Education used to be thought of as something you finished once you left school. However, nowadays, particularly with new online opportunities learning is encouraged and accessible at all times throughout your life – including well into retirement. Learning new things, developing new skills and finding out more about something that interests us are usually rewarding experiences. We get to satisfy our natural curiosity and develop a greater understanding of areas of interest. We also grow as people, feel a sense of accomplishment and make ourselves more employable and open up wider career options.

Understanding Courses, Levels and Awarding Bodies

From a careers point of view, it is important before enrolling on a course that you are aware of how it will benefit you and that it is accredited and will be recognised by potential employers. Quality & Qualifications Ireland (QQI) is the agency responsible for ensuring course providers provide education & training to the required standards in Ireland. The QQI also produce the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ), which sets out clearly the level (from 1-10) of education & training that the course is designed to achieve. It is important to understand the levels as defined by the NFQ, and also the progression routes that may be available (for example a QQI Level 5 or 6 award can be used as a stepping stone to a higher award in a related area, e.g. a Level 7 or 8 award).

There are several other accreditation authorities who cover specialist areas and are equally recognised internationally, including the State Examinations Commission (Junior Cert and Leaving Cert); An Bord Altranais; the Law Society of Ireland and several others. Other courses on offer in Ireland may be accredited by International agencies, such as City & Guilds (UK), Edexcel (UK).

You can find more information here in relation to awarding bodies.

Courses and Careers

The connection between courses and careers is often not very straightforward. Some courses may be very career specific such as a nursing or teaching degree, but there are many more that are more general and the qualification and knowledge gained can be relevant across several career areas. Completing any course is a milestone on a career journey, as it offers an external validation of your skills and knowledge, and is valued by employers. However, qualifications often only offer you a seat at the interview table and it will be other factors such as your personality and your skill set that will ultimately secure the position for you.  

As a general rule if you aren’t sure what career direction to move in, you should simply extend your general education in something that you have an interest in and are good at. If you have an idea which broad career area you would like to pursue, but no occupation in particular, then take a general course in that area. Many institutions now offer ‘Common entry’ courses that keep things general for the first year or two before allowing the student to choose a more specialised pathway then for the remainder of the course. Choosing a course that is strongly focused on a particular occupational area (e.g. Vet, Accountant, Civil Engineer) is only recommended if you are quite certain that it is the path for you. Again, you can only increase your chances of being certain by undertaking extensive career research.

The level of commitment that you are prepared to make in terms of time also needs to be considered and everyone is different. For some, the thought of entering another extended period of education after secondary school, or when returning to education, can be daunting – many undergraduate degree courses last 4 years. However, you might prefer to take things on a more gradual basis in order to give yourself the option to opt out, with a qualification, after one or two years. Thankfully there are plenty of shorter course options which still offer progression opportunities. For example, a one-year Post Leaving Certificate course (PLC) can lead onto higher education courses. A two-year Level 6 course may suit or it can often progress onto a Level 7 or Level 8. Postgraduate opportunities are also available across most sectors.

Upskilling, Continuous Professional Development and Lifelong Learning

As our labour market continues to change its focus in the direction of a knowledge economy, more and more people will need to become equipped with the skills and knowledge needed for the new and future world of work.   For those who may have fallen out of the jobs market, or who want to embrace and be prepared for the new opportunities that arise, there are many opportunities to re-train and Upskill. Many of these courses are financially supported by the government with initiatives such as Springboard that can be found throughout the Further and Higher education sectors.

Lifelong learning out of interest

Many people now recognise the value of undertaking formal and informal courses at a variety of levels purely out of interest. This is now an increasingly popular pastime for people across Ireland. It is also an excellent opportunity to build your network and also develop knowledge and skills across new areas that may also play a part in your career development in the future.