If you already know exactly what you plan to do after leaving secondary school, The Irish Times Higher Options event in Dublin may not be for you.
However, for everyone else considering further and higher education, the expo – held this year from Wednesday, September 17th to Friday, September 19th at the RDS – has information that could shape the path ahead.
Representatives from Ireland’s third-level institutions will be present to answer students’ queries about courses, clubs and city life.
The event also hosts 80 career talks, across several stages, with guest speakers participating in discussions on a wide range of topics – including talks for those interested in a career in business, construction, law, sustainability, agriculture, media, hospitality, healthcare and teaching. Some of the discussions will also address issues such as registering for a Susi (Student Universal Support Ireland) grant and applying to the Dare (Disability Access Route to Education) scheme.
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All Ireland’s main higher education organisations will be at the event, as well as ETB (education and training board) institutions, so there will be plenty of opportunities for students to find out about higher education, further education, apprenticeships and training routes.
Other bodies keen to engage with students include the Office of Public Works, HSE, Defence Forces, Fire Service and Revenue Commissioners.
Apart from Irish institutions, there will also be several European universities at the RDS – including French universities EM Normandie Business School and École Spéciale des Travaux Publics (ESTP) engineering school, Fontys University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands, IE University and UCAM from Spain and EHL Hospitality Business School and SEG from Switzerland. There will also be opportunities to find about careers elsewhere in the EU. New York University and Crimson Education will represent opportunities in the US.
More than 30 British institutions will attend, with information on opportunities to study in England, Scotland and Wales, and how to navigate the UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) application system.
Students are advised to read through the list of exhibitors alongside the map (see the back page of this supplement) and to conduct some online research before attending Higher Options. It’s also advised to make a list of questions to ask at career stands and talks.
No student will leave the event with all their questions answered but, hopefully, each will find information about their particular area of interest – and perhaps even an education path that can be followed in the months and years ahead.
