Recognition of prior learning: The school of life leads to college qualifications 

Experience counts if you are considering applying for third-level education through the Prior Learning Project. It can help you gain entry to a broad range of courses, from level-six certificates to level-10 doctoral degree

Dr. Ciara Staunton, Director of RPL, pictured at University College Cork. Pic Diane Cusack

THE deadline for CAO applications is looming, and Leaving Certificate students are deliberating which third-level courses will best qualify them for their careers. Those whose schooldays are long behind them may be feeling envious: If only they could study for a qualification that would allow them to take their lives in a new direction.

They might imagine such a thing to be impossible for several reasons. They might not have done well at school, so they don’t have the required grades. Or work and family commitments mean they don’t have much time to study.