Minister for Education and Skills announces the providers of 1,000 additional PLC places as part of the Government’s Jobs Initiative

The Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn, T.D., today announced the providers of an additional 1,000 Post-Leaving Certificate (PLC) places.  These additional places were recently announced as part of the Government’s Jobs Initiative and will begin from September 2011.

This additional allocation brings the total number of approved PLC places available nationwide to 32,688. 

Announcing the providers of the additional places, Minister Quinn said: “These new PLC places will mean that at least 1,000 unemployed people will be given the opportunity to re-skill and upskill.  This is vital in order to give them the opportunity to re-enter the world of work as quickly as possible and is a cornerstone of the Government’s Jobs Initiative.  VECs and PLC providers are playing an important role in responding to the challenges facing the labour market and I commend them for their work.”

The additional places are being funded this year through a combination of departmental savings and an additional €2 million from the Exchequer. 

The Minister for Training and Skills, Ciaran Cannon, T.D., welcomed the announcement and said: “The PLC programme is a very important part of the range of further education and training courses available. PLC courses give learners specific vocational skills as part of a major FETAC award which enables them to upskill and re-skill, not just for the jobs of today, but for the jobs of tomorrow.”

Minister Quinn said that he expected a very strong demand for these extra PLC places as learners recognise the importance of upskilling for a changed labour market.  “PLC providers should prioritise the unemployed with these additional places and I would urge them to be conscious of local demand”, he added.

The additional PLC places are part of the almost 16,000 additional places in education and training announced as part of the Government’s Jobs Initiative.

The remainder of the places are being provided in the FÁS Specific Training programme (5,000 short course places and 1,000 long course places), the Higher Education Springboard programme (5,900 places) and the Back to Education Initiative (3,000 part-time places).

The list of providers receiving additional places is below.  With approved PLC places, providers receive a teacher allocation (at a pupil teacher ratio of 17:1 and non-pay capitation).

Co. Carlow VEC  20     
Co. Cavan VEC   60     
Co. Clare VEC   10     
City of Cork VEC        20     
Co. Cork VEC    30     
City of Dublin VEC      60     
Co. Dublin VEC  30     
Dun Laoghaire VEC       55     
City of Galway VEC      60     
Co. Galway VEC  20     
Co. Kerry VEC   60     
Co. Kilkenny VEC        30     
City of Limerick VEC    30     
Co. Limerick VEC        20     
Co. Louth VEC   60     
Co. Mayo VEC    60     
Co. Meath VEC   60     
Co. Monaghan VEC        60     
Co. Offaly VEC  20     
Co. Sligo VEC   60     
Co. Tipperary NR VEC    30     
Co. Tipperary SR VEC    20     
City of Waterford VEC   20     
Co. Westmeath VEC       30     
Co. Wicklow VEC 60     
Jesus and Mary Secondary School, Enniscrone     15     

PLC Background

• PLC courses are full-time and generally last one year.  They are mainly at Levels 5 and 6 on the National Framework of Qualifications.  Courses are provided predominantly in the VEC sector (90%, 148 centres) but also in community and comprehensive schools (24) and secondary schools (21). There are over 1,000 courses to choose from in more than 60 disciplines.
• In the last academic year (2010/2011), there were over 38,600 learners in PLC courses nationwide. 
• Through the Higher Education Links Scheme, PLC courses are an alternative route to higher education in the Institutes of Technology for those who have completed the Leaving Certificate Applied programme or who were unable to enter third-level education after leaving school. The scheme also links specific FETAC Level 5 Certificates and Level 6 Advanced Certificates to reserved places on a variety of higher education programmes.         
• Maintenance grants were introduced on a means-tested basis from September 1998 for full-time students attending approved PLC courses. The rates of grant and means-testing criteria for the scheme follow the lines of the existing third-level schemes.

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Summary of additional Department of Education and Skills, training and education places as outlined in the Jobs Initiative May 2011

Programme                                                         No of places   
FÁS Specific Skills Training programme        6,000  
Higher Education Springboard programme  5,900  
Back to Education Initiative programme         3,000  
Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) programme   1,000  
               
Total   15,900