Post Leaving Certificate Courses

The Post-Leaving Certificate programme (formally known as the Vocational  Preparation and Training Programme) is full time and was introduced in 1985 to provide appropriate vocational training for young people to bridge the gap between school and work.

The Programme has since developed to assist young people who have completed senior cycle education, and require further vocational education and training to enhance their prospects of employment or progression to other studies, and in addition to assisting adults returning to education who may not have completed the senior cycle but are deemed by the provider to have the necessary competencies to undertake the Programme.

The Programme assists people to:

1.  enhance their prospects of securing lasting, full-time employment, or

2. progress to other studies.

The courses cover a very extensive range of options e.g.

• Business and Secretarial Skills,
• Computer Studies,
• Computer Animation,
• Construction,
• Art Craft and Design,
• Multi-Media Production,
• Theatre and Stage Production,
• Performing Arts,
• Child-care and Community Care,
• Sport and Leisure,
• Tourism and Hotel and Catering,
• Sport and Leisure,
• Equestrian Studies,
• Horticulture,
• Applied Languages and Information Technology,
• Teleservices
   

Certification at Level 5 and Level 6 is available as set out by the National Qualifications Framework and is available through awarding bodies such as the Further Education and Training Awards Council (FETAC)

Relevant Links for Students:

Students may join the Programme by contacting the nearest Vocational Education Committee (VEC) or school offering PLC courses. Many of the VEC's publish their own guides to the courses available, and schools and centres advertise in local newspapers. A  list of VEC contact details is available from www.ivea.ie

A full list of approved courses and their locations is available by selecting this link PLC Programme list 2009/2010 (format html)

A maintenance grant scheme for which PLC students are able to apply is available. The maintenance scheme is means tested, and grants are paid along the same lines as the current third level student support scheme. Grant applications are available from local VEC's.

Under the Higher Education Links scheme places on selected courses in the Institutes of Technology are allocated on the basis of attainment achieved in awards by candidates on PLC courses. Details are available from the school principal or guidance counsellor, or from FETAC (+353 1) 865 9500 www.fetac.ie

Further details can be found Home > Education Personnel > Further Education > PLC Courses