Next month my son will turn 19. He’s uncertain about his future plans post-school and finds it difficult to get motivated for his upcoming Leaving Cert, which is cause for concern given his peers each have set goals. Any guidance would be appreciated.
First and foremost, it’s unnecessary for your son to determine an exact course or career trajectory at present. Regardless of his final choice, he has until the conclusion of his sixth year to reach an initial decision.
Motivation to persist this year could be fueled by discovering possible career inclinations. Numerous guidance counsellors can administer proficiency tests to help pinpoint where a student might excel. Careersportal.ie, among others, offers various online resources, such as an interest profiler.
World Skills Ireland is set to coincide with this year’s event at the RDS, which presents intriguing apprenticeship alternatives. The event includes demonstrations and hands-on exercises, and opportunities to gain insights from individuals who have established successful careers via these training pathways.
An abundant trove of information regarding further and higher education options for school-leavers can be found at Higher Options. Attendees can glean insights about different courses, interact with college representatives, and get inspired by the array of career talk panels.
An advantage of attending this event is the opportunity for direct interaction with representatives of universities, colleges and educational institutes from Ireland, the UK, Europe and beyond. There will also be a variety of career talks and live Q&A sessions. Booth occupiers can help guide attendees on what resources to collect.
In addition to Irish universities, representatives from multiple EU colleges – popular among Irish students – can provide advice on in-demand disciplines such as medicine, veterinary and dentistry. Representatives from Eunicas.ie, which advocates these English-taught programmes, will also be present.
The overall gain from this event is mostly contingent on the amount of groundwork each student puts in. Attendees are advised to do some pre-event research on who they wish to converse with and the questions they seek answers for.
A complementary supplement will be published by The Irish Times in the lead up to the event, and many guidance counsellors supply their students with a preparatory document to assist with planning their agendas.
Bear in mind, this event is purely for collecting information. No one expects a final career choice to be made. It’s just a solid starting point.