Other choices

Business studies, science, computers, engineering and medicine: these are the kind of courses that fill the brochures, leaflets and prospectuses of all the major third level institutions in Ireland. But what about the other stuff?
What if you don’t want to be stuck behind a desk, staring at a computer screen for the rest of your life? What if number crunching isn’t for you or you’ve little or no interest in test tubes and maths tables?
Well there are plenty of other options out there; you just have to know where to look. And that’s where hotpress comes in. We’ve turned our attention to some of the other choices out there so that you know exactly what’s what before you make a decision that could influence the rest of your life.
If it’s a career in the media you’re after then Dun Laoghaire College of Further Education could be the place for you. The college’s principal Michael Condron says Dun Laoghaire has “a warm and welcoming atmosphere for students in the college”.
He adds: “There’s a great rapport between the students and the staff. And there are great facilities here for students, especially in the media area. We’ve a sound recording studio, a radio studio and we’re currently upgrading our TV and video studios. Our courses are very practical and most have event management included so there’s always events happening on campus: quizzes, lunch-time concerts, that kind of thing.”
Dun Laoghaire College is currently expanding its range of media related courses. As well as the traditional courses like sound engineering or TV and video production, in the coming academic year a certificate in music video production will be on offer as well as an advanced certificate in journalism to go along with the basic certificate in journalism.
Gemma Cox, a class tutour in print journalism, is particularly proud of the new certificate: “Within one year of the certificate, students are geared towards a career in freelance journalism. But with the new advanced certificate in print journalism, students have the opportunity to specialise. In that second year they get the chance to narrow down their skills and concentrate on music writing or travel writing or whatever they’re into. There’s loads of hands-on work and not much theory, so it’s proved to be a really popular course.” For further information you can ring (01) 2809676 or check out www.dlcfe.ie
A good place to start looking for further education courses is through the City of Dublin Vocational Education Committee (CDVEC). This is the umbrella group for 22 of the further education facilities in Dublin and represents the best facilities available for learning and development in the city. More information about CDVEC and the colleges they represent can be found at www.cdvec.ie
Cait Bohan, the CDVEC communications officer, is particularly proud of one of their members this year. “The Whitehall College for Further Education have a very positive story to tell. They’re a very good college with a very good set of courses but they’ve had a lot of difficulty with their building. They’ve had a period where they’ve been disrupted by moving into different campuses. They’ve been working out of temporary campuses for the past two years while continuing to keep the standards for their students really good. But they have a new building now that they’ll be moving into in September. It’s a bit of a phoenix rising from the ashes story.”
Whitehall offers a range of courses to suit almost every taste. Along with a wide range of internet and computing skills courses, such as web design and desktop publishing, there’s also business and office administration courses, such as health or sports administration. Or if you’re the caring type, the college offers courses in the care of children, the elderly and those with special needs. For more information ring (01) 8376011 or check out www.whitehallcollege.com
Although it started life as a vocational secondary school for boys, Kylemore College in Ballyfermot, West Dublin has grown to become a premium co-educational facility that caters for the full educational needs of its students. While the traditional school still exists, it has been joined in recent years by dedicated music technology and motor technology centres offering PLC courses in both the performance and the technical side of the music business and car maintenance respectively.
Terry Hackett, the PLC coordinator, says; “The two music courses we have here – the technicians course and the performers course – both work really well together. We have a full recording studio where the two groups of students get to use each other as guinea pigs. The performers get to have their work recorded by the technicians and the technicians get to use the performers work to mix. After our course the students can then either go on to do a degree course in one of the colleges we’re connected with or they can go straight into the industry. The motoring guys have a fully equipped garage, which sets them up perfectly to go straight into apprenticeships.” For more information on either of these options ring (01) 6265901 or check out www.kylemorecollege.ie
What about taking on the great outdoors? Ever fancied pitting yourself against nature and the elements? Then St Kevin’s College, Crumlin, Dublin 12 might be the place for you. Their one-year FETAC award in outdoor recreation and the optional two-year diploma in outdoor recreation that follows will teach you everything you need to know to survive in the wild. During the one-year course subjects covered include orienteering, kayaking, dinghy sailing and mountain craft. So you’ll learn everything from how to read a map to how to successfully eskimo roll without swallowing too much water.
After that the two-year diploma aims to hone all those skills until you become a certified coach or leader in kayaking, mountain craft, snorkeling and orienteering. And as if that’s not enough, you’ll be a certified lifeguard as well. So whether it be climbing Kilimanjaro or running along a beach in slow motion, you’ll be right at home. For more information ring (01) 4536397 or check out www.stkevinscollege.ieb