Leitrim students await Leaving Cert results, encouraged to explore diverse career paths

Leaving Cert examination results will be issued this Friday, August 23. Over 500 leaving certificate students in Leitrim sat their exams this year, alongside 21 leaving certificate applied students.

2024 saw another record for the amount of students sitting state examinations nationwide, passing 136,000 for the first time.

As the release date approaches, students across the country will feel a familiar mix of  tension, excitement and sometimes dread due to the pressure of their academic performance.

The narrative that academic performance directly correlates with career success is widespread, leaving many students and their families feeling that securing a place through the Central Applications Office (CAO) is the only acceptable outcome. 

While exam results are important, it is crucial to acknowledge the other various pathways available for students to achieve their educational and career goals.

Nell McCafferty’s family ‘humbled and comforted’ by tributes upon her death

For instance, up to 20 percent of places in high-demand CAO courses are reserved for graduates of Further Education programmes, offering an alternative route for those who may not meet traditional points requirements but show potential.

Additionally, non-CAO entry routes, such as Further Education and Training (FET) courses, Mature Student Entry through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), direct entry programmes like HEAR and DARE, apprenticeships, and online learning, cater to the diverse needs of learners.

The MyCareerPath College Skills and Career Planning module features on the Certificate in Access Studies and Higher Certificate in Access Studies, which is commencing in ATU Letterkenny and ATU Sligo in September.

The course is one year on campus, two to three days per week.

Originating from the Higher Education 4.0 Project at Atlantic Technological University, ATU’s MyCareerPath was launched in 2022 as Ireland’s first online career service that offers comprehensive and lifelong guidance.

It is designed to help individuals identify educational and career opportunities and ultimately achieve their full potential.

MyCareerPath’s New Beginnings Career Pathway is an online, flexible programme designed to assist young learners discover and harness their unique strengths through a personalised assessment and tailored coaching.

By catering to each individual’s unique strengths, the programme empowers young learners to begin charting their own career journey and helps them to choose the right course or career options unique to them.

The pathway follows a structured four-stage career development and ensures that students and lifelong learners can navigate their career journeys effectively, regardless of their starting point, while also helping students and lifelong learners achieve a more fulfilling and balanced life.

Students can access MyCareerPath’s experienced Careers Advisors for a complimentary 15-minute one to one meeting.

This offer has a limited number of places available to experience the benefits of the programme first-hand.

For more information, contact mycareerpath@atu.ie

Leitrim County Council slashes compo bill to lowest in country

Council received 25 claims and paid out €200,348 in public liability

To find out more about ATU’s courses in Access Studies, go to www.atu.ie/access-for-higher-education