Seven graduates and students of the BSc (Hons) in Construction Management & Engineering programme at Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) are involved in the construction of the new Fire Station at Kilbarry, an impressive new building which will house the Waterford Fire Service, along with facilities for Community Garda and the Civil Defence.
Undertaking the construction works on this high profile local project is Tipperary-based contractor, Duggan Brothers, who have strong links with the Construction Management & Engineering programme at WIT with the Contracts Director, David Duggan and the Contracts Manager, Alan Lehane both completing the programme in the 1990’s.
The company has recently recruited newly graduated Damien O’Connor as Site Manager and Killian Murphy as Site Engineer and according to Alan Lehane, Contracts Manager, “With the upturn in the economy and a number of projects in the pipeline, we are planning for the future growth of the company by recruiting qualified graduates.”
Having returned to education in 2010 as a mature student, Damien O’Connor feels the BSc (Hons) in Construction Management & Engineering programme was of great benefit to him, commenting “I was able to use my own experiences of working as a roofer for many years and also learned a lot of new things that will stand to me for years to come. Things are definitely picking up in construction at the moment and havin
g a good degree is very important." Photo: Damien O'Connor from Wexford, a graduate of the BSc (Hons) in Construction Management & Engineering, is currently working on the construction of the new Waterford Fire Station
Speaking about the course, Killian Murphy said, "As part of the programme, I completed seven months of Industrial Placement, which helped me to get my job with Duggan’s. The opportunity to get such experience as part of my studies was invaluable." Photo: Killian Murphy from Loughboy in Kilkenny, a graduate of the BSc (Hons) in Construction Management & Engineering, is currently working on the construction of the new Waterford Fire Station.
Two current Construction Management & Engineering students, Adrian Kehoe and Eoin Carroll, are also completing their seven month Industrial Placement on the project. Adrian is working with Duggan’s as a Site Engineer, while Eoin is working for Waterford City & County Council under the guidance of the Clerk of Works and WIT graduate, Emma Power.
Thanking Duggan Brothers for their continuing support of the Construction Management & Engineering programme, Course Leader Brian Graham noted that, “It is exciting to see the next generation of our graduates working with a well-established and progressive construction company such as Duggan’s.” He continued by stating that “this is real evidence that the Irish construction industry has turned a corner, with many of the Class of 2014 having secured employment in Ireland. In addition to the new fire station, we have also organised excellent placement opportunities for our students on high profile projects in Ireland, the United Kingdom and New York City.”
The Construction Management & Engineering programme has been at the forefront of construction education for almost 30 years, producing in excess of 1,000 graduates; many of whom have gone onto to work in a variety of senior roles across the Irish and global construction sector.
For further information on the Construction Management & Engineering programme, please contact Brian Graham [email protected] or click here.
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