report underlines the greater dependency on new technologies, knowledge and skills that is an inevitable spin-off from countries moving towards knowledge-intensive products and services.

Prof Byrne said that, following “very considerable strides” by Waterford Institute of Technology towards fulfilling its potential, “our role as an agent for positive change will be best met as university of the South-East”.

Waterford’s campaign to attain university status has been ongoing for some years but gathering pace recently with an assessment carried out by independent education expert Dr Jim Port.

* That report is currently with the Department of Education with a recommendation due to reach the Cabinet this autumn.

* The Government can then proceed with a statutory review of the application.

* If WIT became a university, it would be legally governed by the Universities Act and entitled to provide new courses in areas such as law and medicine.

* Apart from adding to the institute’s prestige and the value of its qualifications, university status would also mean significant research funding.