Confey College

College Information for

6th year Students

December 2013

Third Level Progression from Confey College 2013

• 75 students

• TCD:6, DIT:18 GMIT:1

• UCD:2 IBT:14 WD:1

• DCU:5 NCI:3 NCAD:1

• NUIM:8 ITT:5 RCSI:1

• NUIG:2 AIT:2 MD:1

• UUL:1 CIT:2 PD: 1

National Skills Bulletin July 2013

Expert group on Future Skills Needs

Predict skill shortages in:

• ICT (software developers,web, cloud, mobile, database, games, data analytics, customer relations), project managers, user support, network security, testing and troubleshooting

Skill shortages

• Engineering: tool design, polymer technology, process engineering, QC, validation, mechanical electrical and electronic, chemical, food

• Science(R&D),science+business,

• Science + sales, lab technicians

Skill shortages

• Business: (purchasing, marketing, sales, business analysis/statistics)

• Finance: (risk, regulatory compliance, accounting, solvency, financial management, multilingual technicians), fraud, credit control

• Health: (non-consultant hospital doctors, nurses - cardio, intensive care, geriatric ,oncology,theatre)

Skill shortages

• Sales: (tech sales, multilingual, customer support, online sales and marketing)

• Craft: (tool making, CNC machining)

• Transport:(international supply chain management)

• Clerical: (multilingual accounts, debt collection)

CAO Method of Application

• Paper Application

• Online Application

Important Dates & Fees

All Fees are non-refundable Fees Closing Date

Normal Application (online or paper) €40 1 Feb 2014 (5.15pm)

Online Discounted Rate €25 20 Jan 2014 (5.15pm)

Late online Application €50 1 May 2014 (5.15pm)

Late Paper Application €80 1May 2014 (5.15pm)

Change of Mind Nil 1 July 2014 (5.15pm)

Application Number

• When applying online an application number appears on the Receipt of Online Application

• Print receipt and keep

• This number is private and will be used in all correspondence with applicant – it should be noted and kept safe– space on back of CAO Handbook

Points System

• In the CAO there are usually more applicants than places

• Points system needed to select candidates

• calculated from ONE sitting of Leaving Cert only

• Points from best 6 subjects counted

Points SystemGrade Higher Ordinary

A1 100 60

A2 90 50

B1 85 45

B2 80 40

B3 75 35

C1 70 30

C2 65 25

C3 60 20

D1 55 15

D2 50 10

D3 45 5

LCVP Distinction - 70; Merit - 50; Pass – 30

Points continued• Points for Foundation

Some Colleges award points forFoundation Level Maths – ranging from 40 for A1 to 5 for C3

• Most colleges award bonus points for Higher Maths – 25 for a D3 or higher

Important Issues

• Two lists of choices10 courses at Level 8

10 courses at Level 7/6

• Must be in genuine order of preference on each list

NOT

based on points from previous years

Keep Record

• It is very important that students keep a record of their list of courses and their order of preference

• Use back of the book to keep record or save changes online

College Courses

• All college courses are listed as Level 6, 7 or 8 for students with Leaving Cert. which is Level 4/5

• Level 6 courses are usually 2 years and the Qualification gained is a Higher Certificate

• Level 7 courses are usually 3 years and are called Ordinary Degrees

• Level 8 courses are 3/4 or more years and are called Honours Degrees

National Qualifications Framework – www.nfq.ie

Minimum RequirementsNUI Colleges require:• Irish, English and a third language*• 3 other subjects• At least 2 HC3’s• Maths for all courses except Arts, Law and

Social Science• Science, except for Arts, Law, Social

Science and Commerce * For entry to Engineering & Science Courses in Maynooth a

3rd language is not required and a science subject is required.

Since 2006 a 3rd language is not required for entry to Engineering or Agricultural Science Degrees in UCD. Another recognised subject may be substituted.

Students entering Nursing may substitute any other recognised subject for the 3rd Language

Students entering the NCAD may present Art in place of the 3rd Language.

Minimum Requirements cont.

TCD requires:• English, Maths and another language

(Irish, french, German or other)

• 3 other subjects

• At least 3HC3’s

DCU requires• Maths and English or Irish• 4 other subjects• At least 2HC3’s

Minimum requirements cont.

DIT and other IT requirements:

• English or Irish and Maths

• 4 other subjects – for Level 8 courses

• 3 other subjects – for Level 7 courses

• At least 2 HC3’s – for Level 8 courses

Essential Subjects

Many courses, especially at Level 8 will require you to have a particular subject and sometimes even to Honours level. For example:

Engineering – you will require

Honours Maths for some colleges and often a Science subject also

Medicine and other Paramedical courses – one or two science subjects (Chemistry very important)

Essential Subjects cont. Nursing – must have a science subject –

not necessarily Biology Primary Teaching – Must have Honours

Irish to get straight into Teacher Training Languages – for all NUI Colleges you

must have a modern language (except for courses listed on Slide 16). Required for all courses that includes the study of a language

Business & Accounting – not essential for any course but would make college life easier if you intend to choose this type of career/course

Exemptions to language

Colleges give exemptions to some students for the language requirements if they have a specific diagnosed learning difficulty – perhaps dyslexia, or if they have been out of the country for much of their education. This needs to be applied for and the school can help with that.

Trinity Feasibility Studyfor students entering college in

2014

• Involves prospective students of Law (10 places), History (10 places), Ancient and Medieval History (5 places)

• Operated in partnership with CAO

• Assessment of academic ability and potential of applicant

Trinity Feasibility Study

• Three modalities used to assess applicants

• Leaving Certificate results

• Relative Performance Rank (performance relative to other college applicants from student’s school)

• Personal and contextual Data

Trinity Feasibility Study

• Information must be submitted online through the CAO by 01 February 2014

• Further details are available at www.tcd.ie/undergraduatestudies

Student ResponsibilityIt is the student’s responsibility to:• Research thoroughly any courses for

which they are making an application• To be familiar with all aspects of the

application system used by CAO, including deadlines, rules, fees, procedures etc.

• To get all applications in on time, including CAO, UCAS, PLC.

Offers of Places

• CAO assumes that courses are in order of preference

So – in Round 1 offers• Students are offered the course which is

highest on their preference list for which they are eligible and have the points

• Students may be offered one course from each preference list

• Students then choose which offer to accept

What happens to lower preferences?

• All preferences below the one you are offered disappear from your application

Round 2 and subsequent rounds

• Places that have not been accepted in Round 1 are offered to the next eligible students in Round 2

• Students may be offered a higher preference

• A student may accept a new offer and that cancels a course they previously accepted

• Rounds 3 and 4 may mean new offers to a small number of students

Random Selection

• At time of application all applicants are given a random number, like a lottery

• Applicants are offered places in order of merit according to their points

• When a number of places are left and the next eligible candidates are all on the same points, the random numbers are used to fill the last places

Change of Mind

• Between May and July students can amend their choices as often as they like either online or on paper and at no extra cost. Advise to use sparingly

• Restricted Courses cannot be added to their lists after 1 February.

• Restricted courses are ones for which there are early assessment procedures, e.g. aptitude test, interview, portfolio or performance

Resources• College Prospectus/websites• CAO website – www.cao.ie (NB Alert

List)• Qualifax website – www.qualifax.ie• Careersportal – www.careersportal.ie• Careersworld – www.careersworld.com• FÁS/Solas – www.fas.ie• Teagasc- www.teagasc.ie• www.nursingcareers.ie• www.picktourism.ie

CAO Timetable entry 20143 November – Online application facility

opens - Change of course choices

(free) facility opens

20 January - Early online application date – reduced fee

31 January - Closing date for online change of course choices(free)

1 February - Normal closing

15 February - Statement of course choices

sent to paper applicants

CAO Timetable continued

March/April – Tests/interviews for

restricted courses

1 May - Late application closing

2 May - Online change of mind facility opens

Before end May – Statement of Application Record sent to all applicants

1 July – Change of Mind closes

Mid August - Round 1 Offers

Late August - Round 2 Offers

Higher Education Access Route(HEAR)

• A third level admissions scheme for school leavers from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds – changing circumstances for some families

• School leavers who have the ability to benefit from and succeed in higher education and who come from socio economic groups in Irish society that are under-represented in third level.

• Supplementary form to be completed with CAO application online

• Information available from www.accesscollege.ie www.Cao.ie

Points reduction and other supports while in college. NB – not all colleges.

Disability Access Route(DARE)

• The Disability Access Route to Education (DARE) is a supplementary admissions scheme for school leavers with disabilities which operates on a reduced points basis

• School leavers who have the ability to benefit from and succeed in higher education but who may not be able to meet the points for their preferred course due to the impact of a disability www.accesscollege.ie and www.cao.ie

Points reduction and other supports

while in college. NB Not all colleges

HEAR & DARE – continued

Indicate on CAO form whether

applying or not – By 1 February

2014

Online forms to be completed by 1

March 2014

Extra information in post to reach

CAO by 1 April 2014

Be sure to get proof of postage for

these documents

Colleges outside HEAR & DARE

• Most colleges that are not in the

HEAR & DARE schemes have access programmes of their own

• Check their websites

• Supports offered to eligible students and/or reduced points

Alternative routes

Remember that there are many ways to reach the career of choice

If the points needed to do a Level 8 course are not achieved, then one could start at Level 6 or 7, and work one’s way up, - in many careers and courses, but not all

Post Leaving Cert Courses Post Leaving Cert Courses (PLCs) are

available in many colleges in Dublin and around the country. There are courses in almost everything you could wish for

Entry to these courses is based on an

application to the college and an interview. Not on Points! Not in CAO!

They can be used to improve your prospects

of entry to 3rd. Level Colleges, or to gain a qualification

Courses are from 1 – 4 years, with

qualification from Level 5 to 8

PLC Courses• Wide range of courses

• Some lead to 3rd level – in some cases into 2nd or 3rd year

• Some Pre-University courses – Arts, Science, Engineering & Business – improve opportunity to gain entry to 3rd level

• Portfolio courses

• Some course lead to employment

When to Apply to PLC Colleges• After college Open Days,e.g. – from

November for Beauty Therapy in Senior College Dun Laoghaire, December 11, 2013 for Senior College Ballyfermot, others as per web sites – up to January/February. Early application recommended as huge pressure on places now.

• Interviews held from Jan/Feb/March onwards. Offer of places before summer.

Financial Assistance/Fees• Free Fees Initiative – Free tuition fees in

3rd level colleges for eligible students on undergraduate courses – minimum of 2 years (does not include payment of college registration, examination and services fee)

• Eligibility of non-EU nationals, or EU citizens who have lived outside EU, needs to be checked on an individual basis to each college admissions office

• Grants available see www.susi.ie for further details

Colleges in Northern Ireland/UK

• UCAS system apply online

• Some grants available depending on means. UK student loans available

• Apply from September onwards

• Deadline 15 January but strongly recommend apply earlier. Deadline for Oxford/Cambridge and Veterinary and Medicine - 15 October

Apprenticeships

• Student must find own employer

• Employer must register trainee with FÁS or qualifications not valid

• Apprenticeship usually takes 4 years

• Some PLC courses good for helping to get apprenticeship

FÁS/SOLAS Skills Training

• Short courses in various skills

• Trainees are paid allowance while training

• Suitable for students who can’t find apprenticeship – often helps them make contact with employers

• Register with FÁS after Leaving Cert – can’t register while still in school

• Solas replacing Fas-check website

Failte Ireland courses

• www.picktourism.ie

• For careers in the hotel and catering industry

• Basic skills courses – usually 13 weeks - apply after Leaving Cert – get an allowance while training – not many of these courses now.

• Longer courses – apply before 1 February through CAO

Remember -

• There are opportunities for all• Over 1300 courses available through

CAO• PLC courses – apply to each college

individually• Career Guidance available in school

for all. Any queries about applying to college contact gclarke@confeycollege.org