Blackrock’s original technical institute took just 14 months and £3,000 to build in 1905.

The new one – the Blackrock Further Education Institute – officially opened in the south Co Dublin town yesterday, took 20 years to develop and cost €9.5 million – but the end result is an award-winning design, and a facility that its backers believe will help to transform the image of further education.

Sometimes perceived as a “fall-back option” for school leavers who don’t qualify for third level, the further education and training sector played “a key role in giving people real choices and opportunities for progression”, Minister for Education and Skills Jan O’Sullivan told the large gathering of community representatives present.

“The students here are entitled to the best possible standards and the best possible quality, and they have got that here.”

Emphasising the significance of the development on educational standards, business studies lecturer Dave Alvey said it was noticeable that students at the college’s previous home at Eblana Avenue in Dún Laoghaire “had accepted their studies were somewhat less important than students attending more prestigious institutions… This campus conveys the contrary message. The moment they step through the door they know their studies are deemed important.”

The Blackrock Further Education Institute offers courses with a similar industry-focus to its forerunner of 100-plus years ago, an institute founded by the nationalist MP William Field.

Prospectus

Then, carpentry, needlework and shorthand topped the college prospectus; today, computing, accounting, design, beauty and healthcare do the same.

The campus, which incorporates three listed buildings, won McCullough Mulvin Architects and Collen Construction a number of design awards, including the 2014 Irish Georgian Conservation Award.