Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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139. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her views on having transition year used for a series of pre/mini apprenticeship courses allowing students to better explore their prospective further education choices before embarking on the course proper, thereby reducing the drop out rate and expenditure on uncompleted courses; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3339/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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Transition Year is intended to act as an educational bridge between junior and senior cycle. Its objective is to broaden the students' experience of second level education by providing them with a variety of opportunities, both academic and practical.

The precise content of any transition year programme is decided by each school. Their programmes typically include elements designed to expose students to new ways of learning, to enhancing their skills for further studies, for work and for life. This is achieved by providing students with access to work experience, project work, enterprise education and interventions such as Young Social Innovators.

Schools are entitled to include modules appropriate to the needs and interests of their students and related to the resources available to them, including work experience opportunities.

However, it would be a retrograde step to focus too closely on any one aspect at the expense of developing transferrable skills and competences that students can bring to bear in making decisions relating to further education and their future careers.