If you are wondering about options outside the CAO, this is a good week to investigate the Post Leaving Certificate sector. This September there will be about 24,700 Post Leaving Certificate places, of which about 20,000 will be on offer to first-year entrants.
For those still unfamiliar with this sector, PLCs fit somewhere between Leaving Certificate and third-level; the colloquial term "2 1/2 level" about sums it up. They grew out of the old secretarial-type course offered by technical colleges.
Most PLCs are one-year full-time courses leading to a qualification awar ded by the National Council for Vocational Awards. They are on offer in more than 200 schools and colleges throughout the country in vocational, secondary and community and comprehensive schools, with the majority of courses on offer in the vocational sector.
There are more than 1,000 courses to choose from, spanning areas as diverse as art, design, computing, engineering, pre-nursing, community care, outdoor pursuits, horticulture, applied languages and teleservices. A list of approved courses and centres is available from the Further Education Section in the Department of Education and Science. (Tel: (01) 889 2428/889 2432).
Unfortunately, there is no central applications body for PLCs, although the intake is now so high as to be close to two-thirds of the first-year intake into third-level. This means students must apply individually to each college; most colleges require students to attend an interview. The educational standard required is Leaving Cert or equivalent, with no points rating for the student's performance.
Leaving Certificate Applied students may apply for the majority of PLC courses, with the exception of a very small number of courses approved by professional bodies.
There are no tuition fees for PLC courses, but you may have to pay for books, uniforms/clothing and equipment (for instance, chef's uniforms, knives), student services, registration charges by professional bodies and exam fees. It costs £25 for certification by the NCVA but certification or registration with professional bodies may be more expensive. Inquire at interview.
You may also have to pay a deposit of up to £30 to secure a place on a course; this will be refunded if you enrol on the course or it may be held as a down payment on the items listed above. PLC students are eligible to apply for means-tested maintenance grants, which are paid along the same lines as the current third-level support scheme.
The principal aim of the PLC sector is to prepare students directly for the workplace. Some courses are also designed to help you gain a foothold on the education or training ladder. So, for instance, there are pre-apprenticeship and pre-nursing courses.
A survey of 1996/97 PLC graduates, carried out in 1998 shows that 64 per cent found work, with 16 per cent in part-time work and the remainder in full-time employment. The remaining 36 per cent went on to further education or training. In all, 24 per cent went to third-level colleges.
This year, there are about 2,000 places set aside for NCVA level 2 holders on certificate and diploma courses in institutes of technology. These places are reserved solely for PLC graduates and are not open to school-leavers so, you do not compete on the basis of points.
Instead, you compete on the basis of your results in the NCVA level 2 exam. Your Leaving Cert is irrelevant for all of the Institutes of Technology other than DIT, which also requires you to achieve the minimum educational standard in your Leaving Cert. This is under review but will not change for this year's applicants.
To qualify for an NCVA level 2 award, you must reach the required standard in eight modules and you must achieve a full certificate in order to be considered for admission to third level. Places are awarded on the basis of students' performance - three points for a distinction, two for a merit and one for a pass.
Colleges rank students on the basis of their cumulative scores. There is a slight variation in treatment here in that some colleges total points for their best eight modules while others allow students to add up points for eight-plus.
If you are hoping to use a PLC course as a stepping stone to third level it is essential that you ensure the course you choose articulates with third-level. The National Council for Vocational Awards publishes a listing of NCVA level 2 courses and the linked third-level courses. In some cases, specific modules are required as part of an NCVA certificate and these are also indicated in this listing.
Vacanct places at DLIAT
Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology has announced vacant places on its new national certificate in technology (audio-visual media technology; course code DL121). This course was not in the CAO handbook, so many applicants may not have been aware of its existence.
It is a two-year national certificate course covering computing and electronics for those who want to pursue a career in the technical side of the audio-visual sector, for instance, TV, radio, commercial studios and conference/entertainment technical services.
The college registrar says DLIAT is "already well advanced in the design of a national diploma to follow on from this certificate, so students will be en route to the ladder system". High demand is expected in future years, but this year, due to its late introduction, it could represent a very good bargain in points terms.
Last year, the college introduced two new programmes late in the season - computing multimedia (DL131) and business studies (DL231). The cut-off levels were 115 and 105 respectively last year. This year, when the courses were listed in the CAO handbook, the round one cut-off levels soared to 445* and 305* (* means random selection applied; not all students with these points were offered a place).
If you are interested in DL121, you should follow the CAO vacant places procedure. The places are open to you whether you previously applied to the CAO or not. Mental handicap nursing
The National Applications Centre (mental handicap nursing) made the first round of offers, by telephone, last Thursday and Friday. There are more than 160 first-year places available. If you didn't get a phone call last week, don't lose hope yet, as a second round of offers will be made on Wednesday. Fashion design
Senior College, Sallynoggin, is offering a two-year certificate course in fashion design. Students also study art, photography, metal craft work and computer skills. In the past, students have progressed to degree courses in the Republic, Northern Ireland and Britain.
Contact the college for an application form (tel: (01) 285 2997). Interviews will be held from September 1st on. Rechecks
The viewing sessions for marked Leaving Certificate scripts are taking place at the end of this week. Parents and students have been inquiring as to what actually happens when a paper goes for a recheck?
It is remarked by a new examiner. If he or she agrees with the original examiner, that's the end of the process. If the second examiner thinks the mark should be upgraded, a further examiner marks the paper. If the second and third examiners agree, the student is upgraded. In the event of disagreement, the subject inspector is called in.
When it comes to downgrading - which only takes place in the case of "manifest injustice" - the subject inspector is always involved. Last year, only two students were downgraded.
If students are unhappy with their recheck, they can appeal to an exams commissioner, who will ensure that due process took place but will not remark the paper. One anxious mother wondered whether it would be possible to look at the script again at this stage and see how the various examiners remarked it. A spokesman for the Department of Education says "no".
Appeal applications must be with the Department on Wednesday, September 8th. This means schools will have to post applications on Tuesday, September 7th. The appeal fee is £25 a subject (you must pay using the bank giro facility on your personalised appeal application form). This will be refunded if your result is upgraded.
Arts at Maynooth
Students holding an offer of a place in arts in NUI Maynooth may not be aware that the college has established a Spanish department within its arts faculty.
Spanish will now be offered to first-year arts students at both beginner and intermediate level (Leaving Certificate). This new option is not included with the CAO handbook listing of 22 degrees in arts in NUI Maynooth.