There are lots of options outside of CAO

There have never been so many ways for students to realise their potential on leaving secondary school. While much focus remains on Leaving Cert results and CAO points, there is a growing number of options open outside of the CAO system. These pathways provide education training options across multiple sectors, suit a variety of learners and provide progression routes onto further qualifications or directly into the workplace. And a key feature of such pathways is that entry is not based on CAO points and applications remain open at this stage!

The Further Education and Training (FET) sector provides a variety of options and pathways across multiple career sectors which include Post Leaving Cert (PLC) courses, Tertiary Programmes (new for 2023) as well as apprenticeships and traineeships.

Post Leaving Certificate Courses

Colleges of Further Education (FE) are still accepting applications for courses in a huge variety of subject areas, providing students with skills to go directly into the workplace and QQI FET/FETAC qualifications which allow them to progress onto colleges and universities here in Ireland, the UK and Europe. To check out the full range of PLC courses available and to apply, check out www.fetchcourses.ie . For those who are interested in progression routes onto Higher Education in Ireland, take a look at QQI-FET Applicant section of www.cao.ie . Individual FE college websites also have lots of information available on entry requirements, course content and career options.

Tertiary Education Programmes

A brand new pathway to completing a degree is available to students from September 2023 through the Tertiary Education Programmes. This exciting new option allows students to start their degree in a FE college or local Education & Training Board (ETB) and after one or two years transfer to a partner Higher Education Institution (University) to complete the degree. Currently there are 23 courses on offer nationwide. For further details on courses, entry requirements and to apply see - https://nto.hea.ie

Apprenticeships

There are currently 69 different apprenticeships available across a huge variety of sectors including construction, arboriculture, electrical, biopharma, ICT, finance, insurance, logistics & supply chain, sales, agriculture, hairdressing, engineering, hospitality, healthcare, mechanics, auctioneering and recruitment. Apprentices are paid while training, so they are earning while learning. For more details see www.apprenticehip.ie