The Further Education and Training Awards Council

The Further Education and Training Awards Council (FETAC) is a great way of furthering your education if you don’t get the points you need to get into college or university. Not only does it offer really worthwhile courses where you gain excellent training, skills and qualifications designed specifically to help you in the industry you want to get into, it also helps fast-track you into university or college. FETAC acts like a “stepping stone” into higher education as well as preparing you for the world of work by enabling you to gain the skills and training needed for a particular career. FETAC programmes are designed to help you progress either into a specific career or third level education. People who gain FETAC awards often go on to gain higher education and training awards too. FETAC is the national awarding body for further education and training in Ireland. It was set up in 2001 by the Minister of Education and Science under the Qualifications (Education and Training) Act, 1999. This system ensures that all awards are in accordance with national standards set out in the NFQ and creates opportunities for all learners in further education and training to have their achievements recognised. FETAC offers opportunities for learners allowing people to gain the qualifications or training they need to get a new or better job. It is the single national body responsible for granting awards as well as setting – and maintaining – standards in further education and training. FETAC makes over 70, 000 awards annually to learners in Ireland. FETAC awards are placed on the NFQ at levels 3-6 and under this system their value is easily compared with other national and international awards.  Click here to view the fan diagram. The programmes leading to FETAC awards operate in diverse settings such as in the workplace or community. The wide range of course providers include the following:-Adult and Community Education and Training Centres-Agricultural and Horticultural Colleges-BIM Training Centres-Centres for Learners with Special Needs-Colleges of Further Education-Community Training Workshops-FÁS Net College – interactive learning online-FÁS Training Centres-Fáilte Ireland Training Centres-In-Company Sites-Institutes of Technology-Literacy Centres-Post Leaving Certificate (PLC)/FE Centres-Private Training Providers-Senior Traveller Training Centres-Skillnets/Work-based Learning -Specialist Training Centres-Teagasc Training Centres-Vocational Education Centres (VECs)-Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS) Centres-Workplace-YOUTHREACH CentresFETAC is a great way of furthering your education if you don’t get the points you need to get into college or university. Not only does it offer really worthwhile courses where you gain excellent training, skills and qualifications designed specifically to help you in the industry you want to get into, it also helps fast-track you into university or college. FETAC acts like a “stepping stone” into higher education as well as preparing you for the world of work by enabling you to gain the skills and training needed for a particular career. FETAC programmes are designed to help you progress either into a specific career or third level education. People who gain FETAC awards often go on to gain higher education and training awards too. Many of the FETAC programmes enable you to gain access straight onto the course you had intended to study at university, college or an institute of technology. So, you could, say, actually start the course you wanted to do immediately after the Leaving Certificate a year later not having re-sat your exams, but instead with new skills, qualifications and training in your subject area – whish is one way of putting you top of the class!The Higher Education Links Scheme (HELS) is designed to enable students on the FETAC level 5 certificates and the FETAC level 6 Advanced certificates to progress onto higher education courses. The Pilot Scheme also offers progression routes to higher education via many of the FETAC level 5 and level 6 advanced certificates. This scheme enables students to gain entry onto a higher certificate course (level 6), ordinary degree (level 7), and honours degree (level 8) courses with the exception of nursing degrees. Institutions operating the Higher Education Links Scheme (HELS) for 2010 are listed below:All Hallows CollegeAmerican College, DublinCarlow College – St. Patrick’sDublin City UniversityDublin Institute of Technology (DIT)Mary Immaculate College (University of Limerick)Mater Dei College (DCU)National College of Art and Design (NCAD)NUI GalwayNUI MaynoothShannon College of Hotel ManagementSt. Angela’s SligoSt Patrick’s College Maynooth (Pontifical University)St Patrick’s College DrumcondraUniversity College Cork (UCC)University College Dublin (UCD)University of Limerick (UL)Institutions operating the Pilot Scheme for 2010 are listed below:Athlone Institute of TechnologyCork Institute of TechnologyDublin Business SchoolDún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and TechnologyDundalk Institute of TechnologyGalway-Mayo Institute of TechnologyGrafton College of Management SciencesGriffith College DublinGriffith College CorkIndependent Colleges, DublinInstitute of Business and Technology SwordsInstitute of Technology BlanchardstownInstitute of Technology CarlowInstitute of Technology SligoInstitute of Technology TraleeITT Dublin (Institute of Technology Tallaght)Letterkenny Institute of TechnologyLimerick Institute of TechnologyNational College of IrelandNational Counselling Institute of Ireland, LimerickSt Patrick’s College, ThurlesTipperary InstituteWaterford Institute of Technology