ATU - Engineering Apprentice of the Year award

Jodie Whyte, an apprentice on the Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) in Advanced Manufacturing Engineering in Atlantic Technological University (ATU) Galway City, is joint winner of the “Engineering – Apprentice of the year” award, at the National Apprentice of the Year Awards 2024 held in the Mansion House, Dublin on 23 October.

Jodie, from Murroe in Limerick, is in the fourth year of her studies in ATU Galway City and is an employee of Johnson and Johnson Vision Care in Limerick. “I am deeply honoured to have received this award in the Engineering category, and I strongly encourage more women to pursue the apprenticeship route, especially in STEM fields,” says Jodie.

Barry Comerford, Advisory Board Member, Freudenberg Medical, and Chair of Ibec’s Manufacturing Engineering Apprenticeship Consortium, says: “We celebrated the nomination of 400 apprentices out of a pool of 28,400 potential candidates across 77 disciplines. This year, I had the honour of judging and then, presenting awards to the 17 category winners. I took special pride in presenting the Engineering – Apprentice of the year to Jodie, an inspirational winner with a very promising future ahead”.

Emma Condon, Manufacturing Engineering Team Lead at Johnson & Johnson Visioncare, says: “I am thrilled to celebrate Jodie’s achievement. Her remarkable development and contribution to the company has truly set her apart. Winning the Engineering -Apprentice of the Year award is a testament to her dedication, hard work, and innovative spirit. We are excited to see the continued impact Jodie will have as she grows in her career.”

Trish Breen of Ibec and Consortium Project Manager of the Apprenticeship, says: “On behalf of the Consortium, we are delighted to see Jodie winning an apprentice award that is so well deserved. The Manufacturing Engineering Apprenticeships are going from strength to strength, with the new Level 8 B Eng (Hons) in Advanced Manufacturing Engineering apprenticeship underway since September this year, and Jodie as part of the first group to participate in year 4 of this new industry-led programme.”

Dr Paul O’Dowd, Chair of the Programme says: “We in ATU are very proud of Jodie’s achievement. She is an exceptional student who is also making a major impact in her company. This award is recognition of the high standard of our new Level 8 engineering degree by apprenticeship mode. ATU Galway City is the consortium’s Co-ordinating Academic Provider and has led the development of this programme in collaboration with partners in our Sligo campus, the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS), Munster Technological University (MTU) and in high-tech industry”.

Atlantic Technological University offers Undergraduate, Postgraduate and Lifelong Learning opportunities for aspiring higher education students. Learning is and will be the core activity of the Institute, bringing students, staff and the region together to share, apply, test and create knowledge. Out of ATU’s five campuses, the Galway Campus is the largest and home of the Institute’s administrative headquarters. Overlooking Galway Bay, the campus remains one of Galway City’s iconic landmarks due to its distinctive architecture and design. The modern building hosts an IT Centre and the Library. Business, Tourism, Engineering, Science a wide range of courses are available on this campus.

Galway City is also home to ATU’s The Centre for Creative Arts and Media. A stones throw away from the city centre, the campus focuses in courses in art & design, textiles, and film & documentary that cater to aspiring creative students, who are looking to gain on hands experience to prepare them for Art and Multimedia sectors. The building consists of high ceilings, wide windows and spacious room, while the library is constructed with Irish oak using a distinct ecclesiastical theme.

The Mayo Campus of Atlantic Technological University opened its doors to students back in 1994 and now offers modern facilities and services for both students and staff. Courses in Nursing, Business, Sciences, Tech among others are the main focus at the Mayo Campus. The National Centre for Excellence in Furniture Design and Technology is located in North-West Connamara at ATU’s Letterfrack Campus. The Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology was the first institute in Ireland to house a agricultural college, originally set up by the Franciscan Brothers in 1904. Today students at Mountbellow have the choice between two degrees on the campus – Rural Enterprise & Agribusiness or Agriculture & Environmental Management.

Among the excellent academic services provided by ATU, there are also great recreational facilities for its students to avail of including GAA, rugby, soccer, athletics, indoor sports and a selection of clubs and societies.