People are coming into website design from a number of areas, including information technology courses, graphic design and multimedia programmes. New programmes are being introduced on a regular basis, so check with your local VECs and the ITs to see what's on offer.

The Senior College, Dun Laoghaire, offers a two-year diploma in multimedia authoring and website development. Students learn IT applications and e-commerce development, desktop publishing, web authoring, interactive multimedia design and web applications. The course is largely project-based and involves continuous assessment. "There's a lot of pressure," says Joan Gallagher, head of the multimedia department. "People drop out because they're not used to having to get work in on time."