As students across the region prepare their CAO applications, the National Secretary of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors, reminds people of the PLC option. Gerry Reilly is also a guidance counsellor at St. Macartan's Collge in Monaghan Town.
He praised post leaving cert courses - or PLCs - for their flexibility. Speaking on the Joe Finnegan Show, Mr Reilly said the "great advantage" of the PLC model is that they're run in your locality so there's no accommodation costs, fees are capped at €200, and many of the courses are linked to university degrees, He also said students have the option to learn hands-on skills and can even travel to study on the erasmus programme and it's open to all ages, including those who fancy a career change.
Gerry Reilly said his own daughter studied and worked in hairdressing for several years before she returned to her local college and studied business. Monaghan and Cavan Institutes run many PLC courses. "Whether it's in Roscommon, Longford, Cavan or Monaghan, the model is based around the local FET college," Mr Reilly said, "And within that college there are courses available that may take one or two years to do. Some are linked to university degrees later on but the great advantage of the PLC model if that it's in your locality."
