Pop Up Office in Templemore College of Further Education

The Level 6 Business Administration students at Templemore College with their tutors Jane Quinlan and Therese Purcell in their 'Pop Up Office'.

How does a College combine the teaching of the practical skills with the theoretical knowledge of a course such as Administration?  This was the question posed for the teachers of this Level 6 FETAC/QQI award in Templemore College of Further Education (formerly St. Sheelan’s College) last August.

Work experience with a local business organisation seemed to be the obvious answer.  However, what business is going to allow a student to implement change in some of their systems and figure out what worked well or badly.  Local business organisations are very obliging and helpful when taking students for work experience but what was required was a step too far.

The solution was to set up an office in the college.  The students named this the “Pop Up” office and its function is to provide secretarial and administrative services for staff in Templemore College.  What a success in terms of training for the students.  They have complete control of this office and the services it provides.  They hold meetings with their teachers to discuss progress and any issues that arise.  They can implement the theory they are learning in class.

Many of the students in this course have worked previously but found themselves unemployed in recent years.  They find this approach to teaching has greatly improved their learning experience and their self confidence.  They are currently organising a trip for their own class as well as the Sports and Recreation and Tourism with Business and Heritage courses.  We will let you know about this trip in future articles. If you like to learn more about this course or courses on offer at Templemore College please check out our website www.tcfe.ie or www.facebook.com/TemplemoreCollege