CAO change of mind: Keep an open mind on key life choice
Good advice: For the CAO application, forget about points, keep the dream course at the top of your list. Back this up with alternative routes to the qualification you want. Photo: iStock
With 89,258 CAO applications in this year, it is unknown what effect that may have on points and competition for college places.
This year’s Leaving Cert students are also facing competition from students with higher grade inflation from previous years. However, as in the wider world we live in today with all of its challenges, we should just focus on the things we can control.
That’s the advice of guidance counsellor Donnchadh O’Mahony of www.findmycollegecourse.ie who highlights that there are more opportunities than ever before to reach career goals, and students just need to find out the routes to get there.
He also adds that the worst affected in relation to grade inflation is the 2019 cohort, and that it does not serve anyone to dwell on the issue. Energy is better spent looking forwards because where there is a will, there is a way.
For anyone who has their heart set on a Level 8 qualification, the first step is no longer limited to a Level 8 college course.
Learners today can start their journey with a PLC, apprenticeship, tertiary degree or traditional HEI college course, depending on their results, circumstances, area of study and preferred learning style. There have never been more opportunities available to suit learners.
For the CAO application, forget about points and keep the dream course at the top of each list while making sure you have the subject requirements for that course. Back this up with alternative ways to get the qualification you want using both the Level6/7 list and the Level 8 list. Ask your guidance counsellor if you need help with this. It is more important than ever this year to have the Level 6/7 researched and in the correct order to take full advantage of the opportunities it offers.
Tertiary degrees were established in 2023. Students apply directly through the National Tertiary Office website www.nto.hea.ie, not through CAO.
The first year or two of the courses are delivered at a college of further education, with a guarantee of a place in the degree program at the affiliated HEI as long as the student meets academic requirements.
Tertiary degrees range from 3 to 5 years, and can be applied for up to the end of September. There are over 40 courses available at present, and this number is expanding every year. New additions to the 2025/26 academic year include occupational therapy, social care practice, digital arts and intellectual disability nursing.
There are many reasons to apply for a Post Leaving Cert Course.
It can be used as a way to try out a subject area before committing to a specific college degree. Dropping out of a college course can come with serious consequences, like a financial penalty where free fees are lost, and also psychological effects from stress and what might be perceived as a failure to finish.
Stats have shown that students who complete a PLC are more likely to complete their degree than students who go straight on to a degree course from school.
It can be a constructive way of taking a year out from the rat race to try something completely different.
For students who didn’t get offered their dream course, a PLC might be a stepping stone towards their ultimate goal as they can apply to the HEI via the links facility. Some students do a course on portfolio preparation, for example, in order to apply to art college the following year.
A PLC can prepare a young person for the world of work, and the fact that they are offered in such a wide variety of locations means that the accommodation crisis would have less of an impact on ability to attend.
Apprenticeships vary in length between 2 and 4 years and training takes place both in the classroom and workplace, a learning style that suits many. The added advantage of this approach is that apprentices earn as they learn, and have the opportunity to achieve qualifications up to levels 8 and 9.
In the recent National Survey of Apprentices 2024/25 published last month, 80% of the 2,000 respondents said that they would recommend the route to family or friends. 94% said that their training offered them good employment opportunities.
The figures highlight that it is still a male dominated area with just 8% females, but that figure is a 114% increase in just 2 years.
Besides the trades that apprenticeships have traditionally been associated with, they now also offer training in finance, insurance, recruitment, ICT, biopharma and property services. Currently being developed are apprenticeships in robotics, beauty therapy, barbering and immersive technology among others which can be explored on www.apprenticeship.ie.
After 1st round offers, some courses will be open for application. Many students travel to study courses in health through English. Collette Twomey of the IGC advises to always check that the qualification you get overseas is recognised in Ireland. She also highlights that studying abroad is a huge transition and it is important to link in with a support network while away.
“Few students apply to the US because it’s so expensive,” says career guidance counsellor Donnchadh O’Mahony, highlighting that the current situation regarding campus protests and international students being detained by government officials could affect students going over now. Such is the level of concern that Harvard University check the SEVIS register every day and warn any of their students if they have been removed from it, thereby losing their student visas. Over 1,500 student visas have been cancelled in recent weeks in the US.
If you haven’t already applied for a course in a UK college, it is still possible to apply during the clearing process where unfilled course places are offered in July. You don’t need a previous application to do this.
It costs £9,259 a year to study in the UK and many take advantage of the student finance system which means the money is borrowed, and repaid once earnings are above £21,000 a year after qualifying. If income drops, repayments are paused until it goes back up again.
The Irish Army, Naval Service and Air Corps are currently recruiting. They are looking for candidates aged 18 to 38. No formal education qualification is necessary, but it does involve passing a fitness test, medical exam, interview and a psychometric test, which you can practice online at www.military.ie.
