Additional Courses and Modules
As if doing the course work isn’t enough, the pace of some industries means that often the third level education sector simply can’t keep up with it. This is where the edtech sector can become an invaluable resource. Ireland is seen as a hotbed of resources in this sector, with companies such as Alison, The Code Institute or The Shaw Academy leading the way in the tech sector, who can provide those additional courses that the third level may not teach. This means that the graduate is even more “work-ready” for entering a company
One of these companies is The Code Institute “Created in 2015, The Code Institute is one of the most successful companies in the Edtech sector. The Code Institute is a global EdTech leader that delivers coding courses to help people switch careers/upskills to software development within 12 months. As digitalisation accelerates, the demand for software developers has rapidly escalated, creating hundreds of thousands of unfilled developer roles globally. We combine high-quality content, technology, analytics and support to facilitate learners’ success. As well as our university credit-rated curriculum, students have access to a variety of support systems including Career Support, Mentor Support, Tutor Support, Community Support and Student Care Support. Through these elements, students are guaranteed a superior learning experience and personalised support system that will future proof their careers.”
On their website they say “AHEAD provides information to students and graduates with disabilities, teachers, guidance counsellors and parents on disability issues in education. We undertake national research relating to the inclusion of students with disabilities, contribute to national policy forums and provide professional development opportunities to develop the capacity of staff in FET and higher education to be more inclusive.”
In respect of 3rd level students, 3rd or 4th year undergrad students or those soon to be graduates can attend the Building For The Future
The event, which takes place at CitiGroup Headquarters in North Wall Quay in Dublin in May. Here they can meet prospective employers, get advice on their CV/cover letters or have mock-interviews to get some interview experience and feedback, before they embark on their professional careers.
Assistive Technology
One of the biggest changes in making third level more accessible for people with disabilities is in the area of Assistive technology. Whether it’s text-to-speech software, apps, adaptive keyboards or monitors, all third level institutions are required by law to provide it. In an Irish context, some of the companies that would provide resources such as this are companies in the text-to-speech area such as TextHelp, SoapBox Labs or Helperbird while others include The Dyslexia Pen, screen readers or for deaf or hard of hearing students.
“Bowsy’s mission is for every student to have equal opportunities to pursue the career that they will love. We connect final year and post graduate university students with businesses through paid, remote, part-time project work on the Bowsy platform. Students can complete this work on a part-time basis, flexibly around their studies, building their portfolio of experience while at university.” Employers can then “1) Lead interviews with examples of the work experience they have attained on Bowsy or 2) Complete specific work set-out by the employer where they can demonstrate, in actual terms, their skills, ability and true potential.”
Bowsy then provides helpful information through their blog on building a portfolio, skills development, or interview skills so that the students that use their platform can use this information to increase their chances of employment.
CampusConnect is a student peer community that connects university applicants with each other, with current students, and with graduates from their course. It is a place where students help each other navigate the tricky steps of choosing the right college, university, or course, accommodation, etc.. based on shared experience and collaboration.
Their campus specific app allows students to receive Guides, Connections, An interactive map of your university city, Students create their profile to introduce themselves to their peers, University staff can choose groups based on subject.
Having been in operation since 2007, CareersPortal.ie has had more than two million visitors and 750,000 people have created a profile.Ireland’s National Career Guidance website, the website is for all aspects of the education sector from early school leavers to third level graduates, parents/guardians, teachers and tutors, and anyone else seeking information about careers and the professional working environment.
The website features: self-assessment tools, college and career tagging, 33 career sectors are reviewed and analysed, approximately 1000 occupations across all career sectors are profiled, Employer Profiles, job holder interviews and a whole host of information for the prospective employee or those interested in employment.
‘For over fifty years, Chime has championed for equal rights, greater accessibility and opportunities for individuals impacted by deafness and hearing loss in Ireland. Chime envisions a future where Deaf and Hard of Hearing people are fully included and have equal opportunities.
Chime’s ‘Explore’ mentoring program is for individuals aged 16 to 25 where they provide personalised, structured support to identify and develop pathways to achieving their life goals.
The programmes key objectives are to:
- Support Deaf and Hard of Hearing young adults in exploring further education and training opportunities.
- Improve the retention rates of Deaf and Hard of Hearing young adults attending higher and further education.
- Encourage new opportunities for Deaf and Hard of Hearing young adults in gaining and accessing employment.
Chimes Explore mentoring programme offers One-to-one Mentor support, Individual Progression Plans (IPP), Work experience or job sampling sessions, Access to peer support panel , Advice and information, Personal development, Life skills workshops, and Advocacy support.
Chime’s Explore team will support Deaf and Hard of Hearing young adults on their journey into adulthood and link them to existing services and supports. Explore Mentors will provide workshops and activities for Deaf and Hard of Hearing young adults, to discover their strengths, interests and career options.’’
College Connect is a Higher Education Authority (HEA) funded three-year PATH 3 (Programme for Access to Higher Education) project. We aim to admit 400 students from specific target groups, who are under-represented in college.
Irish Travellers, lone parents and students from one-parent families, young people who have been in the care of the state, people with
disabilities, refugees, people from lower socio-economic groups, first-time mature students and further education award holders.
In addition, College Connect can provide advice on Routes to College, Funding College Your Budget, 1916 Bursary, provide support through their Access Office Advice Saving Tips Wellbeing and provide motivation to current or prospective students through Student Stories
Dell Technologies Ireland – Stem Aspire Mentorship Program
STEM Aspire is a female mentorship program connecting 2nd year college students to mentors within Dell Technologies. Its aim is to encourage and empower enthusiastic students studying STEM based degrees to have rewarding careers in the technology sector. Potential areas include Computer Science, Software Engineering, BIS, Networking, Cyber Security, IT Management, or related fields.
Benefits
- Opportunity to work with a mentor and engage in frequent 1-to-1 meetings whereby you can further enhance your understanding of the IT industry and gain insight into your mentors’ career/role.
- Acquire an understanding of technical careers in Dell Technologies.
- Opportunity to meet and network with successful women in Dell Technologies and fellow mentees.
- Preparation for intern and graduate applications (e.g., CV and Interview Preparation, LinkedIn presence, etc).
- Possibility for paid Summer Internship upon completion of the program and continue your career journey for your 3rd year placement and further.
We provide exam technique courses and workshops for students on how to maximise their exam performance. We are teaching exam technique to students taking 2nd level, 3rd level, graduate and professional exams.
The company now has tutors for a range of 3rd level courses all designed to improve the exam results of 3rd level students
According to an interview in buzz.ie they say GORM Media mission is to “increase the representation of diverse voices and perspectives in the Irish creative media industry is critical in bridging differences – with this programme contributing to closing a gap in pathways to education in creative media for ethnic minority youth.”
On Social Entrepreneurs Ireland, they state “One of their recent programmes (from 2022-23), The Wideshot, was launched to support young people from ethnically diverse backgrounds to take the first step in the media careers through a series of workshops, education, training and events on digital storytelling, creative media and multimedia.
The programme aims to connect young people and recent graduates interested in creative media and we connect them to established Film & TV practitioners and creative media professionals in Ireland by way of interactive workshops throughout the year. This will lead to a Summer residency coming up in July where GORM will select nine young people to create a short film.”
Inspire Mentoring is a distinctive social innovation program that originated from our engagement with young people in Ballymun and Finglas. These young individuals conveyed a need for more educational support and a lack of access to professional networks. In response, Inspire Mentoring was launched as a pilot initiative in 2020, involving 35 mentors and mentees to address these challenges.
Our goal is to link marginalized youth from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds with willing professionals who serve as mentors. To achieve this, we offer a digital platform and a structured framework to enable effective mentoring relationships.
Inspire Mentoring addresses the twin issues of Social Mobility and Social Capital. Specifically, that there are generations of young, talented people who lack the Social Mobility and Social Capital that results in equality of opportunity. Talent is everywhere, opportunity is not.
LGBT organisations
By joining groups that you identify with or are allied to such as BelongTo or Lgbt.ie you will be joining a tribe of people with similar values and interests. Additionally, it will be a way of making friends and connections outside of your courses or societies that will make you feel part of a community and reduce the isolation that first years in particular make.
You can view some of these organisation here
MicroInfluence STEM (MISTEM)
A student-run non-profit educational programme and student network. Set up in early January 2023, we aim to achieve educational equality in Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, Leadership and Entrepreneurship by spreading ideas and inspiration to students in Ireland in 6th class, junior cycle, and Transition Year and senior cycle. Lynetta Yuyang Wang was motivated to design such an initiative as she was talking to the diverse student body of her school. Through pieces of small talk Lynetta has realised the existence of an imbalance in the distribution of STEM resources and knowledge, and that students’ exposure to STEM is limited in certain geographical areas, such as in the West and North.
At MI STEM, we sincerely believe that inspiration and motivation are the most important when it comes to STEM education, because everyone has their own unique and special opinion, and we are the ones to encourage the students to achieve their full potential.
Students from all levels of the third level educational courses are welcome to be involved in the design of the programmes, the delivery of them to schools nationally, and networking with tech companies in Ireland such as Accenture, Microsoft and Flynn. It will be a great opportunity to gain experience in project management and civic engagement.
NiteLine Dublin was established in 1993 by the Students’ Unions of Trinity College Dublin and University College Dublin. Inspired by similar student-run services in the UK, they aimed to set up a late-night listening service to provide free and anonymous peer support to students over the phone.
Over the last 30 years, we have expanded to 10 colleges in Dublin and the surrounding areas.
We now offer our services to more than 130,000 students. Since the introduction of our instant messaging service in 2012, our annual contact volume has shot up from just over 600 contacts in the academic year 2012/2013 to just over 2 thousand contacts in the year 2018/2019. 75% of our contacts now come in via instant messaging, with only 25% of our contacts coming in via phone.
The useful links section of their website offers more than 16 links to services with a range of issues including mental health, domestic violence, rape and sexuality.
Often returning or continuing education can be a financial burden the biggest barrier particularly According to its website “Its aim is to provide free and heavily subsidised upskilling and reskilling opportunities through higher education in areas where there is an identified skills need. A particular emphasis of the initiative is upskilling people who are unemployed or in receipt of a social welfare payment.”
It’s key objective are to Support those who are unemployed, provide opportunities for workforce development to enhance the skill levels of those already in employment, enhance collaboration between enterprises and higher education and enhance the skills profile of the labour force to meet the targets and objectives set out in government. 8,291 places are available across over 252 courses under Springboard+ 2023-24. Details of these courses can be found here.
According to their website “spunout is Ireland’s youth information and support platform, working towards an Ireland where all young people are supported and empowered to thrive. spunout has a range of free, accessible and free services that are there for you whenever you need them.”
“Our aim is to support young people to be informed, feel empowered and heard, and to support our peers to access opportunities and services to help us achieve our full potential”.
Through values such as Empathy, Compassion, Equity, Expertise and Innovation Spunout’s content team provides information to young people in Ireland through their informative and researched posts on Back To Education Allowance, Important factors to consider when thinking about life after school, or different routes towards college for example How a PLC course landed me a spot in my dream college.
STAND is an initiative of Suas Educational Development with support from Irish Aid. We celebrate the power of ordinary people to change the world. With us, third level students in Ireland can share ideas about standing up for justice and equality, learn more about global issues, and find out what they can do to take positive action.
We do so throughout our programmes:
- STAND Student Festival: Designed by students, for students, the festival is a rallying call to address the pressing issues that shape our world. Our purpose is simple yet profound: ignite dialogues, kindle curiosity, and equip students with the mindsets and tools to become architects of change. Alongside the exhibition students will find interactive stalls and creative activities to stimulate their imagination.
- Global Issues Courses: Evening courses that run in Autumn and Spring and are a way for students to deepen their understanding on specific topics within global development through a series of sessions with expert facilitators. The sessions are interactive, reflective, debate-full and action-focused and support students to think critically, build community with like-minded peers and contribute to a tipping point of positive change in their own lives and the world more broadly.
- STAND News: A dynamic student-led journalism platform for readers to learn more about global issues while focusing on stories of justice, equality and international development.
- Ideas Collective: A summer boot camp for changemakers. Over the course of three weekends, we take students and recent graduates on a process of training, collaboration and reflection to develop impactful action projects for social and environmental change. At the end they will have a chance to win seed funding to get their projects off the ground.
- Changemakers Academy: Our newest, deepest and most immersive programme yet. Postgraduate students and student activists will dive into the root causes of global inequalities, develop skills in advocacy, solidarity-based activism and leadership, and cocreate solutions alongside real-world nonprofits and social impact organisations.
Our work is advised by our Student Advisory Panel, a diverse team of students that reflects the communities within Irish higher-level education, representing students across campuses, backgrounds, experiences, courses of study, and gender. Learn more about STAND at our website: https://stand.ie/
Internal Third Level Resources
Inclusion Centres
Many third level institutions now have inclusion centres. These are centres or hubs where students from underrepresented groups in third level can go to receive or get extra information on reasonable accommodation and extra support in college or career guidance. In many cases these can include areas such as disability councillors, guidance counsellors, sensory hubs or additional language support that can be a game changer in terms of the student feeling supported and motivated to complete their studies. Some of these centres include
Student Enterprise Centres
Student Enterprise Centres allow students who have an idea for a business a place to develop their idea surrounded by experts in their field, seek mentorship and networking opportunities to develop their idea, all while being in the confines of the college, where they have access to the facilities and equipment of the college if needed. Instead of giving you my list of some of the best student enterprise centre, ThinkBusiness.ie publish an extensive list of the best colleges in Ireland for student entrepreneurs here
Career Services
Nearly every third level institution in Ireland will have a career service. Though they may be called different names (career service, career guidance centres etc.) they all essentially serve the same purpose, providing guidance to their students on employment during or post their time in their educational setting.
Accessing your career services is different for each institution, but they have excellent links:
- Between different colleges if you have to transfer to another course to reach a level 8 degree
- For employers in the local area
- Can give you guidance on CV and/or Cover Letter development or interview skills.
- Can give you guidance on what subjects to pick or areas to focus on for a dissertation if you want to access a certain field of study.
Get a Mentor or Become a Mentor
DARE is a third level alternative admissions scheme for school-leavers under the age of 23 as of 1 January 2023 whose disabilities have had a negative impact on their second level education. Applicants to DARE can present with an Irish Leaving Certificate, A-Levels and/or other EU qualifications.
DARE offers reduced points places to school leavers who, as a result of having a disability, have experienced additional educational challenges in second level education.
The Higher Education Access Route (HEAR) is a higher education admissions scheme for Leaving Certificate students (under 23) whose economic or social background is underrepresented in higher education.
Find out what HEAR can do for you by reading some of the many benefits of the scheme below.
The 1916 Bursary is a financial award to encourage the participation and success of students from sections of society that are significantly under-represented in higher education.
The 1916 Bursary is funded by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS) and aims to encourage participation and success by students who are most socio-economically disadvantaged and from groups most under-represented in higher education.
To be eligible for a 1916 Bursary, all applicants must meet, Financial, Priority Group and College Entry eligibility criteria.
Each participating college has a limited number of bursaries which are awarded to the eligible applicants that present the greatest need.
Join A Society
Societies in college have long been a tool for students to find common interests outside of their course. Now they can also be used to find your tribe in third level. Depending on the size of the college the societies can range from relatively small to large numbers of people depending on the demographic of the tribe. This can lead to connection outside of college through networking and previous members of the society who have already gotten jobs in the workplace. Some of these tribes include people of colour, neurodiverse, different religions, lgbt etc
Volunteer
Volunteering can be another excellent item to have on your CV if you’re job hunting. Through volunteering with companies such as CoderDojo, The Runners Sanctuary, The Shona Project or many of the other Not For Profits and Charities is a great way to add to your skills, develop your understanding of an area and create networking opportunities. A very good way is to link the volunteering to the society that the student was a part of. If you know of a student who is interested in finding out they can do so here.