DCU announces plans for stronger connections with Further Education and Training
Following a roundtable with neighbouring Further Education Colleges and leaders from Education and Training Boards to discuss possibilities for stronger connections between the university and the Further Education and Training (FET) sector in the region, DCU announced its plans for stronger connections, starting this year with an increase in undergraduate programmes with FET entry from 31 to 68.
Responding to the new strategy for FET, the government commitment for more and wider pathways for all learners into higher education, and drawing on its research leadership in the Further Education and Training Research Centre at the DCU Institute of Education, DCU announced three areas for action in the first phase of the project.
- More and clearer entry routes
From 2022, DCU will increase the number of programmes with FET entry from 31 to 68
From 2022, the requirement for most programmes will be any QQI Level 5 award with 5 distinctions
- More advanced entry arrangements
Working with FET partners, DCU plans to increase the number of advanced entry arrangements that connect particular programmes and awards directly with undergraduate degrees. Most current arrangements allow for some module exemption when a student enters university, but DCU would like to expand this towards an arrangement that might allow for entry directly into the second year of an undergraduate programme.
- Developing a FET pathway to primary teacher education
DCU’s Bachelor of Education degree is a high demand, high points course. Entry for those not coming directly from Leaving Certificate is made more complex by the requirements of the Department of Education for Gaeilge in particular. It is a policy priority to build a more diverse teaching profession, recognising the benefits for children and families of having teachers with strong roots in all communities.
Building on the success of its PATH programme with the Northside Learning Hubs that brought students into the BEd programme from communities and schools with no tradition of entry to that programme, and on the experience of local FET Colleges and PLC providers, DCU will work with the sector and stakeholders to develop this pathway for more students and more communities.
Commenting, Minister Simon Harris said:
“I really want to congratulate and praise DCU and Solas for this exciting partnership. We have a diverse third level system with multiple pathways of entry. This partnership makes it easier to transition from further education to higher education.
This is important leadership from DCU and is fully aligned to our priorities as a new Department. Crucially though, it opens up more routes of access to more students, ensuring that everyone can reach their potential, irrespective of the path they take.”
Speaking at the roundtable, the President of DCU, Prof Daire Keogh, said
“This new strategic focus for the University is rooted in DCU’s commitment to transform lives and societies. Our experience as an institution with the largest access programme in the state is that students who join us through what we used to call ‘non traditional’ pathways, do well and sometimes better than their peers who enter through ‘traditional’ routes.
We need to move away from this old terminology, to a new one of multiple entry points, and given the strength of FET in this region, and the transformation of the sector, developing these entry points in partnership with FET leaders makes good sense for us as an Institution and for the region. We know that sectoral arrangements and connections will be developed in time, but we want to lead for our students and communities by taking these first steps.”
Andrew Brownlee, CEO of SOLAS who contributed to the roundtable discussions said:
"A key action of the FET strategy is to support more progression opportunities for graduates from further education; this initiative from DCU working with partner institutions in the region is a great step forward towards more seamless transitions for learners who want to move from FET to HE. The commitment to develop advanced entry arrangements where learners might spend some time on their course in an FE setting before moving to complete their degree in HE is particularly welcome and points to the potential of a more integrated tertiary system."
Prof Anne Looney, Dean of the DCU Institute of Education said
“I am delighted to chair the working group that will drive the actions in this initial phase of work. Ongoing discussions about senior cycle reform at second level consistently refer to the ‘problem’ of intense ‘race’ for CAO points. Ireland’s new FET strategy is an opportunity to reduce that pressure and to widen options for learners as they think about next steps. DCU’s experience has been that students who join us with an FE qualification, do very well in their undergraduate programmes; they have already developed many of the skills needed to succeed in HE and beyond. Given this evidence, the new FE strategy and the network of high-quality FE colleges around DCU, we are pleased to step up as an institution and take a lead role in making stronger connections between the two sectors.”