Student Experiences of the Leaving Certificate Applied Programme

104 ENGAGING YOUNG PEOPLE?Did you have Career Guidance while in LCA?We had, I think it was one class a week for careers, and then going to talksabout what we can go on to do in college, because we didn’t have the minimumrequirements for some of the colleges, the careers guidance went over some of thecolleges that we could get into, and things like that. (Aoibhin, 22, completedLCA, unemployed)My brother was talking to me all about the different PLC courses and I just, Ikind of gave up on the situation, I thought they’re not going to let you in with apass in LCA and I obviously hadn’t my Leaving like, you know, so, I know Icould’ve went on to do PLC and all that and probably could have went higherand then went in but I just really wanted to do something, I just worked [in asupermarket] then. (Aoibhin, 22, completed LCA, unemployed)Because David knew that he was going to opt for an apprenticeship incarpentry from the work experience, he did not pay much attention to thecareer guidance teacher. However, he now reflects that he would have likedto know more about options for further education:We had career guidance but it wasn’t great, I had an idea, I was going to go outto your man the carpenter anyway, so I didn’t pay much attention. I’d say Iwould have gone for an apprenticeship anyway. I think the reason I went into theLCA was because I didn’t see the point of doing the Leaving Cert because I hadno intentions of going to college. (David, 21, completed LCA, employed).One respondent felt that all options should be given to LCA studentsregardless of what the teachers or guidance counselors think the studentswould like. Although David never planned on going to college, he felt thathe should have been given information on his options for third leveleducation:What do you think is missing from it [LCA]?I don’t know, they didn’t talk about getting into college I suppose, I know Ididn’t want to go to college but, they could have talked a bit more about how toget into college after the LCA. (David, 21, completed LCA, employed)Some LCA students took the career decision into their own handsdespite the presence of a career guidance teacher. This was particularly thecase for Linda, who preferred to discuss her choices with members of herfamily. There was the feeling that the offer of career guidance came too latein senior cycle for Linda and that she would have benefited from gettingcareer guidance before she made the decision to pursue the LCAprogramme:So, when you were coming to the end of the sixth year, and youwere sitting your exams, did you get much advice on what wasavailable to you or on what you could do afterwards?The advice was there but I decided to look up myself like, because I knew Iwanted to go to college and like my brother kind of helped me. I just set up myown, just rang the college in [name of town] and I got them to send me down anapplication form and just filled it in and sent it down. I would have wentanywhere, but no one was taking in like, business and all them courses like that,in college, weren’t taking in anyone with a pass in LCA because it wasn’t