Welcome to Higher Options. There's a huge, bewildering and exciting variety of options open to students after the Leaving Certificate - Post Leaving Certificate courses, certificate, diplomas, degrees, apprenticeships, nurse education. . . And this is your chance to trawl through the opportunities, collect the literature and talk to the staff of the various training, further and higher education institutions.
Over the next three days, some 8,000 students will visit the Higher Options Conference at the RDS, Ballsbridge, Dublin, each day. They can browse more than 250 stands representing the various colleges and educational institutes in the Republic, Britain and Northern Ireland. Now is the time to ask those questions about colleges, course content, careers, sports and social life after the Leaving Certificate.
Second-level students can also attend a series of talks which will introduce them to the business of choosing a course and, possibly, a career. You might like to start your day with the introductory session - Making the most of your Higher Options - at 10.30 a.m. This will be repeated later in the morning at 12.30 a.m. In her talk, How to choose your career, Mary Gough will give some useful pointers on making that decision. Another vital session is the talk on the CAO admissions system. Almost all sixth-year students will fill out a CAO application form in January 2000. This is your chance to meet with a representative of the CAO, find out how the system works, and ask any technical questions. Each year, an amazing variety of errors are recorded on CAO forms. Each error, and returned form, will cost you £5 as well as the hassle involved. So, this session should prove very useful.
There will also be a talk on the British central applications body - UCAS. The introduction of fees in Britain combined with the free fees and increased opportunities here means interest in places in the UK is falling. However, last year, more than 6,500 Irish students filled out the UCAS form. The UCAS applications system differs significantly from the CAO system so this is a good opportunity for you to find out how best to maximise your chances of getting a place in the UK.
These general talks are complemented by a series of targeted career talks throughout the morning and afternoon. Seamus Gallen, of the National Software Directorate, will give a lively account of the rewards of a career in the software industry. This series of talks will also cover art and design, science, engineering and careers in the construction industry. The alternative series of talks includes nursing as a career (nurse education applications soared by 40 per cent this year), hotel and tourism, sales and marketing, business and finance and opportunities in social policy and social work.
All seven universities in the Republic - UCC, UCD, NUI Galway, NUI Maynooth, TCD, UL and DCU - will be present. In addition, all of the institutes of technology will be represented. And, you should remember, these colleges offer both ab-initio and add-on degrees as well as a plethora of certificates and diplomas. The Post Leaving Certificate sector continues to expand. There are no tuition fees and students at these colleges are now eligible to apply for maintenance grants. Innovative courses on offer in this sector range from applied languages and international teleservices (with a placement abroad), to computer aided design, beauty therapy and hair care.
This is the third year that private third-level colleges will be represented at Higher Options. All of the colleges present offer courses which lead to qualifications validated by the National Council for Educational Awards (NCEA). These colleges are also bonded in the event of financial collapse.
If you are interested in agriculture or horticulture you should visit Teagasc's stand. While those with an interest in maritime activities should find their way to Bord Iascaigh Mhara's stand. The State tourism training authority, CERT, will also have a stand. The Defence Forces, the Garda, the Irish Hotels' Federation, FAS, the Royal College of Surgeons, the civil service, the Local Appointments Commission, and the Eastern Health Board will be represented.
In addition to giving talks, staff from CAO and UCAS will be present at their respective stands to deal with queries about applications to third-level colleges in Ireland, Britain and Northern Ireland.
Nine colleges from Northern Ireland, including Queen's University Belfast and Ulster University will be present. In addition, English, Scottish and Welsh colleges are well represented. Taking a "year out" or "gap year" between school and college is a popular option affording students time to mature, to make money or travel. If you are thinking of taking time out, call to the Project Trust and Year Out stands.
The Institution of Engineers will try to tempt students, both men and women, into options such as electronics, mechanics, computers and civil engineering. Engineering is an area where women are traditionally under-represented. There is also a gender imbalance when it comes to studying physics and The Institute of Physics will be encouraging both female and male students to consider studying physics at third-level. The jobs market for physicists and engineers is particularly buoyant at present.
Meanwhile, Forfas will be present to highlight the areas where they are plentiful. The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and the Insurance Institute of Ireland have also taken stands.
Tickets are still available for Friday, and can be purchased at the RDS.
