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More CAO options for students with inclusion of further education and training

Making a decision between university or further education has never been simpler with the changes to this year’s CAO

The CAO looks a little different this year as, for the first time, school-leavers will not only have the option of hundreds of third-level college and university courses to choose from, there will also be links to information on 62 apprenticeships and over 650 further education and training (FET) programmes.

Andrew Brownlee, chief executive of Solas, says this is a welcome development, and will broaden the horizons of those trying to figure out what their next step will be after leaving school.

“People were doing their senior cycle in school with a sole focus on the CAO process and the deadline, and that preoccupied everyone’s time – students, teachers and guidance counsellors. The other problem was that the further education courses that they could do or the apprentice options they could think about, they only really came into the equation after the CAO process as an afterthought,” he explains.

“It was crucial to get all those options on the table at the same time and widen the conversation.”

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Solas has worked hard to change the mindset around apprenticeships, and Brownlee says these efforts are finally gaining traction.

“There are now 62 different apprenticeship programmes and although the pandemic caused a problem because a lot of the technical and practical training had to be put on hold, in 2021 already we have over 7,000 apprenticeship registrations, taking us past 2019 pre-Covid levels.”

People of all ages are becoming interested in apprenticeships but Brownlee is keen to emphasise the growing importance of FET as a valid option on the CAO.

The inclusion of apprenticeships and further education options on the CAO is a game changer

“There is a lot more recognition of the value of not just apprenticeships but further education,” he says. “We have great evidence that if you are someone who got less than 300 points in your Leaving Cert, if you do a further education course like a PLC and then go into higher education you will have a much better chance of reaching the end of your degree.”

It isn’t an either/or situation, he adds. “Sometimes further education can be a great stepping stone onto the degree that you want to do or even scoping out an area that you are interested in. There are over 650 further education courses that students are now able to apply for in just a few clicks.”

Solas is keen to convince parents of the value of further education or apprenticeship, while also working closely with guidance counsellors. They are also reaching out to students via social media apps such as Snapchat and TikTok, says Brownlee.

The inclusion of apprenticeships and further education options on the CAO is a “game changer”, Brownlee says.

“It opens up the conversation because now they have to think about these options at the same time as the higher education courses, it’s not just something they do once the CAO process is closed. It’s a really exciting time.”

Hannah Dowdall studied a PLC in Dunboyne College of Further Education and is now in the second year of her degree at Maynooth University

I actually achieved the points in my Leaving Certificate to go on and study for a teaching degree in DCU. But even though I had gotten the points I needed, I kind of panicked and felt I wasn’t ready or prepared enough to start college. I was speaking to my Dad about it, and when he was in his thirties he did a FETAC Level 5 course in healthcare so he suggested I do a PLC course in teaching to see how I liked it. During the PLC I did my work experience in a primary school and that helped me realise that primary teaching wouldn’t be for me, so if I hadn’t had that experience, I think I would have ended up in a career I didn’t like or wasn’t suited to.

There are so many courses that people don't realise can serve as stepping stones to all types of careers

I am now in my second year in Maynooth University and I know I want to teach at second level or further education. Had I not taken the extra year I might have dropped out, whereas my year in Dunboyne showed me what I really wanted. There used to be a stigma around PLC courses but there are so many courses that people don’t realise can serve as stepping stones to all types of careers.

Harry Angel is in his final year of the apprenticeship in property services/real estate management

My interests in auctioneering began in transition year in school when I did the DNG TY program, which is a five-day course in which all aspects of the company are covered. When the Leaving Cert came around, I applied for and was offered the auctioneering and estate agency course in TUD but I instead chose to do the apprenticeship programme because it offered the chance to earn and learn at the same time, while gaining real-life experience in the industry. I applied to DNG and they agreed to take me on and mentor me.

I would encourage anyone who has an interest in sales or property to do this apprenticeship

I am currently in my final year of the two-year property services apprenticeship, and thanks to DNG I’ve been given a lot of guidance and responsibility in the residential property aspect of the business, covering plenty from the preparation of a property for sale to meeting prospective buyers and showing properties.

I think career guidance counsellors and teachers in schools tend to push the university route rather than highlighting the possibility of apprenticeships. There is a false impression given by parents and teachers that a full-time university course is the only way to secure well paid employment. I really enjoy my job. I work with a great team who always encourage and push me on to be a great negotiator and I would encourage anyone who has an interest in sales or property to do this apprenticeship.