Tipperary students win honours at national careers skills awards ceremony
Orlaith Timmons and Niamh O’Regan recognised at CareersPortal 2026 awards in Dublin
Two students from Presentation Secondary School, Thurles, were among the prizewinners at the National CareersPortal Career Skills Competition 2026 awards ceremony, which took place on Wednesday, May 6, at the Clock Tower in the Department of Education in Dublin.
Orlaith Timmons achieved third place in the Transition Year category for her project exploring a career in audiology, supported by work experience in an audiology clinic.
Now in its 16th year, the competition is run by CareersPortal and is designed for senior cycle students who have completed a work experience placement.
It encourages students to reflect on the skills they developed during their placement and to research a potential future career, including education pathways, required skills, and progression routes.
This year’s competition attracted over 1,700 entries from students across Ireland, a 20% increase on the previous year.
Students entered in either written or vlog format and were required to research a chosen career, outline relevant qualifications and skills, and reflect on how their experience influenced their future aspirations.
The top 35 students from 21 counties were selected to receive awards at the national ceremony in Dublin.
Entries covered a broad range of sectors, including healthcare, tourism, construction, apprenticeships and the creative industries, with some students also exploring niche areas such as space science, genealogy and aerospace medicine.
Organisers said the diversity of entries reflected the expanding range of career pathways now being considered by students at senior cycle level.