This International Women’s Day, we celebrate the incredible women in FET with personal stories from three amazing women which will inspire generations to come.

FET is for everyone, regardless of their level of formal education. It is available in every community in Ireland and offers a valuable and recognised pathway to take individuals as far as they want to go. All three women took their own path, embracing opportunities that FET provided to help shape their future. 

This International Women’s Day, we celebrate the resilience, ambition and achievements of women in FET who shine a light on the power of education to change lives.

Breaking barriers and inspiring change

As the first person in her family to go to university, Chelsea was determined to carve out a new path for herself. She completed a Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) course in Office Administration and Reception Skills at Coláiste Íde College of Further Education, Dublin, where she thrived academically and personally.

She also won an Erasmus Scholarship to intern in Perpignan, France as part of her PLC. Chelsea didn’t stop there. Her passion for learning led her to DCU where she is now studying a degree in Law. Her determination and belief in education and FET as a means to unlocking a better future had a profound impact on her and those around her.

Chelsea is already inspiring the people around her, with her father applying to a PLC course in cheffing.

Read her full story here.

Turning passion into a thriving career

From a young age, Anjaleen Malik had a deep love for makeup and skincare. What started as a personal passion soon became a career ambition, and she knew that the right education would help turn her dreams into reality.

Determined to gain the skills and qualifications needed to succeed in the beauty industry, she enrolled in the Advanced Beauty Therapy course at Dunboyne College of Further Education, Co Meath.

The hands-on learning and professional training she received gave her the confidence to step into the industry fully prepared. With dedication and hard work, she transformed her hobby into a thriving career as a Beauty Therapist and Laser and Specialist at Thérapie Clinic, one of the leading names in the beauty and wellness industry.

Read her full story here.

From Youthreach to University Scholarship

Megan’s education journey began in Youthreach, where she took the first steps toward her future. She decided to undertake the QQI Level 5 mechanical engineering course at Drogheda Institute of Further Education (DIFE) in Co Louth.

Megan’s ambitions didn’t stop there. She decided to take another direction and completed a course in QQI Level 5 early childhood care and education with special needs in DIFE, which led to two years working in the childcare sector.

Megan then made the decision to pursue the mathematical career path and returned to education. On the back of her Mechanical Engineering PLC qualification, she was accepted on to the Mathematical Sciences degree in TU Dublin.

 She is now a third-year student excelling in her field and has since been award the prestigious Kastus Scholarship for Women in Mathematics and Statistics at TU Dublin, a huge achievement.

Read her full story here.

Megan on why the representation of women in Further Education and Training (FET), particularly in the Mathematical Sciences field is important:

"I think that the representation of women, and their achievements, shows young girls that they have a place in a historically male-dominated field. Women's contributions in the field of mathematics have always been, and still are, grossly underrepresented. The Fields Medal for example, awarded for outstanding contributions in mathematics, has been around for nearly 90 years and has been awarded to 64 people. Only two of them were women, and the first wasn't until 2014. The Abel Prize has had 27 recipients since 2003, only one was a woman.

We've come a long way from women publishing under pseudonyms so their work will be taken seriously, but there's clearly still a long way to go. In my opinion, the first step in creating any sort of change, starts with educating girls and young women on the options and opportunities available to them, such as alternative pathways through FET courses and apprenticeships, and showcasing real women's stories is one of the best ways to do that."

There are so many opportunities available through FET from BioPharma, Engineering, Law, Hairdressing, Radio & Podcasting, Beauty to Sales and everything in between. Find all the courses available to you on fetchcourses.ie or contact your local Education and Training Board (ETB) directly.