This week has been dominated by the release of CAO Round 1 offers and cut-off points for courses for 2021 which rose dramatically for many courses.

It is important to realise that there are plenty of options to progress in your education and training that do not depend on how many Leaving Cert points you have received.

As well as looking at the Available Places options on www.cao.ie, make sure to look at all the pathways open to you.

Post Leaving Cert Courses

Colleges of Further Education are still accepting applications for Post Leaving Cert (PLC) courses across a huge variety of career areas and sectors so check them out this week as places are filling up.

Entry to these QQI FET/FETAC courses is not based on points and once you complete them, you have the option to apply to higher education in Ireland, the UK and Europe through the many progression routes available.

Approximately one in five students applying to colleges and universities through CAO each year come from the further education sector.

PLCs give you a great foundation in a particular area before you have to commit to a longer undergraduate course.

Details of PLCs can be found on www.fetchcourses.ie , www.careeersportal.ie www.qualifax.ie and on the websites of your local colleges of further education or local Education and Training Board (ETB).

Check out www.kerrycollege.ie for an extensive range of options and help is available from their Admissions Office and Guidance Counselling staff. If you are interested in progressing onto higher education Information on progression routes see www.cao.ie.

Apprenticeships and Traineeships
It is also well worth looking at the range of apprenticeships available across multiple sectors including the twenty five craft apprenticeships categorised under motor, electrical, construction and engineering and an ever-growing number of options from fifteen different industry sectors including finance, ICT, biopharma, arboriculture, hairdressing, hospitality and food, insurance, logistics, property services, recruitment and sales.
These newer apprenticeships provide qualifications from levels 5 to 9 on the National Framework of Qualifications, which means that you can qualify to degree and masters levels in certain areas. Apprenticeships offer skills-based training with at least 50% of it taking place in the workplace and unlike full-time college courses, you are earning while you learn. For further information check out www.apprenticeship.ie
Like apprenticeships, traineeships focus on skills-based training in career areas where there is an identified skills need.
They span across a range of industry sectors including business and retail, media, manufacturing, agriculture, horticulture & mariculture, care, construction, engineering, animal science, fashion and beauty, finance, ICT, hospitality, sports & leisure and logistics. Traineeships last for between six and twenty four months with at least 30% on the job training.
You will find the details on https://www.solas.ie/programmes/traineeship/ and on the 16 Education and Training Board (ETB) websites located around the country including www.kerryetb.ie
National Learning Network

Explore the training options at the National Learning Network which has over 40 centres across the country offering specialist training and support services for students and adults who need special support. Training is provided in areas such as ICT, retail skills, construction skills, introductory and employment skills. You can get more information on www.rehab.ie/national-learning-network/ and you can contact the Kerry centre on tralee@nln.ie or 066-7122533

Study Abroad Options

There are still options for students to apply for colleges outside of Ireland. While most places are filled in Europe see www.eunicas.ie and www.medicalpoland.ie for details of some colleges that are still accepting applications. UCAS Clearing is open up to October 19 for students who wish to apply for vacant places on college courses in the UK. In these cases the sooner you apply the better.

Niamh Dwyer is a Guidance Counsellor in Scoil Phobail Sliabh Luachra, Rathmore, and Chairperson of the Kerry Branch of Guidance Counsellors. She is also a Careers Advisor - For details see www.mycareerplan.ie or follow @mycareerplan on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.