From Leaving CertiFiCate to Leaving SChooL a Longitudinal Study ...

Looking Back, Moving Forward 187
Comparing the skills developed across different programmes, some LCA
students felt that they were better equipped than LCE/LCVP students for
entering the labour market because of the work experience component of
the programme. Students also felt that they were more prepared to do
interviews with potential employers:
Good work experience because you know traditional Leaving, like
say if they wanted to go like leave CVs into a shop for a job and we
went with our CV to the same shop like, we have more of a chance
of getting the job because we have work experience. We get work
experience, they never went on work experience. So it’s good in that
way like. Then they get like, like we have interviews through the
year and all so it helps us like if we do get interviews for jobs. Like
we’ll know what the interview is going to be like. (Dixon Street,
coed school, working-class intake)
6.3 Perceived Gaps in Second-Level Education
During the interviews, we asked students what was missing from their
school experience and if they had any ideas about ways in which secondlevel
education could be improved.
6.3.1 Work Experience
Many of the students interviewed felt that school should provide more
work experience to help them in their decisions on what to do in college
and also help students wishing to enter the labour market. When asked
how their education could have been improved, students responded:
Work experience.
Work experience, get out of the classroom, head off for a week or two.
Work experience.
Even a week, just to get us out of the school for a week working, to
see what it’s like. (Park Street, boys’ school, mixed intake)
Work experience, like put people in work experience just to see what
it’s like. Because the only reason we got it because we were in
LCVP and we don’t do fourth year so we don’t really get a chance.
(Dawes Point, boys’ school, working-class intake)