Student Experiences of the Leaving Certificate Applied Programme

138 ENGAGING YOUNG PEOPLE?just said I wanted to do something in the business, industry and that was the bestcourse out of them so I just picked that one. (Linda, 21, completed LCA,student)8.3.4 SKILLS MISMATCHThe interviews also highlighted how some of the respondents who went onto post-school education were not successful in finding work in theirspecialised area. Siobhan began a one year FETAC course in FÁS inchildcare in the September after she left school but was unsuccessful insubsequently finding work in a childcare setting. Instead she securedemployment in a variety of shops and restaurants. She worked in a fastfood restaurant at night for over a year which she did not like:They [fast food chain] had me on nights all the time…so they knew that the placewould be all clean and everything, one or two nights I had to count the moneyfrom the tills…I’d be serving…there might be times cooking food and stuff.How long did you stay at that for?I think I stayed there for a year but I didn’t even like it and then when anotherjob came up I said I’ll try it just to see. (Siobhan, 25, completed LCA,employed)At the time of interview she had been working in a newsagent for overtwo years. When asked if she would consider further study, she was notsure she would ‘get through it’:Would you ever think of going on to do further studying?I don’t know, would I or not, that’s the one thing, like if I went on further, it’s alot of project work and stuff, but I’d get through it if I had to, but that’s not greatlike, the greatest thing about meAnd if it meant that you were going to get work specificallywith children or in the area that you want to work in, would youthink you’d do it?Oh yeah, I definitely would do it, yeah. (Siobhan, 25, completed LCA,employed)Sarah also found it difficult to find employment in the field in which shesecured qualifications. Having completed the LCA programme, she began atwo year beauty course, again identifying information and advice receivedfrom her guidance counsellor as central to her decision to pursue thiscourse. She now works in a pharmacy and has found it difficult to secureemployment in her specialised area:I did a beauty therapy course in a private college in [town].And how did you decide on that?Well I’d always wanted to do it anyway, so, it just like, that was basically it, itwas in my head, I just had to get it done.And where did you learn about that course, did you?Through the guidance counsellor, she had all the information and stuff, so.Okay, and how did you find that course, were you glad youtook it and?Yeah, really glad I did it, I haven’t, haven’t done work with it like, since I’vedone it, but I would definitely go back and do a refresher courses and stuff and