Meet the CUA’s new Careers and RPL Manager

Ms. Bridie Killoran has just been appointed to the role of Careers and Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) Manager to the HCI HigherEd 4.0 project. The new role is linked to this ambitious collaborative project led out by members of the CUA and supported by funding from the HCI Pillar 3 initiative.

Bridie will be managing the establishment of a Regional Service for Careers and Learning Pathways, including the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) for flexible and online learners in the technological sector. She will be working closely with the Project Director of the HCI 4.0 Project, Professor Jacqueline McCormack (IT Sligo) and also Gavin Clinch (IT Sligo) and Dr Carina Ginty (GMIT). Her role will involve close collaboration with industry, professional bodies, students, and staff from the three institutes and service providers. Bridie will manage a team of career and RPL advisors, who will mentor and guide students through a programme of innovative and online systems which will recognise and accredit prior learning. Students will also get access to customisable and digital career assessments to identify suitable bespoke individual learning pathways and courses. Bridie says: “Local and regional enterprise will benefit from this supported and agile approach to upskilling and developing employees.” She will be involved in the implementation of a sophisticated Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system and online services centre, initiating and leading networks with industry, and playing a key role in developing relationships across the CUA’s relevant functional areas. She will lead out on the development of related policy and strategy, careers education linked to an employability framework, work-based learning projects and other online employability initiatives as set out in the Higher Education 4.0 project. Bridie has worked in tertiary education since 1993 making a significant contribution to the Careers and Employability agenda. She established and led two innovative Career and Employability Centres in the Institutes of Technology sector. She has extensive experience of developing relationships with employers covering all aspects of recruitment, professional practice, and specific projects. She developed innovative employability initiatives, including the design online careers module. She also led out on the development of an Institute Employability Framework for GMIT and later for the CUA. Bridie is a graduate of DIT, TCD, University of Reading and University of Ulster. She is an accredited coach with a number of organisations and an accredited practitioner in a range of personality profiling assesment methodologies and universal design in teaching and learning.

The new service will be an integral part of the regional ecosystem, offering new innovative programmes and pathways of learning, where policy, quality and innovation will be in line with European and international best practice.

Bridie says: “I am very excited to be leading up this new Careers & Learning Pathways Centre as it focuses on working with people in employment, to recognise prior learning in the workplace and to facilitate access higher education, either to upskill or reskill in an agile and innovative higher education environment. The centre will focus on deepening links with enterprise and providing the relevant advice on career pathways for employees looking to develop their full career potential. The whole process will be motivating for individuals as it enables people to gain a recognised qualification and support learners on new learning and career pathways.” To find out more about the new Careers & Learning Pathways centre contact Bridie at bridie.killoran@gmit.ie