College Choice/Brian Mooney: Today marks the end of this daily column and the extensive coverage of the Leaving Certificate and college offer services, offered by The Irish Times through its pages and its helpline.
The helpline handled thousands of your calls since the Leaving Certificate results were issued last week.
Next Monday marks the start of a new academic year for most second-level schools so in a sense, today marks the end of annual education cycle. For the Leaving Cert class of 2006, this week marks the end of their association with the second-level system and their entry into the world of continuous education, training, employment or perhaps a gap year to sit back and reflect on the path ahead.
Decision time for CAO first round offers
For those of you accepting a place offered in round one of the CAO application process, you have until Tuesday next at 5.15pm to confirm your acceptance or your offer of a place will lapse. By Friday, those places not accepted will be offered to the next students on the waiting list, in each course where places are not accepted.
Remember that colleges, when offering round one places, factor in the normal ratio of non-acceptances so the number of places offered in the second round next Friday may be quite modest and points may not come down in many courses. Alternatively, as pointed out in The Irish Times earlier in the week, many colleges are still offering vacant places on the CAO website, so excellent courses are still available.
Popular disciplines still available in some colleges
For those seeking high-points courses but who have not reached those levels, places in private colleges are still available. Two areas of particular interest to students on our helpline were law and psychology. Law is available in Portobello and Griffith colleges for students on and above 300 points.
Graduates have the same progression opportunities to solicitor and barrister exams as any university law graduate. Psychology degrees are still available at the American College and at Dublin Business School, both of which have PSI accreditation.
Taking a year out?
If you are contemplating taking a gap year and you wish to accept and then defer a place offered in round one, you should by now have formally communicated with the college requesting a deferment, and should have received a reply. If you have not, do so immediately today by close of business. If the college accedes to your request, it will communicate its agreement to the CAO, so you will not need to do anything further, other than to remember to apply to the CAO next year, listing only your deferred place.
If you simply want to take a year out to travel and consider your future, enjoy.
Considering the PLC option
Colleges offering post-Leaving Certificate courses are still offering places and some are making provision for those who have failed maths. If you have not yet decided on what career area you want to explore, a year taking a PLC course can be extremely useful in clarifying your thinking.
If you are interested in nursing but did not secure a degree offer, 12 colleges offer a small number of places in nursing to holders of awards offered at PLC level via the Fetac level five awards in nursing studies (DCHSN), community and health services (DCHSX) and DHSXX healthcare support.
To move to a higher degree programme, you will have to secure distinctions in all eight of your modules, including anatomy and physiology introduction to nursing and human growth and development or biology.
Training opportunities
For those interested in training and apprenticeships, there is a wide range of opportunities. Fáilte Ireland is still offering a wide range of full-time and part-time courses, from skills level to degree level, in Fáilte Ireland centres, further education colleges and institutes of technology.
There are still places available on courses such as professional cookery, bar operations, front office management and tourism with business. All courses carry an internationally recognised qualification Fetac or Hetac and the majority of courses are grant-aided. For further information on courses in your area contact Fáilte Ireland on 1850 256 256 or www.Failteireland.ie/ careers_in_tourism.
Considering the employment market
Finally, some of you will want to go directly into employment and begin your working life.
Many employers have excellent opportunities for such well-motivated young people. The banking industry has indicated its interest in recruiting school leavers. One sector with such opportunities is the investment funds industry which includes more than 75 of the world's leading custodian banks, administrators, managers, transfer agents, fund promoters and professional advisory firms and is one of the fastest-growing industries in Ireland.
This industry, which started with the establishment of the IFSC in Dublin, now extends way beyond with many industry companies having established operations throughout Ireland, eg Naas, Drogheda, Cork, Kilkenny, Wexford, Waterford and Galway.
Candidates with an aptitude for business, finance, accounting, client relations or the ability to work in a fast-moving environment should consider the funds industry as a potential career opportunity.
Typical jobs include fund accounting, fund administration, transfer agency/ shareholder services, custody, trustee, compliance, client relationship management, legal services and supporting roles such as HR, finance and marketing.
For many of the roles, a background or qualification in financial services, accountancy, commerce, business studies, economics or equivalent can be beneficial; however many of the industry companies provide in-house training and career development opportunities for school leavers. Contact www.dfia.ie
Your questions answered.
These are but a sample of the range of opportunities that those who have recently completed their Leaving Certificate can consider. I hope that my column over the last two weeks and throughout the year in the Irish Times's education pages have been of some assistance to you. I will be answering your education questions in my column from September 18th.
Brian Mooney will be examining the second round of CAO offers in a special supplement in The Irish Times next Friday.