Four LMETB secondary schools in Co Louth and three schools in Belfast participated in the Advanced Manufacturing Pathways Schools Project, a pioneering cross-border, cross-community peace building initiative.

At the Showcase event in Belfast recently were students from O’Fiaich College, Bush Post Primary School, Coláiste Chú Chulainn in Dundalk and Scoil Uí Mhuirí in Dunleer, Belfast Boys Model School, the Belfast Royal Academy and Dundonald High School.

Students from O’Fiaich College with Spot the Robotic Dog and their teacher Chloe McGee.

Tackle real-life challenges

All seven schools worked in partnership to design and 3D print solutions that tackle real-life challenges. The programme themes encompassed: mental health and disabilities, environment, technology, health, and sport.

Each school group presented their unique 3D printed design ideas, concepts process and final product in the Portview Trade Centre in East Belfast, at which the lord mayor of Belfast, Councillor Micky Murray, was the guest of honour.

Katie Jo McBride and Oscar Dunlevy, Bush Post-Primary.

The cross-community, cross-border initiative was delivered by Louth and Meath Education and Training Board (LMETB) and Belfast Unemployed Resource Centre (BURC) and was funded in Northern Ireland by the International Fund for Ireland, through its Communities in Partnership Programme.

It marked the culmination of a year’s collaboration between schools and FE/HE institutions north and south and an opportunity to showcase the cross border and cross community partnership celebration of innovation, creativity and real-world impact. 

The event was attended by Sadie Ward McDermott, director of FET, LMETB; Fiona Kindlon, director of schools, LMETB; Gerard Smith, director of LMETB’s Advanced Manufacturing Centre of Excellence (AMTCE) in Dundalk, Brendan Mackin, chairperson of Portview Trade Centre and Bill Pauley, board member, International Fund for Ireland.

Ryler Maher and Mikolaj Bukala, Colaiste Chu Chulainn.

Councillors Sammy Douglas and Davy Douglas from Belfast City Council were also in attendance.

Sadie Ward McDermott, director LMETB said: “Initiatives like the Advanced Manufacturing Pathways Schools Project can help to build lasting relationships on a cross-border basis – while offering young people opportunities to meet their peers on both sides of the border and learn new skills while thinking about their future career prospects.”

Driven by personal stories in many instances, the students presented group project work utilising 3D technologies to develop potential solutions to everyday challenges for people with various conditions such as arthritis, autism, mental health challenges and mobility issues, using the latest technologies like virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), robotics and 3D printing.

Teagan Nash, Molly Thornton, Cliodhna Hanniffy, Bush Post Primary.

Students worked in partnership and collaboratively on both a cross community and cross border basis, participating in active learning workshops in LMETB’s AMTCE in Dundalk and the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre at Queen’s University Belfast.

They gained knowledge skills and competencies in the latest innovative technologies such as 3D printers, VR, AR, virtual classrooms, robotics and cyber security, alongside critical development of life skills such as team working.

Meaningful benefit for local communities

The IFI’s Communities in Partnership Programme, is focused on embedding lasting relationships on a cross-border basis by supporting co-operation and innovation between groups and organisations on projects that have a meaningful benefit for local communities.

Brendan Mackin, chair of Portview Trade Centre in East Belfast said: “The development and the ultimate success of an all-Island economy requires the implementation of a training and education strategy to compete in a fast-changing global economy. This project has the objective of linking schools and manufacturing industry together to the mutual benefit of students and employers.”

Sadie Ward McDermott, director of FET at LMETB, said: “The Advanced Manufacturing Pathways Schools project has offered opportunities for students to grow in confidence and knowledge in respect to increased understanding and awareness of their potential career opportunities in advanced manufacturing and STEM  areas, acquiring during the course of the yearlong cross border project, key skills and personal competencies which they can use to inform their future potential career path opportunities.

"The programme provided for both students and staff an opportunity to work in partnership and collaboratively, providing through engagement in STEM workshops the opportunity to enable co-operation and collaboration across communities and borders, which were both enriching and beneficial opportunities for students and staff to sharing experiences, ideas generation and best practice methodologies. This project is supported in its work by the International Fund for Ireland.”