Further Education colleges offer Post Leaving Certificate courses (PLCs) and are run by a wide range of public/private colleges and institutions – leading to awards validated by the Irish government’s awards agency – Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI), as well as other awards validated by a range of Irish, UK and other international awarding bodies. The courses are full-time and last for one or two years. Post Leaving Certificate courses adopt an integrated approach, focusing on technical knowledge, core skills and work experience. Most qualifications are either Level 5 or 6 on the National Framework of Qualifications. The next steps being, Level 7 or 8, (degree/honours degree, respectively) which are available in Higher Education Institutes, and which you can progress to via the Further Education sector.
The distinguishing features of FE colleges are their accessibility and links to the community, employers, higher education, schools, youth groups and other services. Their focus is on courses that are reflective of the needs of the community and where they view current/future skills shortage. Most courses have modules like work experience and communications built into them, to ensure that course participants are prepared and ready for work. The educational environment and atmosphere is also unique in the sense that it is conducive to the optimum learning experience, with small class sizes, and staff that have often vast personal work experience in the area they teach or lecture in.
The Further Education sector and the demand for course places continues to grow. Students regularly opt to apply for a college place in Further Education alongside their CAO application. Application is made directly to the individual college and there is no limit to the number of courses you can apply for.
There are currently over 200 Further Education Providers in Ireland. The demand for places come from both secondary school leavers; who apply to enhance their employment prospects or to progress to higher education, and adults returning to education who may not have completed their leaving certificate. There are any number of reasons why students choose Further Education Colleges; of course, the main reasons are that FE providers can offer you that stepping stone to further and higher education, via The Higher Education Links Scheme, where specific FE courses are linked to higher education courses or The Pilot Scheme, whereby FE applicants’ results are converted into a separate points scheme, and they may be eligible for offers of places on a wider variety of third level courses.
Some students presenting with certain Level 6 awards can go straight into a Level 7 (degree course) related course in an IT. UK colleges have also established links with Further Education Colleges in Ireland. If you are considering using the FE route to gain access to a Higher Education course, research what links are in place and if there are reserved places on offer.
The general entry requirement is with a Leaving Certificate or equivalent or work/life experience – depending on the course being applied for. Most courses require an interview and some courses will look for a portfolio if relevant to the course being applied for. In terms of financial support – students are entitled to apply for the means tested maintenance grant.
There are an extensive range of course on offer, from Business, Art, Sport and Leisure, Child Care, Horticulture to IT, to name but a few. New courses are continually being introduced to reflect our changing economic environment and to address areas with skills shortages. Recently new awards have been added which are now available to registered providers to use. They include: Life and Workplace Coaching, Training and Development Information and Advice and Advocacy. This sector of education have become leaders in delivering courses in Childcare, community care, sport and leisure, tourism along with others. Employers know the educational attainments of employees they hire when they come through this standardised system of education. Candidates must reach a certain standard of educational attainment in terms of modules completed in order to be accredited with their QQI award.
There are numerous Further Education Colleges in every county in Ireland. Some specialise in just a few PLC programmes, whilst others will be much broader in terms of choice and variation.
Dunboyne College in Meath also offers a wide range of PLC courses. The specialist areas covered by Dunboyne college are listed below..
Animal Care, Arts and Humanities, Business and Accounting, Childcare, Computers and IT Training, Fitness and Health, Hair and Beauty, Hotel and Catering, Legal, Media, Art and Design, Medical and Healthcare, Music and Sound Engineering, Personal Development, Sales, Marketing and PR, Science, Social Studies, Travel and Tourism.
Stillorgan College in Dublin caters for school leavers and adult learners offering a range of further education and PLC courses in areas such as Business and Accounting, Computers and IT Training, Literature and Journalism, Media, Art and Design, Travel and Tourism.
Click Here to view Featured PLC Colleges on Findacourse.ie
Click Here to Find PLC and Further Education Courses on Findacourse.ie
All FE colleges have services, supports and facilities that one would expect from a third level provider – just on a smaller scale. Further Education providers are quite holistic in their approach to education – after all their aim is to ensure candidates reach their full potential and are prepared in every way for the world of work or for higher education.
Further Education providers are fulfilling their ultimate educational objectives. Surveys and statistics highlight this, as half of graduates go directly into employment, while the other half go into higher education in Ireland or abroad to work. As Mary McAleese said – “Further Education offers the chance to progress in education and training step by step and to build self-belief so that students take on higher and higher award levels, if they wish to do so”.
Full List of Further Education Colleges in Ireland
- Abbey Community College – Boyle
- Abbey Vocational School
- Abbeyleix Further Education Centre
- An tIonad Glas
- Archbishop McHale College – Tuam Voc School
- Ardscoil Phadraig
- Arklow Community College
- Athlone Community College
- Athy Community College
- Ballsbridge College of Further Education
- Ballyfermot College of Further Education
- Ballyhaise Agricultural College
- Ballyhaunis Community School
- Banagher College – Colaiste na Sionna
- Beaufort College
- Boyne Community School
- Bray Institute of Further Education
- Bridgetown Vocational College
- Bunclody Vocational College
- Cabinteely Community School
- Cabra Community College – Colaiste Eanna
- Carlow Institute of Further Education
- Castlebar College of Further Education
- Castlecomer Community School
- Castlepollard Community School
- Castlerea Community School
- Cavan Institute
- CBS Dungarvan
- Central College Limerick
- Central Technical Institute Senior College
- CityNorth College of Further Education
- Clifden Community School
- Clonakilty Agricultural College
- Clonakilty Community College
- Cobh Community College
- Colaiste Abbain
- Colaiste an Chraoibhin
- Colaiste an Chregain
- Colaiste Bride Carnew
- Colaiste Chathail Naofa
- Colaiste Chiarain Croom
- Colaiste Chomain
- Colaiste Chomain
- Colaiste Cois Siuire
- Colaiste Dhulaigh College of Further Education
- Colaiste Dun Iascaigh
- Colaiste Eoin Hacketstown
- Colaiste Ide College of Further Education
- Colaiste Mhuire Askeaton
- Colaiste Mhuire Johnstown
- Colaiste Mhuire Thurles
- Colaiste Muire Ballymote
- Colaiste Stiofain Naofa CFE
- College of Amenity Horticulture. National Botanic Gardens
- College of Further Education Dundrum
- Collinstown Park Community College
- Columba College
- Confey College
- Cork College of Commerce
- Corran College Ballymote
- Crumlin College of Further Education
- Curragh Post-Primary School
- Daughters of Charity Edu. & Training
- Deansrath Community College
- Desmond College
- Donahies Community School
- Drogheda Institute of Further Education
- Drumshanbo College of Further Education
- Duiske College
- Dun Laoghaire Further Education Institute
- Dunboyne College of Further Education
- Dunmore Community School
- Ennis Community College
- Enniscorthy Vocational College
- Ennistymon Vocational School
- Errigal College
- Finn Valley College
- Gairmscoil Mhuire – Athenry Vocational School
- Galway Community College
- Galway Technical Institute
- Glenamaddy Community School
- Gorey Community School
- Grange Community College
- Greenhills College
- Grennan College
- Gurteen Agricultural College
- Inchicore College of Further Education
- Jesus & Mary Secondary School
- Kildalton Agricultural & Horticultural College
- Killarney Community College
- Killester College of Further Education
- Kilmallock College of Further Education
- Kilrush Community School
- Kinsale College of Further Education
- Kinsale Community School
- Kylemore College
- Lanesboro Community College
- Leixlip VTOS Centre
- Liberties College
- Limerick College of Further Education
- Lismullen Hospitality Services Centre
- Listowel Community College
- Lough Allen College
- Loughrea Vocational School – St Brigid’s
- Magh Ene College
- Mallow College of Further Education
- Mannix College
- Maria Immaculata Community College
- Marino College of Further Education
- Mary Immaculate Lisdoonvarna
- McEgan College
- McHale College Achill
- Mercy College Galway
- Mercy College Sligo
- Moate Business College
- Monaghan Inst of FE & Training
- Mountbellew Agricultural College
- Mountmellick Further Education Centre
- Moyne College
- Muine Bheag Vocational School
- Mullingar Community College
- Nagle Community College
- Nenagh College
- New Ross Vocational College
- Newport College – St Josephs
- North Connaught College
- O’Connell Centre
- O’Fiaich Institute
- Oaklands Community College
- Ormonde College of Further Education
- Our Lady’s Secondary School Belmullet
- Pallaskenry Agricultural College
- Pearse College of Further Education
- Piper’s Hill College
- Plunket College
- Portlaoise College
- Portumna Community School
- Ramsgrange Community School
- Rathmines College of Further Education
- Ringsend College
- Roscommon Community College
- Roscrea Community College
- Rossa College
- Sacred Heart School
- Sallynoggin College of Further Education
- Sancta Maria College
- Schull Community College
- Scoil Aireagail
- Scoil Chonglais
- Scoil Phobail Mhic Dara
- Scoil Ruain
- Senior College Dun Laoghaire
- Sligo College of Further Education
- St. Aidan’s Community School
- St. Ailbe’s School
- St. Brendan’s College
- St. Brogan’s College
- St. Catherines Vocational School
- St. Colman’s Community College
- St. Conleth’s Vocational School
- St. Cuan’s College
- St. Fanahan’s College
- St. Farnan’s Post Primary School
- St. Goban’s College
- St. John Bosco Community College
- St. John’s Central College
- St. Joseph’s College Borrisoleigh
- St. Joseph’s Secondary School Ballybunion
- St. Josephs College Summerhill
- St. Kevin’s College Crumlin
- St. Kevin’s Community College
- St. Killians Vocational School
- St. Louis Community School
- St. Mary’s School for Deaf Girls
- St. Michaels
- St. Oliver’s Post Primary School
- St. Patrick’s Comprehensive School Shannon
- St. Paul’s Community College
- St. Tiernan’s College of Further Studies
- St. Tiernans College Crossmolina
- Stillorgan College of Further Education
- Templemichael College
- Templemore College of Further Education
- Tralee Community College
- Tullamore College
- Tullow Community School
- Waterford College of Further Education
- Westport College of Further Education
- Wexford Vocational College
- Whitehall College of Further Education