In the lull between the first and second round of CAO offers, many students will begin to investigate the potential offered by Post-Leaving Certificate courses.
There are about 16,000 first-year places on offer. There is no centralised application system for PLCs so if you are interested in a particular course, contact the college directly. Some of the more popular courses will have filled already but students who have accepted these places may also be holding a CAO offer so it is still worth inquiring. Most PLC colleges award places on the basis of an interview. You must have passed the Leaving Certificate or equivalent to be eligible for a place.
There are no tuition fees for PLC courses, which fit somewhere between second- and third-level, but there may be some costs for materials and exams. Students are not eligible to apply for maintenance grants at present.
The Minister for Education, Mr Martin, is committed to extending these grants to PLC students but the timing is "dependent on budgetary considerations".
Most PLCs prepare students directly for work but there is a pilot scheme which links certain PLCs with third-level certificate and diploma courses in the institutes of technology and the regional technical colleges. Students who completed the Leaving Certificate Applied this year are eligible to apply for PLCs but not for third-level places. So, PLCs could act as a rung on the ladder to third level for these students.
This year, the Government has created 690 places in international teleservices courses in 20 PLC colleges across the State. These two-year courses include a European work placement which will be grant-aided. Students will receive a non-means tested grant which will cover 75 per cent of the air fare and they will receive £100-aweek living expenses while they are in Europe. Jobs in the teleservices area are expected to double to reach 10,000 within the next three years. Intending students must have a minimum of a grade B in ordinary-level English and one continental language in the Leaving Certificate or equivalent.
The range of PLC courses available is extensive, spanning art and design, equine studies, tourism, multimedia, social science, pre-nursing, horticulture, computing and others.
PLC vacancies:
Students attending the hotel, catering and tourism course at Marino College, Fairview, Dublin, will have the option of doing some of their work experience in Denmark. The cost of the flight is financed through European funding. A limited number of places are still available on this course. Tel: (01) 833 9342.
Senior College, Dun Laoghaire, is offering a new multimedia computing course this year. The course is structured so that students will develop expertise in mutimedia authoring, Internet website development and a range of IT applications including spreadsheets, databases, desk-top publishing and word-publishing.
Monaghan Institute of Further Education: teleservices; art, craft and design; pre-nursing; tourism and travel; leisure and tourism; and computer studies. A waiting list for cancellations exists for information technology, child-care, sport and recreation and nursery nursing. Applications will be accepted up to September 8th. Tel: (047) 84900.
Crumlin College, Dublin, has an information service available from now until September 12th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday. Students are invited to call in to the college or to phone in to discuss their options. Tel: (01) 454 0662
Colaiste Dhulaigh, Dublin: closing date for courses was August 29th but the college still has places on all of its courses. It will accept applications up to tomorrow and is interviewing all this week. Tel: (01) 847 4399
Rathmines Senior College, Dublin, was "absolutely choc-a-bloc", according to its principal, Ms Mary Lonergan, yesterday morning. There were students who had already applied for PLC courses, students who had interviews and new people who wanted to apply - all hoping to gain one of the college's 300 PLC places. This is the first year students "very deliberately planned what they want. They are not coming because they didn't get what they wanted, they are seeing PLCs as a real option", said Ms Lonergan. The college has a small number of places left on the following courses: secretarial studies (medical/receptionist); European executive assistant; legal studies; communications and public relations; accounting technician (year 1 and 2) and the ACCA course. Tel: (01) 497 5334
Dun Laoghaire Community College, Dublin, is enrolling students for PLC courses today. Tel: (01) 280 9676.
NCVA applicants: Students who have completed PLC courses which lead to an award called the National Council for Vocational Awards Level 2 may apply for up to 1,000 reserved places in regional technical colleges and institutes of education. These places are set aside, outside the points system, so NCVA Level 2 holders are not competing with school-leavers on the basis of points. Only certain NCVA Level 2 awards are acceptable for particular courses.
The offers procedure varies. The following is a round-up of the situation this year as far as we can ascertain:
Athlone, Carlow, Dundalk, Letterkenny, Limerick, Tralee, Tallaght RTCs, WIT and DIT sent out offers to NCVA students in round one. Carlow RTC has set aside 209 places this year. Last year, Dundalk RTC offered a place to all NCVA applicants. "We are very, very pleased with the outcome. It's an area that's going to develop," said the college registrar, Mr Stephen McManus. All students with the appropriate NCVA Level 2 certificate will also be offered a place this year.
Limerick RTC keeps three places on each NCEA course for NCVA applicants but the take-up rate in the past has been very low, according to the college registrar, Mr Vincent McCarthy. Tallaght RTC has a quota of 7 per cent of places on all courses set aside for these applicants. DIT has places in about 15 courses for NCVA applicants.
Cork RTC will make offers in round two and subsequent rounds. There is no fixed quota. The number of places will be determined by the number of applicants and the suitability of each. If people are suitable they will be offered a place, according to a college spokesman. Galway RTC will also make offers in round two and there will be five to 12 places available in certain courses.
Additional reporting by Catherine Foley
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