ITB (Institute of Technology Blanchardstown) have launched their new plans for growth in their Horticulture Department. The plans include a new Horticulture Facility on a 0.67 hectare site on campus costing well in excess of 1 million euro and designed by Hamilton Architects. The construction will be carried out by Felix O’Hare and Co. Ltd.
Given that ITB has a unique location set in circa 22.5 hectares of land on the fringes of the fastest growing city in Europe, they will utilise this opportunity by developing facilities that other colleges simply do not have. ITB will invest significantly in building a new state of the art horticulture facility which will include: glasshouses, poly-tunnels, workshops and welfare facilities as well as a range of outdoor practical work areas for fruit and vegetable production and sports turf management. Planning permission has been granted and it is envisaged that construction will commence in late summer with an expected completion date in March 2014.
Richard Gallery, Head of Department at ITB welcomed the proposed new development at ITB, saying, “The investment by ITB in new, state of the art horticulture facilities at the campus in Blanchardstown, shows our continued commitment to the development of horticulture education for full time, part time and work based students. These new facilities, coupled with our recent successes at Bloom and increasing links with the horticulture industry through our work placement programmes, bodes well for the future of horticulture at ITB and in this region.”
This investment in up-to-the-minute Horticulture facilities will complement ITB’s innovative purpose-built campus. ITB’s hands-on and practical horticulture courses are designed to help develop the knowledge, skills and practical experience needed to work in the dynamic and expanding horticulture sector. ITB’s horticulture courses immerse students in the science, technology and business involved in food cultivation, sportsturf expertise and plant and landscape management.
At ITB, the horticulture courses have been designed to incorporate the theoretical and practical aspects of horticulture and include modules on landscape design, fruit and vegetable production, soil science and plant nutrition, ecology, organic and sustainable practices in conjunction with modules in project management, information technology, marketing, customer service and professional practice.
ITB offers practical hands-on opportunities to develop skills and engage with the local community on real life practical projects, designed and built by students, to a budget, allowing students to practice team-building and collaborative skills. With each project completed, the student gains experience and confidence that scaffolds their learning year-on-year. Two periods of work placement in the industry are an integral element of this course.
ITB Horticulture graduates have been employed in a variety of careers, including sports facility management, retail, business, organic food production, education, heritage and community horticulture with many graduates becoming self-employed in a these sectors too.
ITB offers Horticulture degree programmes at level 6, 7 & 8 in addition to a part-time course in plant studies.
This investment in up-to-the-minute Horticulture facilities will complement ITB’s innovative purpose-built campus. In recent years, developments have included both 3rd generation synthetic and natural grass pitches, additional car-parking facilities and a shuttle bus service linking the college with Blanchardstown village, the shopping centre and Coolmine railway station. These improvements have been necessary to cater for continually growing student numbers across a range of established and new courses.
Progress of New ITB Horticulture Facility in Pictures
Source: HortiTrends News Room
