A decade ago, further education and training (FET) was an afterthought. The political and media focus was almost entirely on the competitive CAO points race and how to get into college courses.
If you didn’t get the points you wanted for your college course, didn’t want to go to college, or perhaps felt more suited towards an apprenticeship in a trade such as plumbing or motor mechanics, then you might turn your head to a Post-Leaving Certificate (PLC) course or an apprenticeship. Back then, these were under the control of 33 vocational education committees dotted around Ireland.
A lot has changed since then.
In 2013, the establishment of Solas brought together and connected PLCs, apprenticeships and traineeships. Solas doesn’t just provide and co-ordinate FET options but also researches policy in this area, working with the Minister for Further and Higher Education to help develop options and opportunities for learners of all ages.
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What has that meant in practice?
Andrew Brownlee is the chief executive of Solas, and he says FET is very focused on helping people to develop the skills they need to get the type of jobs that are available in Ireland.
“Our job as a State agency is to develop further education and apprenticeship options so that people thinking about their next steps after school, or who want a change of career direction, have a range of choices,” he says.
“Solas brought a new approach, focused on skills, which meets the needs of businesses and employers by developing different specialisms. Solas works on overall strategy in this area, funding 16 education and training boards across the country to deliver regional skills responses, meeting the needs of local and regional employers and securing work for people while also ensuring accountability for public money.”
The establishment of Solas also saw Intreo — a single point of contact for all employment and income support and services — brought under their remit. This has meant that Solas has been able to support people who are in search of work.
Post-Leaving Cert courses
PLC courses, offered by the 16 education and training boards (ETBs) across the country, have really come into their own in recent years. Most of these are provided in local education and training boards around the country, meaning that students — and school-leavers in particular — do not have to worry about moving out of home and trying to find a place to live.
Maria Walshe, director of communications at Solas, says PLC courses cover a wide range of areas including, but not limited to, art and design, business, catering, childcare and community care, computing, electronic engineering, equestrian studies, hairdressing, horticulture, journalism, marketing, multimedia, theatre and tourism and hospitality.
The courses last for one or two years, depending on the area of study.
Apprenticeships
Recent years have seen apprenticeships expand beyond traditional trade areas such as electronics, carpentry, plumbing and motor mechanics, with newer options available in areas such as accounting, ICT, biopharma, logistics, food and hospitality, property, recruitment, sales and more.
Unlike a traditional college course, apprentices are paid for attending courses and doing on-the-job learning, so it’s a great option for people who are put off by the cost of college. Many apprenticeships have the classroom learning in a technological university, meaning that apprentices don’t miss out on the college experience.
Traineeships
Traineeships are very specific courses involving at least 30 per cent on-the-job training, mixed with classroom or online learning, leading to a QQI award between levels four and six. Of the three main options offered by Solas, these are the most vocationally oriented, with graduates almost certain to walk into a job upon completion. There are more than 110 on offer and they usually run for a few months, but not more than a year.
“One of the things we are doing at the moment is expanding the range of traineeships for school-leavers,” says Brownlee. “The biggest are in traditional industries like tech or pharma. Mayo-Sligo-Leitrim ETB, for instance, is running a really exciting cloud computing traineeship with Microsoft, while Donegal have one around fibre optics and laying broadband cables.”
eCollege
eCollege has been a big advancement for Solas in recent years. With so many people stuck at home during the pandemic, many who were put on furlough and some who simply wished to change direction in their career, eCollege has been playing a vital role in bridging a skills gap.
eCollege courses cover a range of specific skills in areas such as business, project management, information technology, digital marketing, software development and basic computer literacy. There’s a strong focus on IT and digital skills, with online courses in areas such as IT specialist in JavaScript, print and digital media publication using Adobe InDesign and the International Computer Driving License (ICDL) course.
Not sure where to start? Check out fetchcourses.ie to find the right course for you
