Leave the points race behind with Further Education and Training at KCETB

Following receipt of the Leaving Certificate results, school-leavers can explore the great variety of Further Education & Training (FET) courses on offer to prepare them for the career they want

The many and varied FET courses on offer at Kilkenny and Carlow Education and Training Board (KCETB) can give school-leavers receiving their Leaving Cert results an opportunity to leave the points race behind and shape their own pathway towards a future career that suits them, according to SOLAS, the Further Education & Training Authority.

Engineering, Computer Science, Games and Apps Development, Law, Media Studies and Fine Art are just a sample of the many smart choices that school-leavers can explore locally at KCETB via its colleges Ormonde College of Further Education and Carlow Institute of Further Education and Training, with many courses remaining open for application until the end of the summer.

Delivered through the 16 Education and Training Boards (ETBs), Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) courses are available in every county in Ireland, allowing learners the opportunity to further their studies close to home. The courses can provide students with pathways to higher education and also for direct entry into in-demand careers. 

Martha Bolger, who is director of FET at KCETB commented, “School leavers can find an extensive and diverse range of FET courses at KCETB. The opportunities are endless for students in Kilkenny and Carlow, with the local provision of a number of Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) and pre-university courses available at KCETB’s two further education colleges – Ormonde College of Further Education and Carlow Institute of Further Education and Training. Both offer clear pathways for learners to study at degree level or to direct employment in an array of exciting careers.” 

Commenting on the FET options available to those about who have received their Leaving Certificate results, Andrew Brownlee, CEO at SOLAS, said: “For students who have just received their Leaving Certificate results, our advice is that there’s more than one way to reach your full potential after school and I encourage you to take the time to choose the path that’s right for you.”

“Further Education and Training provides a wealth of pathways outside of the points system that can lead school-leavers on to the career that they want. Not only is FET a smart choice in its own right, it also opens up routes to higher education and prepares students for successful careers in countless cutting-edge industries. There is life beyond the Leaving Certificate, with endless opportunities available through FET to get students to where they want to be.”

Paddy Lavelle, General Secretary at Education and Training Boards Ireland noted, "There are so many benefits to exploring the wide variety of opportunities that Further Education & Training (FET) has to offer school leavers. Flexible, smart FET courses currently on offer through the 16 ETBs across the country can take learners into a broad range of exciting careers and pathways, helping them to achieve their full potential. FET is for everyone, with courses on offer in every county in Ireland, providing school leavers with the opportunity to stay close to home while they take that next step on their learning journey, and the exciting new pathway/tertiary programmes to higher education can be accessed through the ETBs outside of the points system.  For anyone who is still uncertain about their Leaving Cert results, I encourage them to explore the expansive and varied range of FET courses available through their local ETB today.”

FET Benefits

The benefits of FET courses highlighted by SOLAS include the following:

• FET courses such as Post Leaving Cert (PLC) courses are provided locally in every county throughout Ireland, delivered through the network of 16 Education and Training Boards, as well as other local providers. 
• PLC courses can offer progression routes into a university degree. 
• FET Level 5 and 6 courses can provide a foundation for students in specific sectors before they commit to completing a higher education course such as a university degree. 
• FET courses, at levels 5 and 6 on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ), are available across 12 categories including education, agriculture and veterinary, information and communications technologies, engineering and construction, science and maths, business and law, social sciences and arts.
  The recent announcement of new tertiary programmes the National Tertiary Office, a joint initiative between SOLAS and the Higher Education Authority, will allow students to enter a degree programme that begins in further education and concludes in higher education. A select number of ETBs and Higher Education Institutes across the country will take part in the co-delivery of the initial joint programmes.
   

People who have received their Leaving Certificate results can explore the FET courses on offer at www.thisisfet.ie