Further Education and Training
Context
Education opens doors for us. It helps us to achieve our potential. It has huge benefits for the individual and for society too as it leads us to new horizons of scientific innovation, social progress and the creative arts. In Ireland, we have become a society which places a huge value on education. We have almost a quarter of a million people in third level education, and the highest proportion of school leavers progressing to higher education in the EU. This is something to be proud of insofar as it represents our collective determination to advance as a society, and, importantly how we can provide access to education for most people in society.
However, in Ireland, 1 in 6 students still drop-out of college in their first year. Rising fees and the increasing cost of rent have also meant that more students are struggling to finance their college education. The average age of graduation has fallen across OECD countries, meaning that students are beginning their degrees at a younger age. In Ireland, students typically choose their degree course at around 17 years of age; and understandably, this can put a lot of pressure on students to make big decisions about their futures.
Further Education and Training
Third level education is a wonderful choice for many students, but often, our focus on this as the best route for all students is limiting, and can exclude students from different backgrounds (such as older students, students with children, students with caring responsibilities etc.). That’s where Further Education and Training comes in.
Further Education and Training (FET) covers a range of educational options for individuals over 16 years of age. It covers programmes such as apprenticeships, post Leaving-Certificate (PLC) courses and traineeships. These courses typically have a much tighter focus on preparing for the world of work, many provide learning on the job while being paid a wage, and some also provide an alternative route to third level education.
These courses have always been available, but in 2019 a need was identified to raise awareness of these options and reposition FET to a new generation of students. Language were brought on board to help create this new campaign.