College Choice - The PLC/Further Education Route at BIFE

WHILE in many cases students, schools and parents often see the CAO as the ‘ be all and end all’ for those seeking third level education, nothing could be further from the truth. Over recent years many new avenues have opened up to students to enable them pursue their dream career via a different route.

Further Education offers fabulous opportunities, not only for those looking for additional skills or hoping to go directly into employment, but also as an alternative route on to a college course in a university or institute of technology in Ireland or abroad.

The buzz word these days is ‘progression’. With the country coming out of recession – staying in education has become a necessary option. Many PLC/FE courses lead to QQI Level 5 and 6 awards, and in some cases students can progress with this award via The Higher Education Links Scheme or The Pilot Scheme to a third level course in a variety of higher education institutions including Universities, Institutes of Technology and even private colleges. The Higher Education Links Scheme facilitates progression to specific third level programmes whilst the Pilot Scheme allows you to compete for CAO places alongside leaving certificate students. Most Higher Level Institutes now reserve a quota of places for FETAC Award holders. The scoring system under the pilot scheme enables a FETAC award holder to achieve up to a maximum of 400 CAO points.

Progression to third level from further education can be either through the CAO into first year or through advanced entry to the second year of that programme.

For example, if you want to study Veterinary Nursing in UCD (DN310), to give yourself a fallback should something go wrong in the Leaving Cert, you could do a one-year post- Leaving Cert (PLC) course in Applied Science – Animal Care (5M2768) in Bray Institute of Further Education.

If you achieve five distinctions in this course with the relevant modules, you may be eligible for one of the places reserved on that UCD course for FETAC (Further Education and Training Awards Council) applicants.

Some FE colleges such as Bray Institute have individual progression agreements with their local IT, affording students access to a specific number of reserved places.

This year BIFE graduating students have already been accepted into the final year of University of Bath Spa, University of Bedfordshire, University of Middlesex, City of Leeds University, Ballet West and University of Wisconsin USA

Further education courses are open to those with a Leaving Certificate or an equivalent qualification. It is recommended that students check individual course entry requirements. FE courses are also open to mature students subject to Leaving Certificate standard of education or suitable life/work experience. PLC courses generally require that you attend for an interview.