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The way students apply for tertiary education will be revised to include a connected system for a broader range of higher education options and apprenticeships.
The new process will be announced as part of the publication of the Department of Continuing and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science’s three-year plan today.
The current system administered by the Central Applications Office, an independent body owned by tertiary institutions, does not include options for apprenticeships or additional education and training (FET).
Minister Simon Harris said he is concerned that student options are being limited too soon and that the platform’s proposed reform will allow students to apply for a broader range of tertiary education options.
The renewed strategy is being spearheaded by SOLAS, the state agency for building FET programs.
There are also plans to create a single credit system for higher and higher education, instead of the separate credit system currently in place for FETs.
The department said that this will open up equity through access and articulation and that joint higher education and higher education programs are also envisaged in the plan.
The three-year plan will also increase the number of apprentices to 10,000 per year by 2025, introduce new legislation for the governance of higher education, and a new strategy for numeracy, literacy and digital skills.
The CAO has seen a record number of 79,303 applications this year.
This includes a higher number of non-Irish applications and applications for mature students.
SOLAS CEO Andrew Brownlee said it is important that those who want to continue education and learning have all the information at hand.
He said that two-thirds of students go to higher education, but a smaller cohort takes up apprenticeships.
Mr. Brownlee, that starting in 2022 there will be a much clearer idea of the additional education options that exist, and while there is much work to be done, there is strong ambition for this to happen.
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