PROJECTIONS point to tourism becoming Ireland's largest industry by the year 2000. Due to massive recent growth and poor public perception of jobs in this sector, there are already identified shortages of skilled staff servicing the industry.

However, with employer bodies working hard to improve employment conditions and career paths in the industry - while colleges are constantly modernising their courses to meet increasing demands placed on staff in the industry - it is hoped that more people will be attracted to work in areas like catering and hotel management in the future.

For those wanting to secure places on relevant courses, there are lots of options to pursue in both parts of Ireland and further afield.

CERT, the national body responsible for co-ordinating the education, recruitment and training of personnel for the tourism and catering industry in Ireland, is one of the biggest educators in the tourism industry. Its courses are delivered in partnership with third-level colleges, especially in RTCs and PLCs directly by CERT and within industry. CERT trainees follow national courses that meet modern requirements of Irish tourism and catering and are certified by the National Tourism Certification Board (NTCB).

DIT Cathal Brugha Street is probably the largest and most important institution providing educational courses in a variety of areas in the various fields of tourism. It offers a range of courses to school-leavers at degree, diploma and certificate levels.

According to Joe Hegarty, head of the school of Hotel and Catering Operations at DIT Cathal Brugha Street, "we have about 1,600 students involved in tourism-related courses, and we are widely regarded as the premier location for tourism-related education in the country. Because we've been established since 1941, we have built up a huge body of experience and attract some of the best staff to teach in our college."

Hegarty notes that the most popular courses at DIT Cathal Brugha Street include a diploma and a higher diploma in hotel and catering management, and a certificate in culinary arts course. "We are renowned," he says, "for the culinary arts and have produced some of the best chefs in Ireland. It's worth pointing out, too, that all our graduates are finding employment at the moment.

Another prestigious institution - but on a smaller scale to DlT Cathal Brugha Street - is the Shannon College of Hotel Management in Co Claret which is sponsored by Aer Rianta. Due to its small size and low student/lecturer ratio, the college is able to concentrate on personal and management development.

With a few extra months of study, the college's diploma in international hotel management, which is taken over four years and involves lots of hands-on training at home and abroad, also offers an option of taking a BComm at UCG. Nevertheless, Shannon's diploma in international hotel management is a world-recognised qualification that is well respected in the tourism industry.

There are, of course, lots of other public and private colleges offering courses in various tourism-related fields around the country. Northern Ireland also has a number of colleges which provide courses for students who are unable to gain entry to colleges within the State or who would like to study elsewhere.