Second-level students can sometimes forget that all roads do not lead to university. Think carpentry, farming, the Army, the Navy, hotels, the Garda or fishing, and that's only for starters.

The CAO is a gateway to the next level in a student's career. There are plenty of chances to acquire useful qualifications outside the traditional third-level sector.

The booming economy also means there are jobs available immediately after second-level. However, the fewer qualifications you have, the more likely it is that pay and career progression will be poor, but it's important to remember that higher education is not the only option after school. Bear in mind that there are lots of avenues open to young people who are leaving the second-level sector.

Post-Leaving Certificate courses will absorb more than 20,000 students this year. These courses are primarily aimed at preparing students for the jobs market, but they can also be used as a stepping stone to third-level.

This is particularly important for students who take the Leaving Certificate Applied exams. Usually of one or two years' duration, these courses are designed to lead directly into employment.

In some cases, they offer courses and opportunities which are unavailable in the university or IT sector. In addition, the construction boom means there are increasing opportunities to secure an apprenticeship. This is an opportunity overlooked by many girls who feel the trades are a male preserve.

On the other hand, it is overwhelmingly girls who will apply for places on nursing diplomas. Teagasc offers training courses in agriculture and horticulture with up to 1,100 places in agriculture and 150 in horticulture in 11 different colleges throughout the State.

These courses are designed to provide young people with the skills and knowledge necessary to meet the needs of the industry and include a one-year certificate course followed by a two-year diploma course.

Two-thirds of graduates become farmers, while others go into the agri-business. According to Teagasc, employment opportunities in farming are good.

Also CERT, the State training authority, offers a variety of courses in the tourism and hospitality industry - a sector which is crying out for employees.

The range of courses on offer is extensive and includes professional cookery, restaurant service, hospitality, tourism and bar and reception skills. CERT courses, which are offered in 14 colleges throughout the Republic, are usually of one or two years' duration.

If you're accepted on a CERT course, you can expect to be offered a package that covers tuition fees, uniforms, some books and other specialist equipment.

Other avenues open to school leavers include the Garda and the Defence Forces. The Defence Forces, when recruiting enlisted personnel, looks for candidates who are between 17 and 22 years of age.

They must undergo a medical examination and physical fitness assessments. They also recruit up to 60 officer cadets annually. Those interested in maritime activity should think about courses which are run by Bord Iascaigh Mhara, such as its training centre in Greenhills in Co Donegal.

More than 22,000 second-level students attended the Irish Times/Institute of Guidance Counsellors Higher Options conference in Dublin last year. This three-day conference is a chance to trawl through all of the options.

Every possible education and employment route from second-level is represented, including FAS, CERT, the Garda Siochana, the Nursing Careers Centre and all the Irish third-level colleges, the British colleges and a number from overseas. A shortage of tradespeople means that anyone who successfully completes a as FAS apprenticeship course is almost guaranteed a job.

There were approximately 19,000 apprentices registered in the State last September, working in 25 different trades - the most popular being electrician, carpenter/joiner, plumber, motor mechanic and fitter. The minimum entry requirement is five Ds at Junior Cert.

A FAS qualification does not mean that you will be confined to the same job for life. People who have served FAS apprenticeships now dominate the management and supervisory positions in small and medium-sized businesses. Many vocational teachers and lecturers in the institutes of technology sector also started out as apprentices.

Those who successfully complete an apprenticeship gain a National Craft Certificate (NCC), which boasts international recognition and, importantly, is recognised in the EU. Some students may like to pursue the option of applying to colleges in the UK. The UCAS application system differs significantly from the CAO system so it's important to understand how to apply.

There will be a series of talks at the Higher Options conference in September from representatives of UCAS on this subject.

The introduction of fees in Britain, combined with the free fees and increased opportunities here means that interest in places in the UK has fallen off recently. However, more than 6,500 Irish students filled out the UCAS form last year.

Some students have particular courses, which are on offer in universities in Britain and in the North, in mind when they focus on this route. Applications for nursing are handled by the Nursing Careers Centre (General and Pyschiatric Nursing) and the National Application Centre (Mental Handicap Nursing).

You can choose between general nursing, psychiatric nursing and mental handicap nursing, all of which are three-year registration/diploma programmes. So, for any school-leaver out there, bear in mind that there's a wealth of choice, that no route is barred to you and that every career choice is worth considering.