Course Summary
Course Category: PLC (Further Education - FET) - Apply directly to College
This is a one-year full-time course designed to provide students with the knowledge, practical skills and qualifications required to pursue a career as a Special Needs Assistant in a variety of educational contexts and community care settings.
This course qualifies participants to work as SNAs in primary and secondary school classrooms or special schools, supporting children in their learning environment. The course is suitable for both school leavers and experienced or mature students seeking a formal qualification.
Course Details
This course prepares you for working in the following Career Sectors:
What will you study?
-
Special Needs Assisting
Human Growth & Development
Intellectual Disability Studies
Understanding Special Needs
Care Provision & Practice
Care Skills
Safety & Health at Work
Work Experience
Communications
Child Development
Additional Qualifications:
First Aid Response (PHECC)
Specialist Workshops in Autism
People Handling
Management of Actual or Potential Aggression Programme
Infection Control
Important
- Colleges may add/remove modules to keep the course updated and to meet demands.
- Almost all PLC courses have a Work Experience module, which requires students to find their own placement in an area directly related to their course.
Progression to CAO Courses
Higher Education Links Scheme (HELS)
This course leads to a QQI Major Award, and provides progression opportunities to a number of Higher Education courses, including those in the CAO.
To view CAO courses to which this award provides a possible progression route, click below:
| QQI Code |
| 5M2009 |
To calculate Points based on your QQI award results, use the PLC Points Calculator.
The Student - Career Interests
This course is typically suited for people with the following Career Interests:
Social
The Social person's interests focus on interacting with the people in their environment. In all cases, the Social person enjoys the personal contact with other people in preference to the impersonal dealings with things, data and ideas found in other groups.
Many will seek out positions where there is direct contact with the public in some advisory role, whether a receptionist or a counsellor. Social people are motivated by an interest in different types of people and like diversity in their work environments. Many are drawn towards careers in the caring professions and social welfare area, whilst others prefer teaching and other 'informing' roles.
Administrative
Administrative people are interested in work that offers security and a sense of being part of a larger process. They may be at their most productive under supervisors who give clear guidelines and while performing routine tasks in a methodical and reliable way.
They tend to enjoy clerical and most forms of office work, where they perform essential administrative duties. They often form the backbone of large and small organisations alike. They may enjoy being in charge of office filing systems, and using computers and other office equipment to keep things running smoothly. They usually like routine work hours and prefer comfortable indoor workplaces.
Further Research
National Statistics for this Award (All Ireland)
The following data provides general information about this Award from colleges across Ireland.
Disclaimer: These links are to web sites outside of CareersPortal and we accept no responsibility for the information on them.
Career Progression
Graduates can progress directly to employment in a variety of educational contexts and community care settings. Alternatively, graduates may progress to further studies in specialist social care, psychology, social studies, and early childhood care and education degree programmes in:
- DCU
- TU Dublin City Campus
- DKIT
- NUI Galway
- UCD
- IT Carlow
- Maynooth
- Athlone IT
- UCC
- NCI