Ballymahon secondary students awarded first construction qualification

Transition year and senior cycle students from Mercy Secondary School in Ballymahon recently received their first professional qualification when they successfully undertook Safe Pass training with the Construction Industry Federation and SOLAS.

Safe Pass is the national mandatory safety training for the construction industry, and students from Mercy Secondary School completed the training as part of their curriculum for this year.

Dermot Carey, director, Safety and Training at the Construction Industry Federation (CIF), congratulated the students and expressed his gratitude to staff at the school.

"Congratulations to Mercy Secondary School students on completing their Safe Pass training. Mr Seery and the school must be commended for giving their students every opportunity to develop their skills and career options," he said.

Speaking about the training, Mercy Secondary School teacher Colin Seery said the day was very rewarding, "particularly for our students who are genuinely interested in pursuing work in the construction industry".

Students from across the midlands and across Ireland are undertaking Safe Pass training with the CIF as part of transition year, Leaving Cert and Leaving Cert Applied courses in schools this year.

The initiative is part of the CIF Careers Campaign to support students interested in a career in the construction industry.

"Safe Pass is a key qualification we all have in the construction sector. From architects, site managers to work experience labourers, from Donegal to Delvin, everyone working in the sector starts with a SafePass.

"I hope this qualification is the first of many for the students at Mercy Secondary School and leads some to a rewarding career in our industry," said Dermot Carey of the CIF.