It’s a new year of learning and opportunity, and the perfect time for Leaving Certificate students to get familiar with all of the post-secondary pathways available to prepare them for their next steps after school. There’s a wealth of Further Education & Training (FET) and Apprenticeship opportunities available across the country for students to explore in the coming weeks and months.
SOLAS, the further education and training authority has noted record growth and demand for FET in recent years with the learner base growing by over 17% in 2023 and data showing further growth in 2024. One in ten adults in Ireland were engaged in FET and apprenticeships in 2023.
Within this, increasing numbers of students are choosing the FET route, with almost 30,000 Leaving Certificate students starting on QQI Level 5 and 6 courses, (also known as Post Leaving Certificate (PLC)) in 2024. There has also been with a record number +9,000 new apprentice registrations in 2024.
One of the main attractions FET offers for students is the wide range of courses that prepare students for entry to the world of work as well as offering great progression routes into higher education and apprenticeships.
Available in every county through Ireland’s network of 16 Education and Training Boards (ETBs), FET is uniquely placed to offer school leavers an enticing option to continue their learning journey in their local communities. There is endless choice in career paths with 1500+ PLC courses for school leavers, delivered across the country in Beauty Therapy; Science; Personal Training & Nutrition; Fashion Design; Journalism, Podcasting & Radio, and more.
With a course duration of 1-2 years, PLC courses offer students a great option for students who are unsure about their next steps after school so that they can trial a subject of interest before committing to applying to a four-year degree programme.
The apprenticeship route is also an increasingly attractive route for students to take after completing the Leaving Certificate.
Not only do students get to earn and learn, and apply learned skills in the workplace as apprentices, but they also gain important on-the-job professional experience, and a qualification that often leads to direct entry into a job.
In 2024, over 9,000 new apprentices registered across 77+ Generation Apprenticeship programmes, reflecting the growing appetite for apprenticeships, in popular career programmes such as Construction, Engineering, Finance, Biopharma, ICT, Hospitality, Hairdressing and more.
New and exciting apprenticeship options are becoming available every year with programme qualifications starting at QQI Level 6, all the way up to PhD level (QQI Level 10), expanding into new and emerging industries including Cybersecurity, Civil Engineering, Farming, Digital Marketing, and more.
For those students seeking alternative options outside of the points race, Tertiary Degree programmes are fast becoming a key destination for Leaving Certificate students, offering clear and accessible pathways between FET and Higher Education.
Coordinated by the National Tertiary Office, together with Further Education and Higher Education partners, there are now 40+ programmes currently available across the country in a diverse range of sectors including Business, Nursing, Immersive Media, Tourism and Hospitality, Social Work and more. Students start their journey in a FET college, spending 1-2 years there and then automatically transfer (subject to passing exams) to a higher education institute to complete a degree programme. More information on the Tertiary programmes is available at nto.ie.
There are endless opportunities for students to explore outside of the points race through FET and Apprenticeships that can take them into exciting careers.
Leaving Certificate students can start exploring courses available through their local ETB at thisisfet.ie. They can also discover the 77+ Apprenticeships at apprenticeship.ie.
