Hat’s off! More than one-in-10 WIT graduates hail from Kilkenny

More than 250 county Kilkenny students, who graduated from Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) this week, were told they “will contribute to a bright future for the region.”

268 of those conferred at WIT’s College Street campus were from Kilkenny and made up 11% of all the students receiving their academic awards.

Addressing the graduates, Professor Willie Donnelly, President of WIT, reminded the student that many organisations are on record as saying that the key reason they located in the South East was the quality of WIT graduates.

Professor Donnelly told the graduates: “All of our staff are tremendously proud of their part in your achievement. We are grateful for the learning we have received from you.

“We are aware of the challenges facing the Irish economy and the economy of the South East at the moment, but can you imagine what would have happened without the contribution graduates such as yourselves and without WIT?

“We would not have, as we do now, some of the leading Biopharma, ICT and Advanced Manufacturing and Agriculture companies in the world located in Waterford and the South East region: they are on record as saying that the key reason they located here was the quality of WIT graduates and WIT research.”

Professor Donnelly made a commitment to deliver, in partnership with IT Carlow, of a university of international standing for the South East, which will deliver on the city and region’s needs and ambitions.

“The creation of the Technological University of the South East remains our primary objective. We are ready and committed to its delivery without further delay. We have established already a University level institute.

“We have also established a university level organisation that is at the centre of the region. The institute is the location of choice for students from Kilkenny, South Tipperary, Wexford and Waterford with four out of every 10 students studying in Waterford Institute of Technology.”