The new principal and Chief Executive of South West College(SWC) has spoken of the great potential for further education in County Fermanagh.

Speaking for the first time since beginning her role in September, the new principal believes staff and students have adjusted well to the change in setting over the last two years.

“Change is never easy,” she said. “Everyone moved here from Fairview campus, we have had that period of adjustment.”

The college’s numbers have been boosted since the opening of the Erne campus, Ms McCartan explained: “Year on year, there has been a six per cent increase [in enrolment]. Covid was a challenge, we think there is great potential and more things they can do.”

Opportunities

Continuing, she said: “There are a lot of opportunities within Further Education (FE) across Northern Ireland, there is a lot of work going on to encourage the colleges to work together. If you don’t have the numbers to run a course here, we can join up virtually with the other colleges and still be able to offer good choices in Enniskillen, Omagh, Dungannon and Cookstown.

Ms McCartan is hoping for the expansion of some courses offered by SWC including the Health and Social Care offering. Explaining she said: “One of the programmes we are looking to develop is in a pre-nursing programme.” Ms McCartan and her team are also looking forward to the completion of the Enniskillen Workhouse Project in partnership with Fermanagh and Omagh District Council.

Ms McCartan is the former Director of Corporate Services and Governance at Fermanagh and Omagh District Council. She brings over 25 years leadership and management experience in executive and non-executive roles in Further Education, Local Government and associated sectors to her new role as principal and Chief Executive of SWC.

Thanking all of those who welcomed her into her new role, Ms McCartan said: “Everybody has been very welcoming, and it is lovely to be back in further education. There are still the same issues of people, finance and all the different things we have to ensure a big organisation is doing well.”

Explaining how her new role differs, Ms McCartan said: “The council would have spanned over a lot of different services where here I am focused on education, training, and the opportunities for people after that and linking into the economy and our communities.”

Her role is described as principal and Chief Executive and Ms McCartan is clear she wishes to be known as a principal to the students and staff at SWC. She said: “I am a principal first which is a great sense of pride for me, the focus is on the students first.”

Speaking about her plans for the future of the college under her leadership, Ms McCartan said: “We are working through things quite systematically. The quality of what we do is most important, and we are taking stock of all that from last year and seeing the areas we have for development.

“We are fine tuning and looking where the skills demands are, and trying to get that match and making sure our young people get the best careers advice.”

Referencing the potential sale of the iconic Fairview campus, Ms McCartan was tight-lipped on any potential buyers but alluded that there are interested parties.

She said: “Fairview is on the market, there has been a bit of interest in it from potential and prospective interested buyers. It is there and whether it be sold in parts or whatever [will be up to the buyer].

“We have to acknowledge the Department for Economy’s investment in the college, [the sale of Fairview] is part of the overall business case, they are waiting on that money [which will be reinvested back into FE] but thankfully it has not held up our project. There are individual plots in the building and there are lots of interesting ideas for it.”