Simon Harris revealed that the post-Leaving Cert course levy of €200 will be abolished in September.
Further and Higher Education Minister Simon Harris has announced the expansion of third-level education including targeted college places and new apprenticeship programmes.
As part of the expansion, an extra 1,056 targeted college places will be offered through the CAO for the 2022/2023 academic year, while 16 new apprenticeship programmes are being developed.
“I’m delighted to announce these additional college places as I know it is a constant concern for Leaving Cert students," Harris said in a statement on Tuesday (28 June).
“This year we have made a real effort to make sure that they are in sought-after courses, and ones that will produce graduates with the skills our country is crying out for."
Examples of courses receiving extra places this year include IT, architecture and construction, nursing, engineering, education and welfare.
Harris added that he and Health Minister Stephen Donnelly in the coming weeks will also bring a memo to Government outlining a five-year plan to secure extra places in medicine.
He described medicine as "another area in which we are in need of more qualified staff".
This expansion of third-level education will also include additional apprenticeship programmes, with 16 more to commence this year.
This will include in the areas of Roofing and Cladding, Robotics and Automation, as well as a degree programme in Cybersecurity.
And, for those who choose a Post-Leaving Cert course, the €200 levy will be abolished from September.
“While these extra CAO places are a vital and welcome development, it is essential we continue to expand our third-level system for everyone," Harris stated.
"There must be multiple pathways that learners can take as they prepare for their chosen careers.
“That’s why we are working hard to introduce new apprenticeship programmes, such as the ones in bar managing and wind turbine maintenance which we launched in March, and we have also improved the financial incentives on offer to employers to take on apprentices, particularly female ones.
“We are also working hard to improve pathways from further to higher education as part of our Unified Tertiary System strategy. There should be no barriers for students who want to pursue their chosen educational and career goals.
“Students anxiously awaiting their Leaving Cert results should know that while their points are important, they alone will not determine whether they can succeed in their education and career ambitions.
“There are different routes to getting where you want to go, and we are working hard to ensure they are accessible to everyone.”
A key objective of the Government's ‘Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025’ is to ensure that the apprenticeship system will deliver on a target of 10,000 apprenticeship registrations per annum by 2025.
You can view the 16 apprenticeship programmes currently in development, along with their National Framework of Qualifications levels, below.
- Farm Manager L7
- Advanced Quantity Surveyor L9
- Civil Engineering L6
- Civil Engineering L7
- Cybersecurity Practitioner L8
- Farm Technician L6
- Executive Chef L9
- Horticulture L6
- International Financial Services Advanced Specialist L9
- Manufacturing Data Integration Engineer L7
- Precision Machinist & Quality Control L6
- Robotics & Automation L6
- Roofing & Cladding L5
- Stud Farm Assistant Management L7
- Software Solutions Architect L9
- Sports Turf Management L6
