Dr. Martin Gormley:

We would not be able to produce computer science teachers without our local technological university, so it is important the post-primary sector links with the local university. The latter is providing continuous professional development and the ETB is funding it for teachers so they can get that training in order to provide lessons in coding, digital technologies and then computer science. Without that link we would not be able to do it, as we just would not have the teachers. That University of Galway data shows they are just not out there. Without the link with the TUs what we have would not be possible, so it has really been a success. What is in it for the TUs? They feel if students are doing computer science at leaving certificate level they are more likely to look at the local technological university to study computer science at degree level. They see it as feeding the third-level space also. That is the motivation for them and our motivation is we get teachers qualified to deliver it to meet the needs of our students.