Accessing alternative routes into higher education

Author: Maura Fallon, Career and Learning Pathway’s Advisor at MyCareerPath

MyCareerPath assists learners to explore other opportunities. 

As the Leaving Certificate results are released, many students across Ireland feel a familiar tension. The pressure is intense, as these results often seem like the be-all and end-all, determining future success. 

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. 

For instance, up to 20% 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 

MyCareerPath 

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. 

Knowing and understanding your own strengths brings many benefits, including improved performance, health and wellbeing, happiness, and confidence. Evidence shows emphatically that students perform best in courses to which they are suited. 

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. 

At this crucial stage for Leaving Cert. students, it can be a stressful time, but by accessing MyCareerPath’s experienced Careers Advisors for a complimentary 15-minute 1-2-1 meeting, it gives students the opportunity to explore unique strengths through their personality insights. 

This exclusive offer has a limited number of places available. This is a valuable opportunity to experience the benefits of the programme first-hand and take a meaningful step towards future career success. 

For more information or to take advantage of this offer, please contact mycareerpath@atu.ie and reference this article. 

Find out more about ATU’s courses in Access Studies  

This article also appeared in Donegal Live