with Further Education & Training (FET) and Apprenticeships
Students that have just completed the Leaving Certificate or are due to sit the exams in 2026 may have clear career ambitions in mind, or may still be figuring out their next steps after school. Regardless of their future ambitions, when weighing up the options, students should consider Further Education and Training (FET) and apprenticeships which offer a valuable post-secondary learning pathways for school leavers to fulfil their potential.
Apprenticeships have become an increasingly popular choice for school leavers, offering the chance to earn while learning from the very first day. With 77 diverse apprenticeship programmes now available across a wide range of innovative industries, including traditional crafts like plumbing, carpentry, joinery, and electrical work, as well as newer fields such as financial services, software development, and social work, there are more opportunities than ever before.
Options for the next steps
Additionally, Further Education & Training courses are available in every county and are delivered through the 16 Education and Training Boards (ETBs). FET options for school leavers include Post-Leaving Certificates (PLCs) Levels 5 and 6 on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ). Outside of the points system, FET can provide a stepping-stone to university, prepare students for entry into employment or provide space to trial a subject of interest for those uncertain of what’s next after school.
Jack Yeates, like many school leavers was unsure of his next steps after the Leaving Certificate and choose to take the FET route. Jack “felt a bit lost” at school in his final year until he started his journey with FET. Knowing college wasn’t for him, Jack decided to pursue an area of interest through a Post-Leaving Certificate (PLC) course.
“The PLC was a shot in the dark. It was something that I got real enjoyment out of, and it gave me a broad scope of the industry. And I thought ‘You know what, maybe I could make something of myself in the Tech industry’ – and so I chose to follow my passion and chose to go on to do a Software Development Apprenticeship, and I’ve never looked back.”
Other paths to success
For those students considering their next step, Jack reminds students that there are other paths to success, beyond the points race, with the apprenticeship route offering an excellent option for students.
“I’m very much someone who believes that there is no limit to what you can achieve”, says Jack, having since completed his apprenticeship, and now experiencing great success as a Customer Centric Engineer at Salesforce. Last year he was presented with a prestigious National Apprentice of the Year Award in recognition of his outstanding work in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) category.
“Completing a FET course gave me the confidence and opportunity to pursue a degree in university’
FET learner, Megan Dooley was one of a growing cohort of school leavers eager to explore some of the endless study and career options that FET offers. After being unsure of her career choices after school, she decided to complete a mechanical engineering course, followed by an early childhood care and education with special needs course, and worked in the childcare sector for two years.
Megan’s interest in mechanical engineering never wavered however, and she decided to return to education to pursue a degree in mathematical sciences with TU Dublin. For Megan, taking the PLC route after school helped prepare her for taking that leap into studying at degree level.
“I think people have this idea that they have to decide, at 17/18 years old, what they want to do for the rest of their lives and that’s just not true. You have your whole life to do as many, or as few, different jobs or careers as you’d like.”
Megan has since gone on to win the Kastus Scholarship for Women in Mathematics and Statistics at TU Dublin and is looking forward to a bright future ahead. Her advice for Leaving Certificate students who are navigating next steps after school is informed by her own experience of exploring and finding the path that works for her.
Megan’ story is a reminder for students that it’s okay to take time and think about their interests, with no need to rush into making decisions about their careers.
Explore a world of options with no limit to your learning this September
There’s no better way for second level students to learn about a world of exciting career paths they can take after school than by visiting Higher Options and WorldSkills Ireland 2025 events taking place from 17th – 19th September in the RDS.
SOLAS, the further education and training (FET) authority and the National Apprenticeship Office (NAO), and a number of ETBs will have a presence at both events again this year to provide information on alternative pathways for school leavers outside of university, including the 77+ apprenticeship programmes, and 1,500+ PLC courses available nationwide.
Information on a new range of joint degree programmes will also be available. These degree programmes commence in a FET College. Students spend 1-2 years there and then automatically transfer (subject to passing exams) to a higher education institute to complete a degree programme. Working with Further Education and Higher Education partners, a suite of over 40 programmes have been developed in collaboration with the National Tertiary Office.
At WorldSkills Ireland students, Guidance Counsellors and schools will see over 160 of Ireland’s brightest apprentices and skills makers compete across 30 live National Competition Finals to determine who will represent Ireland in the WorldSkills Olympics in Shanghai 2026. The event provides an exciting opportunity for visitors to see a world of skills in action from motor mechanics to cheffing, hairdressing to engineering, and a wide range of construction skills. Visitors will be able to speak with apprentices, find information on skills training, career pathways, attend inspiring careers talks, and hear from Apprentice of the Year 2025 nominees.
Higher Options, Ireland’s largest education expo, is a great opportunity to attend a wide and diverse range of informative career talks on everything from PLC courses, to apprenticeships, national tertiary degrees and more, to help students consider all of their options so that they can be empowered to make informed decisions about their future. Career talks will feature apprentices and PLC learners sharing about their experiences of taking the alternative route.
Higher Options and WorldSkills Ireland events are set to take place from Wednesday, 17th September to Friday, 18th September 2025 in the RDS, Dublin. To attend both events, make sure to register for each event separately to avoid disappointment.
Discover the full range of apprenticeship programmes at www.apprenticeship.ie and PLCs at thisisfet.ie
