Written answers
Tuesday, 9 November 2021
Department of Education and Skills
Further and Higher Education
Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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501. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when he anticipates that further education and training options will be fully integrated within the CAO application system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54159/21]
Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I was delighted to launch the enhanced CAO website for the 2022 CAO application process on Friday 5th November 2021.
A key goal of my Department is to enhance the visibility of further education and training, or FET, and apprenticeship options for school leavers. To progress this key goal, from 2022, school leavers will be able to explore options across the third level system, whether in higher education, further education or apprenticeship options, from the CAO website.
This initiative comes from the collaboration of a working group comprising representatives of SOLAS, the CAO, ETBI and the ETBs. Within the FET sector, a central portal has been developed to enable learners to apply for their chosen courses, which have been updated in terms of course naming conventions and learner requirements. This is being managed through FETCH / PLSS (which is a central application system for FET courses delivered through Education and Training Boards throughout the country).? Technical experts from SOLAS and the CAO are working together to ensure that technology developed for FET in the short-term aligns with CAO systems to enable integration over time.
The further development and expansion of the CAO FET offers to include wider options will build on the experience of the 2022 application process.
For apprenticeship options, students must first be hired by an approved apprentice employer. There will be a link to a dedicated page on the apprenticeship website which will provide information on how to find an apprenticeship and links to available apprenticeship employment opportunities. There will also be a freephone number available for guidance on apprenticeships which is 1800 794 487 and will be open 12pm-6pm Monday-Friday.
Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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502. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the total number of students in pre-law in the further education system each year since 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54161/21]
Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Details in relation to the number of enrolments in Law and Legal Studies courses in further education and training (FET) from 2017 - 2021 are attached. Please note this includes data up to the end of October 2021. Data in relation to enrolment figures for 2016 is being collated by SOLAS from each of the 16 Education and Training Boards and will issue to the Deputy shortly.
| Enrolments | |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 277 |
| Legal Studies | 17 |
| Pre-University Business with Law | 39 |
| Pre-University Law | 221 |
| 2018 | 786 |
| Law & Politics | 22 |
| Legal Administration | 147 |
| Legal and Medical Administration | 122 |
| Legal and Medical Secretarial Studies | 71 |
| Legal Secretary | 15 |
| Legal Studies | 127 |
| Pre-University Law | 282 |
| 2019 | 811 |
| Legal Administration | 136 |
| Legal and Medical Administration | 159 |
| Legal Studies | 102 |
| Pre-University Business Law | 20 |
| Pre-University Law | 359 |
| Security, Criminology & Legal Studies | 35 |
| 2020 | 880 |
| Legal Administration | 151 |
| Legal and Medical Administration | 104 |
| Legal and Medical Secretarial Studies | 48 |
| Legal Studies | 112 |
| Pre-University Business Law | 41 |
| Pre-University Law | 393 |
| Security, Criminology & Legal Studies | 31 |
| 2021 | 1127 |
| Business - Legal | 74 |
| Business Administration with Legal Studies | 14 |
| Business Studies with Law | 12 |
| Financial and Legal Services | 26 |
| Law and Criminology | 22 |
| Legal Administration | 296 |
| Legal and Medical Administration | 35 |
| Legal and Medical Secretarial Studies | 19 |
| Legal Studies | 144 |
| Legal Studies and Criminal Law | 22 |
| Pre-University Business with Law | 64 |
| Pre-University Law | 289 |
| Pre-University Law with Criminology | 79 |
| Security, Criminology & Legal Studies | 31 |
Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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503. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the total number of students accepted from further education and training pre-law courses into undergraduate law programmes in public higher education institutions each year since 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54162/21]
Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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This information is not held by my Department. The majority of our statistics on higher education enrolments are drawn from the Student Records System (SRS) of the HEA, and the basis of entry into higher education is not recorded on the SRS.
In 2017/18, the most recent year for which this data is available, 7.3% of students entered higher education on the basis of a further education qualification. A breakdown by course area is not available.
Many courses, including law courses, reserve a number of places for entrants from further education. The number of places reserved on any course for FET entrants is a matter for each institution, in line with their autonomy. Details on the courses offering entry to applicants on the basis of FET qualifications, and the entry requirements, can be found on the CAO website at the following link: www.cao.ie/index.php?page=fetac_search
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