Joe Walsh
Ceist:84 Mr. J. Walsh asked the Minister for Education the alternative pathways for students to progress to post second level education and training as referred to in reply to Parliamentary Question No. 59 on 20 February 1996. [4779/96]
Written Answers. - Alternative Access to Third Level Education.
I have recently established TEASTAS, the Irish National Certification Authority, to provide a single national structure for the certification and assessment of all extra-university third level and further and continuing education and training programmes. One of the specific tasks within the remit of TEASTAS is to establish clear routes of progression from foundation awards to higher degrees through a standard of graded qualifications. This will put in place ladders and linkages between the various levels of training in both the education and training sectors.
As a first step in this development, access to post leaving cert courses will be open to students who have completed either a senior cycle programme through the leaving certificate, the leaving certificate vocational programme or the leaving cert applied, or who have completed an equivalent vocational programme. Work is also proceeding on the development of national vocational level 1 qualifications by the National Council for Vocational Awards, so that trainees who complete Youthreach or VTOS programmes may ultimately enter post leaving certificate courses through this route. As part of an expansion of Youthreach under way at present, I have invited proposals from vocational education committees for the piloting of innovative Progression proposals which have a strong potential for reintegration into mainstream pathways, such as programmes in co-operation with schools, in-school or out-of-school leaving cert applied programmes.
In addition, I approved a pilot scheme in 1995 which established a new system for allocating places in regional technical college colleges for holders of NCVA Level 2 (post leaving cert) qualifications. Under the terms of this scheme a quota of places is reserved on selected courses in participating colleges for candidates who are placed in an order of merit on the basis of their NCVA award results. This means that award holders may be awarded a third level place either on the basis of their NCVA or leaving cert results. The scheme is continuing this year and has been expanded to include courses in the Dublin Institute of Technology.