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'Unique opportunities' at CTI Senior College of Further Education , Clonmel

Thinking about college? Or a career? 

Working through all the third-level courses and career options available to school leavers can be daunting. With much of the focus for Leaving Certificate students being on CAO applications, it is easy to forget that there are other ways to access college, apprenticeships or employment.

At CTI Senior College of Further Education in Clonmel, there are great options for Leaving Certificate students that might help them determine the best path for their individual career goals.

Application process

CTI Senior College has specific expertise in delivering QQI Level 5 and Level 6 Major Awards. These courses are not applied for through the CAO system but instead the student applies directly to the college website. It is free to apply and successful applicants are selected by way of an interview. These interviews are often informal and give the student a chance to talk about their particular interests on the course they are applying for and their future aspirations.

Accreditation with credibility

Courses at CTI Senior College is accredited by Quality Qualifications of Ireland, a state agency established in 2012 to promote quality and accountability. Part of its role is to develop and maintain standards in the Irish National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ), a 10-level framework for the development, recognition and awarding of qualifications in Ireland.

It also approves programmes offered at a variety of schools, colleges, further and higher education, and training institutions. The courses offered at CTI Senior College lead to full 120 credit QQI Major Awards listed in the NFQ, which are recognised nationally and internationally.

Duration and timetabling of courses

Each course is timetabled during the school day and runs over three or four days, giving students the opportunity to balance work and home commitments. Students can choose from a range of full-time courses on offer from mid-September to the end of April. Courses include Childcare, Laboratory Techniques, Product Design, Business and  Engineering. September 2020 sees the launch of three new courses at Level 5, which will include Theatre Performance and Production, Pre-University Studies , and New Media Studies and Production

Assessment

Coursework is marked by continual or formative assessment. Assignments, collections of work and skills demonstrations are part of all the courses. Written exams usually take place at the end of April. CTI Senior College then administers all the submission paperwork and processes the work through the QQI assessment procedures as outlined by Tipperary Education and Training Board. More information is available on its website. 

Progression

Studying a QQI Level 5 award gives students a chance to sample a course before proceeding on to higher education. "All of our courses have a mandatory work experience module, which also allows employers to keep ahead of ever-changing work practices and see first-hand how potential employees might benefit their organisations," a CTI Senior College spokesperson says. 

"Our very exciting progression agreement with Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) offers students unique opportunities to take additional courses at WIT prior to commencing their course of choice. They are then eligible for round zero offers ahead of CAO first round offers. The Higher Education Links Progression Scheme is well-established and allows students to gain entry to institutes of technology and universities using their QQI results.

"By taking a year to explore their options, students can progress their career plans with certainty in the knowledge that they are choosing a course that is right for them, in a field of study that they understand, equipped with independent learning skills and greater confidence."

Find out more

On March 10, CTI Senior College will host an Open Studio at its Barracks campus, where the thriving art and design department is housed.

The silversmithing workshop, printmaking and ceramics studio will be open to the public to see the work of the creative students. On the same day, on the main campus at The Mall there will be a display of all the courses on offer for 2020. Course coordinators will be available from 11am until 5pm to answer any queries. Details of all course outlines can be found on the college's website.

Groups, schools or businesses who wish to receive an information pack on courses or wish us for CTI Senior College to visit them should email adulted@tipperaryetb.ie or contact us www.ctiseniorcollege.ie.