Great interest now in leisure management

Lyn Shakespeare is clearly in high good humour. She has just received an offer of a place on the PE teaching course in St Mary's University College, Strawberry Hill, in England.

Two years ago, she got 350 points in her Leaving Cert - a good result but insufficient to secure her a place on the State's only PE teaching course in UL. So, she enrolled on Inchicore College of Further Education's two-year full-time higher national diploma in leisure management.

"Starting here two years ago I was really scared at first, but it's been brilliant. Everyone's very nice and the course is interesting. At the interview for St Mary's I was asked about orienteering, swimming and computers . . . if I'd applied directly after the Leaving Cert I wouldn't have been able to do it." It will take her six years, rather than four, to achieve the status of PE teacher, but she's happy as long as she gets there.

About half of the 100 or so graduates of Inchicore's leisure management course carry on to higher education - topping up their qualifications to leisure management degrees or diversifying into courses such as PE teaching and sports science. Principal Michael Challoner says students traditionally went to Britain to finish their studies but, increasingly, opportunities are opening up here in the institutes of technology.

Opening its doors in late 1950s, Inchicore college was one of the pioneers of Post Leaving Certificate courses. Today, the college only offers PLC courses - ranging from leisure management to travel and tourism, computers, pre-nursing, theatre studies and art and design. There are 750 students enrolled on the various PLC programmes.

Of these, 200 are doing leisure management. Inchicore also has courses in sports and disability studies, in sports coaching and golf management. The course splits evenly between practical and academic content, says course director Eamon McGinley.

Practical skills include swimming and lifesaving, exercise and fitness (weights and aerobics), outdoor pursuits, PE and first aid. On the academic side, students learn management skills (finance, marketing, business studies and personnel management) as well as law and sports promotion.

McGinley explains that first-year students complete sufficient modules to be awarded an NCVA level 2 qualification. There is a three-week work experience in both first and second year. In second year, students can do a conversion course to earn the national certificate in exercise and fitness, the qualification required to work as a fitness instructor.

"There is also a strong emphasis on team sports. There are opportunities to take part in soccer, Gaelic games, basketball etc at higher education level. We just played in the final of the ladies' soccer competition, losing 2-1 to DCU."

Leisure management is always oversubscribed, says McGinley. At the interview, five areas are under scrutiny: your educational background (Junior Cert and mock results); sports background (are you a member of a club/team? Do you have any coaching experience?); appearance; communication skills and knowledge of leisure. You have been warned.

Applications for the leisure management course must reach Inchicore College of Further Education by April 14th. Interviews will be held in the first two weeks in May. You need five passes in the Leaving Cert including one pass at higher level.