Post Leaving Cert options for School Leavers.

There's been a good deal of uncertainty the last couple of years, and for School Leavers, there may well be more ahead as the Leaving Cert results arrive this morning. 

If you’re still unsure about what career path to pursue, or perhaps you're reconsidering your options based on your results, Further Education and Training can provide a wide range of opportunities to help you find the right path.

There are 30,000 courses available, including PLC Courses, Traineeships & Apprenticeships. Whatever industry you’re interested in breaking into, you’ll find courses in areas such as fashion design, engineering, TV & radio, animal grooming, property auctioneering and many more.

Further Education and Training can:

• Open a direct route into an exciting career:

Clare’s journey started out while she was at Loreto College, Foxrock. She knew exactly what she wanted to do after her Leaving Certificate – Body and Beauty Therapy. “I didn’t even fill out a CAO application. There was no need to - I knew exactly what I wanted to do and where I wanted to study, and that was Senior College Dun Laoghaire (now Blackrock Further Education Institute).”

In 2011, Clare Cullen represented Ireland at the WorldSkills Competition in London – basically the Olympics for skills, and a competition she didn’t even realise she was competing in until she qualified for the world finals!

• Provide you with a steppingstone to a third level course:

Wayne O’Connor, reporter with The Sunday Independent is currently busy reporting on the COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the world, bringing the most up-to-date and vital information to readers of one of Ireland’s biggest selling newspaper. While Wayne now plays an essential role in communicating guidance to people across Ireland, there was a time where he didn’t think a career in journalism was an option for him.

“It’s funny how I ended up in a job that, while doing my leaving cert, I never even considered a possibility. Had I known about the Limerick College of Further Education and Training course back then, I might be four years further on in my career! Either way, I love my work and without the FETAC course in journalism, I wouldn’t be doing it. My career really fell into place as a result of the course and I’d love everyone to know about the option from the start.”

• Provide an opportunity to try out different areas, if you’re not sure of your next steps:

When things didn’t go to plan for   with her leaving certificate results in 2016, she was hit with uncertainty and dread. Amie’s mum saw that a Nursing Studies course was on offer in Listowel Campus at Kerry College and suggested that she try it out.

“Kerry College was great - the tutors and trainers were brilliant; the modules were really varied, and the placement aspect of the course was what swung it for me. I knew right away after working in Listowel Community Hospital that nursing was the career for me.”

Whether you’re searching for a direct path into your dream career, a steppingstone to a higher education course or you want to explore your options, Further Education and Training can provide the pathway you need.

Learn more about the courses that are available here.

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