The announcement of Leaving Cert results last week placed many students in a state of anticipation for the initial round of offers from the CAO. However, what typically gets sidelined is the fact that an array of students, who took the Leaving Cert this year along with multitudes of individuals of all age brackets, will not be applying for a CAO spot. Rather, they will choose to ensure their position in further education (FE) programmes, traineeships, apprenticeships or jobs.
Given the media’s strong spotlight on those who managed to secure the highest number of H1s, it might seem as though alternative routes of advancement are seen as less prestigious. This couldn’t be farther from reality. Numerous other paths provide individuals with opportunities for career growth that align perfectly with their specific passions and interests, even though these are outside the conventional CAO path.
For any eager student, their chosen study programme needs to align well with their unique strengths and abilities for it to be productive. For those applying through the CAO, years will be spent in lecture halls, attending tutorials, writing dissertations, putting in long hours studying in college libraries and regularly undergoing written exams.
For many ambitious learners, the conventional CAO courses offered at our universities and colleges are wholly unsuitable for their learning needs. These students may improve their abilities more efficiently through practical hands-on training and observation. This is often combined with continuous practical assessments to measure the competency levels achieved.
In numerous fellow EU countries, such practical courses are regarded with equal importance as those provided by third-level colleges. In Ireland, however, the pressure from parents often pushes thousands of young individuals towards academia, where they mostly struggle and ultimately drop out. This causes a significant blow to their self-confidence, their parents’ finances, and the public purse.
Gratefully, there is a growing societal acknowledgement around the excellent prospects presented by apprenticeships, further education (FE), traineeships, and career opportunities.
The domain of further education
There are approximately 30,000 spots open in the FE colleges spread across the nation. These colleges are accredited at level five and six by Quality and Qualifications Ireland.
A large fraction of students enrol in post-Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) courses with the intention of applying to college-level CAO programmes, which reserve some slots specifically for FE students. On the other hand, some students prefer to hone their abilities in a vocational arena to readily enter the workforce post-graduation.
In the yearly CAO round zero proceedings in early August, more than 4,000 FE students secure admission offers. The CAO points earned by these students in any previous year’s A-level exam become immaterial once they attain a decent FE grade.
For students eyeing a spot in CAO colleges through the above-mentioned pathway, a wide range of options is available across the country.
Comprehensive information about each of the courses is provided in the PGCE course directory on the qualifax.ie website.
Just to list a few examples from the wide variety of courses available in a small section of South Dublin, includes offerings like game development, computer science, and liberal and social science at Blackrock FEI. Post-graduation, the alums can apply for degree courses at UCD, TU Dublin, and IT Tallaght. Graduates of business studies and law from Blackrock FEI can apply for admission to the economics, business, social studies, and law degrees at Trinity.
Courses in widely varying fields like make-up artistry and account technician are also on offer at Blackrock FEI, with certification from ITEC and Accounting Technician Ireland, respectively. Year after year, its graduates secure work in the health sector, thanks to courses like pre-paramedic and non-prescription pharmacy.
Stillorgan CFE offers a Level five course in digital entrepreneurship/ e-business that’s designed to keep pace with the recent surge in remote work. The course outfits students with the practical know-how required to set up their own e-business, assist an existing business with the expansion of an e-commerce presence, or acquire the skills need for remote working.
A course that focuses on event management, public relations, and digital marketing, which is designed to impart the knowledge and skills needed for the organisation and management of an event from start to finish, is also on offer. This includes areas such as conferencing, business travel, tourism, marketing, media, and design. The course places an emphasis on real-world event production experience.
Dundrum CFE provides an insight into sustainability and architecture, digging into the fundamental values of sustainable development in construction, the magnitude of the negative environmental effects of customary building methods, and the reasoning behind the urgent need for a greener approach to construction in light of climate change.
Altering views
In light of shifting outlooks within the Government and amongst employers, the variety of apprenticeship avenues has broadened recently. Now, nearly 70 unique apprenticeships exist in Ireland over 14 diverse sectors.
Established craft apprenticeships are still prominent in fields like construction, engineering and motoring, however, there are emerging opportunities in areas such as computer-generated imagery, healthcare, recruitment, finance, ICT, logistics, hospitality and sales.
Academic qualifications range from level six to level 10 doctorate level on the National Framework of Qualifications. The national body accountable for coordinating the development of a broad spectrum of new apprenticeship schemes across various sectors of our economy is Solas, with coordination from the Higher Education Authority, tertiary education institutes and Education and Training Boards.
Those looking for a more direct path to employment might find traineeships beneficial. They merge academic and workplace learning, delivering job-specific training and on-the-job mentoring at levels four to six of the National Framework of Qualifications.
Furthermore, traineeships offer an opportunity for hands-on experience in real work and industry settings, providing them with state-of-the-art industry capabilities. The traineeship programmes, available across the country in various industry sectors such as aviation, bakery, IT, animation, hospitality, and digital marketing, typically last from six to 20 months and are imparted through local education and training boards.