Over the last 15 years Dun Laoghaire College of Further Education has expanded its range of programmes to include a number of new courses relevant to the skills needs of its students. Computer, media, and public relations courses now rank among some its most popular programmes, while the college maintains its traditional apprenticeships in areas like carpentry and motor engineering.

Principal John Howe says the recent change in the jobs situation has helped give an important boost to morale amongst students. In the past people would leave a course if offered a job, but now students are confident enough to stay on and finish their qualification in the knowledge that there will be other opportunities.

The college runs a wide range of PLC courses in areas that include business, media and electronics. A recent addition to the business programmes is a one-year certificate in public relations, open to school leavers, which is being launched in September of this year. The college has already run a successful public relations diploma course which is open to post graduates.

Many students go on from PLC programmes to Institutes of Technology and universities. The international trade and marketing programme has links with Wolverhampton University, and after two years at Dun Laoghaire students are able to enter the second year of the degree course at Wolverhampton. The college's nursing programme also has ties with Middlesex University, where students can go for further training.

All the college's computer courses have become very popular as more and more students apply to acquire these very marketable skills. Hands-on experience is an important element in all these courses, and subjects include web design, visual basic programming and a two-year diploma in computer aided design.

The college's media department offers a City and Guilds certified radio and print journalism, TV and video course. The college has also developed a new creative audio visual production course which focuses on presenting visual and textual information using computer technology and the Internet.

Computing is also an integral part of the college's two-year diploma in electronics. However, tutor Joe Martin says that every effort is made to avoid too much "chalk and talk" and give students as much practical experience as possible.

The college is well-located near a DART station which allows students to commute there from all over Dublin and also from Wicklow and from other nearby counties. The college works alongside Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology to produce a list of accommodation available in the area for students who live too far away to commute.

As well as its PLC programmes the college runs a popular one-year repeat Leaving Certificate course. There are also classes for adults who wish to complete the Leaving Certificate, and adult education is an important part of the college's focus.

The adult Leaving Certificate course is a two-year full time programme for mature students who may have left school early

A number of other full- and part-time adult education courses are offered by the college. Principal John Howe is an enthusiastic supporter of the Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS), which allows unemployed adults the opportunity to return to full-time education. A VTOS student may enrol for any of the full-time courses in the college.

The college has a thriving selection of night programmes which are attended by over 1,000 students annually. For those who wish to gain a new skill there is plenty on offer, with computer courses proving very popular with adults who don't want to let the technological revolution pass them by. Alternatively some prefer to learn to ease the stress of the day with a night time course in yoga.

The college will be holding an open day on February 16th. Call 01-2809676 for details.