ALUMNI TESTIMONIALS

Dean Harding

Graduate

DMC Digital Marketing and Content Creation

Before starting my course in Ballyfermot, I had recently finished my Leaving Cert. I had decided I wanted to go to college. I found the Digital Marketing and Content Creation course and wanted to see what it would be like and what could it lead to.

My experience during the course was that it was different to what I expected it to be. I thought that it would be more social media focused but was more spread over different areas such as public relations and multimedia web authoring.

My time and experience in the college was good as I met lots of new people and learned new things in the course. I am set to do the two year Higher National Diploma for Business in the college this year and next year. From doing this new course I hope to go on and do my university degree in business and pursue a career in business.

Tara Walsh

Entertainment Reporter

MRH Radio Programming & Production

2018 Graduate Tara Walsh

My name is Tara Walsh and I’m the entertainment reporter for SPIN 1038 and SPIN South West. I also present my own show every Saturday from 3pm to 7pm on SPIN 1038.

My job involves writing on-air entertainment news bulletins and presenting them live every hour across the day. In addition to this, I write entertainment articles for both station’s websites.

I began my career in the Radio HND course as a student at Ballyfermot College of Further Education in 2016.

At that time I knew absolutely no one in the industry and I had very little experience in broadcasting. Thanks to my amazing lecturers, I made contacts in the industry and managed to get my foot in the door.

In my final year, I did my Erasmus to 89.7 Bay Radio in Malta, the number one station there

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCFMsgL79Aw

I can’t recommend this college highly enough

Nosa Osarenkhoe

Social Care Worker

SVC Social Care Studies Level 6 Advanced

The Social Care Studies Level 6 Advanced course helped me to know more about people, about intellectual disabilities, and holistic care as well as applying a person centered Approach.

There is a Work Experience element to this course. I did my placement at a Community Centre. The service users I worked with there were youths that are between 11 years to 17 years of age who had behavioural challenges. Additionally I worked with people who have autism ranging from 14 to 19 years of age. I enjoyed working with all service users.

I would recommend this course to anyone who would like to work directly helping people.

Simon O’Leary

Reporter and Producer

MND MRH MPM Radio Programming & Production

2018 Graduate Simon O’Leary

I really found my feet during the two year radio course as it was so hands on and practical.

I did Media & Broadcasting Diploma (MND) then Radio Programming & Production Diploma Level 6 Higher National Diploma (MRH) course and then Media Production Management BA Degree all in BCFE

The lecturers are so encouraging and supportive of work placements and they have the network to help you get your foot in the door of Ireland’s biggest broadcasters. It’s so important to put the theory learned in lectures into practice in the workplace as it’s the only way to get a start in the industry. Ballyfermot is so encouraging of this and I’ll always be forever grateful for their drive to get me into the workplace.

I’m now living in London and freelance as a producer for Sky News and Channel 4 News. I’m currently a reporter and producer on the BBC’s flagship day time news programme, The Victoria Derbyshire programme which airs each weekday on BBC Two and the News Channel.

See my BBC TV Report here

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07tcsfv

Jessica Maciel

Radio Presenter & Producer

MRH MPM Radio Programming & Production

I’m Jessica and I did the Radio Programming & Production Diploma Level 6 Higher National Diploma (MRH) course and then Media Production Management BA Degree.

Since I graduated in September 2018, I have been able to use all of the skills that I got from my radio course to help me progress in the industry.

The 3 years I spent in the college helped me to open up as a person and meet and network with new people. Having lecturers that have worked in the industry was such a huge advantage and really prepared me for what was to come.

I did my Erasmus in Spirit Radio in Helsinki, Finland.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-dQ9B8iDgQ

I am now a Radio Presenter & Producer working with Spin 1038, 98FM, Today FM and BBC Radio 1

Emily Good

Designer with Conference Partners

AGH HND in Graphic Design

I would highly recommend the Graphic Design course at BCFE to anyone interested in studying or working in the field. It is an
incredibly diverse, challenging and rewarding progamme of study that went way beyond my expectations of what is possible to learn in just two years.

There is a wonderful variation in the different modules taught in the course; design history, typography, motion graphics, ideas generation, editorial to name just a few! Everyone has their own Apple Mac computer to work on and high quality printers are provided for printing up final projects. In terms of value, there is no comparison.

The teaching staff are fantastic! Their experience and enthusiasm for the subject of visual communication is inspiring. They are generous with advice and always patient and encouraging. The dedication they show to teaching is really motivating. It is unique to find such willingness to share expertise and their contribution to the success of the course cannot be underestimated. From the beginning they in-still a great work ethic, which is vital when it comes to finding work in the industry.

I came to the course as a graduate of Fine Art. Having completed my degree almost ten years ago, I was nervous that I might find it difficult to use the computer software. This was never an issue, lessons were meticulously planned out and guidance was always available where needed for any students.

I was delighted to be able to start my career as a Graphic Designer as soon as I finished the course. When I started work I found that everything I learned at BCFE had fully prepared me for the job and I am so grateful for that.

If you want to be a Graphic Designer, DO THIS COURSE!!

Graham Moynes

Designer with O’Neills Irish International Sports Co. Ltd.

AGH HND in Graphic Design

I cannot recommend this course enough. Whether you are pursuing further education or, like I was, looking for a job in the creative industry, this course is invaluable. I went straight into employment after finishing the course and I found that I was able to apply to a wide range of jobs because of the versatile set of skills I had learned. The entire staff were always friendly and encouraging and always wanted the students to do the best they could. Above all, the course taught me how to think like a designer and how to work efficiently and effectively. It was a challenge, but I cannot say how worthwhile it was. It changed my life.

Gabriella Makrai

Design Monks

AGH HND in Graphic Design

My motivation for choosing the two year HND in Graphic Design at BCFE was that the skill set taught there provided the opportunity to go straight into the industry after college.

Adrienne Fanning

Graphic Designer with Intercake

AGH HND in Graphic Design

Deciding to go back to college was the difficult step, once that decision was made picking which college I wanted to attend was a bit simpler. Just mention Ballyfermot and instantly people in the know say ‘Oh that college has a great reputation!!’ After some research, I quickly figured out that not only their reputation was an attraction but also the course content. Covering all the programs, like Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign, that I was interested in learning, the course also seemed to offer in-depth training in areas like Art Direction, Research Techniques and Advanced Computer Graphics that I definitely needed some extensive knowledge of if I wanted to progress in the Visual Communications industry. After two amazing years I learned much more than I could possibly have imagined. But most of all I came away with a passion for Graphic Design and design thinking that is so evident in BCFE. The tutors level of skill and expertise of this area is at a level that I hadn’t experienced in any other course I had ever done. I was offered one of the first jobs I went for as a Graphic and Web Designer, my employers being totally amazed by the portfolio I had produced in 2 short years at Ballyfermot.