“Students receiving CAO offers tomorrow should give real consideration to all of their options before making a final decision. Many students will receive two CAO offers; an offer for a level 8 course and an offer for a level 6/7 course. Research into graduate outcomes published by the Higher Education Authority earlier this year* points to extremely positive outcomes for levels 6 and 7 graduates; progression rates into either employment or further study for level 6 and level 7 graduates is exceptionally high at 96%. Students who are career-focussed and are specifically seeking to enter a higher education programme in order to prepare them for the workplace should seriously consider their level 6 or 7 offers.
“Similarly, honours degree graduates of higher education institutions outside of the main urban centres reported significantly high levels of employment following graduation, including IT Tralee, Letterkenny IT, and Limerick IT graduates reporting 84% and 83% employment, followed by Athlone IT, IT Sligo and Dundalk IT at 81%. 90% of Waterford IT graduates and IT Carlow graduates were either engaged in employment or further studies.
“Links with employers and the ability to provide work-ready graduates are some of the cornerstones of the technological higher education institutions’ identity.
“For those for whom their CAO offers are not what they expected or are not in a field where they feel they can excel, there are other educational options open to them, including apprenticeship programmes. These programmes are developed in direct response to the needs of industry, allow the learner to earn while learning with the full support of academic staff and employers, and lead to an internationally recognised qualification on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ).”
*Results of the Graduate Outcomes Survey published by the Higher Education Authority in 2019 available here: https://hea.ie/assets/uploads/2019/02/HEA-Graduate-Outcomes-Survey.pdf
-ends-
For further information please contact:
Dr Jim Murray, Director of Academic Affairs and Deputy CEO, THEA: (087) 0621967; jim.murray@thea.ie
Note to editors:
The Technological Higher Education Association is the voice of the technological higher education sector, advocating on behalf of and supporting our members in achieving their aims and objectives. The sector offers a unique system of higher education, which allows students to progress from level 6 to level 10 of the National Framework of Qualifications. The Technological Higher Education Association is their representative body.
