Up to 25,000 to seek careers guidance

The great cavalcade will begin shortly, wending its way towards Dublin's RDS

The great cavalcade will begin shortly, wending its way towards Dublin's RDS. Up to 25,000 students are expected to come in buses, trains, cars and on foot. They will travel with friends, parents, teachers and guidance counsellors. Leaving Cert students who want information, advice and guidance on their career options after second level will travel to their mecca, i.e. the great Higher Options conference in Dublin next month. This takes place over three days in a number of the large halls in the RDS. This is the conference's 13th year and it's the place to be if you're at that crossroads. It's a time when students weigh up their options, consider the routes open to them and begin to think about life after the Leaving. It's the start of life's great journey for each of them. This year's conference kicks off on Wednesday, September 22nd at 9.00 a.m. running over three days. Over 250 colleges will greet students who pass their stands. All of the universities, colleges and institutions in attendance will have brochures, leaflets, advice, information and contact names and addresses to pass on to interested students. Careers in medicine, dentistry, computers, languages, European studies, business, design, art and physiotherapy are just some of the areas on which students will be able to pick up information. Those attending are advised to take notes, ask questions and shop around. There will also be a chance to listen to individuals from different institutions such as the Central Applications Office (CAO) and its British and Northern Ireland equivalent, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). There are plenty of career options outside the CAO or UCAS umbrellas. Students may like to consider alternatives such as apprenticeships with FAS, training for the tourism industry with CERT or horticulture and agriculture training with Teagasc.

The Garda, the Defence Forces and nursing have their own recruitment and training structures. There's the Civil Service, Bord Iascaigh Mhara and some of the regional health boards to check out also. PLC colleges will also be touting for applicants. They provide students with training which leads into the workforce or also some PLC courses which allow students to progress on to third level.

Independent private third-level colleges in the Republic will be there also.

Up to 8,000 young people will attend the conference each day. They will learn about the pitfalls in the college entry process, how the CAO and the UCAS systems work, the dates of entry for application for courses and the subject requirements necessary on the various courses.

READ MORE

Meeting individuals from the colleges around this State, Northern Ireland and Britain is an opportunity to get a sense of the course, where its focus is, what its toughest aspects are and what type of student colleges are trying to attract.

Each day, 12 separate talks will be delivered by people in different careers. Students are advised to ask questions and not to be afraid. If you're wondering whether it's necessary to have a B in higher-level maths, then ask, says the Institute of Guidance Counsellors.

This is the time to talk face-to-face with administrators, lecturers, admission officers, professors and tutors. They will be there, ready to impart knowledge but they must be asked.

They may invite you to sit down and they may present you with a college prospectus. They want you to ask them questions.

They are interested in attracting the best students to their colleges.

This is their chance to make contact, to make a bid and whet the appetites of students who may be, at this stage, merely thinking about a course at their university or institution. This is your chance to gather in that information. The conference is run by The Irish Times in association with the IGC. Students come from all parts of the country, many of them leaving home at the crack of dawn to arrive at the RDS as early as possible. The conference is a hive of networking and contact-forging. The atmosphere is one of business and activity and there's always the social side also.

It's a time to make friends, to establish links with neighbouring schools and forge educational relationships.