Further Education and Training (FET) is fast becoming a popular option for school leavers across Ireland.
Since 2019, there has been a 33% increase in students choosing FET post-secondary learning pathways including Post-Leaving Certificate (PLC) courses, apprenticeships, and Tertiary Bachelor’s Degree programmes, instead of direct university entry. This shift highlights the growing recognition of the value of FET and its relevance in today’s society.
For students seeking to make a start their future career path without the constraints of the points system, FET offers a wide variety of opportunities. These options can lead directly to employment or provide pathways to degree-level study.
FET is accessible and affordable, delivered throughout Ireland by 16 Education and Training Boards (ETBs), making it possible for every school leaver, no matter where they live, to pursue quality education that aligns with their career goals.
We are seeing FET graduates consistently achieve strong outcomes. According to CSO research on FET outcomes, over 90% of the 2021/2022 PLC graduate cohort employed or in further study or both a year after graduation.
As Ireland continues to prioritise critical skills for the future, FET is becoming a leader in preparing graduates with real-world experience and work-ready skills to thrive in a changing economy, as well as providing a range of routes to university education.
How PLCs Shape Future Success
Post-Leaving Certificate courses offer an accessible, practical pathway for school leavers across to take their next step after secondary school. Accredited at Levels 5 and 6 of the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ), there are more than 1,500 PLC courses available in every county.
At one to two years in duration, PLC courses can provide students unsure of their next steps with an opportunity to gain clarity on career direction.
Donegal-based Samuel Allsop had initially started a course in film and media production at the Atlantic Technological University (ATU) but left shortly after he realised it wasn’t the right path for him.
The Pre-University Education and Teaching PLC course nearby in Monaghan Institute was a great opportunity for him to try out teaching as a possible career path so he decided to take this as his next step.
“What motivated me to take the PLC route was trying to figure out whether the career path I wanted to take was the right fit for me. I think PLCs are great for that.” Samuel added that PLCs “give you a good sense of what’s expected of you, and if you would suit working in a particular environment, especially if you’re looking to determine if a chosen subject or career is a good fit.”
Work experience is an essential part of many PLCs to ensure graduates come away with work-ready skills and sets those who wish to progress to university education with the advantage of an extra year of learning.
“For me, the most valuable part of the PLC was the work experience I got teaching in both the primary and secondary school. This really helped me to get a good sense of the work teachers are expected to do on a day-to-day basis and the skills and strengths needed to be a teacher.”
Following his completion of the PLC, Samuel’s intentions are to study a Bachelor of Arts, where he is now exploring programmes at Maynooth University, the University of Galway and Dundalk’s Institute of Technology ahead of his long-term goal to continue his educational path to become a teacher.
“The PLC assured me of the ideas that studying a BA in English and History would suit me”, Samuel said, “especially for my long-term intentions of being a Secondary School Teacher in one of those subjects”
“I found that doing this PLC really helped me realise that I have chosen the right career, and it’s only motivated me further to continue on this career path, and I would recommend it to anyone.”
Find out more about PLC course options at www.fetchcourses.ie.
Apprenticeships as a First-Choice Career Pathway
A valued mode of learning for students to earn and learn from day one, apprenticeships offer a diverse range of options from traditional craft apprenticeships such as electrical and plumbing to the newer consortia-led apprenticeships in sectors such as finance, recruitment and software development.
There are 88 apprenticeship programmes currently available nationwide across 17 different sectors, including the most recent additions – Civil Engineering (Level 8), Quantity Surveying (Level 8), Business and Operations (Level 6), Social Care (Level 8) and Robotics & Automation (Level 6).
Over the past number of years, we have seen an increase in women taking the apprenticeship route.
Rose of Tralee 2025, Katelyn Cummins is also an electrical apprentice and a proud ambassador for the National Apprenticeship Office’s Facts, Faces and Futures initiative which promotes apprenticeships as first-choice career options for young women.
Katelyn has highlighted the valuable opportunities that apprenticeships have to offer everyone: “It’s a great career pathway, and whether you’re a woman or a man, there are so many exciting and diverse apprenticeship careers to choose from, students can do and achieve anything they set their mind on, no matter what.
Looking at students considering next steps after the Leaving Certificate, Katelyn has great advice: “I would encourage all school leavers to do what makes you happy, whether that’s an apprenticeship, a PLC course or university.
“I couldn’t be happier with my apprenticeship journey and what I have achieved so far as an electrical apprentice, and I am grateful for the unexpected opportunities that the apprenticeship route has opened for me, to enrich my knowledge, skills and career.”
Learn more about apprenticeships at www.apprenticeship.ie.
Innovative Tertiary Bachelor’s Degree Programmes Bridging ETBs and HEIs
The recently launched Tertiary Bachelor’s Degree provides school leavers with another route to university education, without the pressure of the points system.
Programmes are co-designed and co-delivered by ETBs and Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), offering seamless pathways from Further Education to Higher Education.
There are 78 Tertiary Bachelor’s Degree courses currently open for the academic year 2026/2027, to be delivered across 16 ETBs and 12 HEIs nationwide.
Amongst the new options available to students are primary teaching, nursing pathways and business courses. Find out more at http://www.NTO.ie.
Explore PLCs, apprenticeships and Tertiary Bachelor’s Degrees at WorldSkills Ireland and Higher Options this year from September 16th–18th. Please book your ticket in advance to attend.
Post-Leaving Certificate (PLC) courses offer accessible, practical pathways for school leavers across to take their next step after secondary school. Explore 1500+ PLC courses at fetchcourses.ie