Over three days next month, second-level students will be able to refine their career thoughts at the Higher Options Conference in the RDS in Ballsbridge, Dublin. Up to 25,000 students, as well as many parents, guidance counsellors and mature students, are expected to attend the conference starting on Wednesday, September 16th. This is the 12th year of the conference, which is sponsored by The Irish Times and the Institute of Guidance Counsellors.
The conference is an invaluable opportunity for students to talk face-to-face with administrators, lecturers, admissions officers, representatives of different industries and course co-ordinators.
Over 250 colleges will have stands at the RDS. All of the universities, colleges and institutes in attendance will have brochures, leaflets, advice and guidance to pass on about courses and career routes. It's an ideal opportunity to ask questions, take notes, collect data and make contacts.
Bus-loads of students from all around the country are expected to attend the conference - admission is by ticket only - apart from the Thursday night session for mature students and parents.
As well as offering young people a chance to browse and gather information as they wander from stand to stand, the conference gives them a chance to listen to talks from representatives of bodies such as the Central Applications Office (CAO) and its British and Northern Ireland equivalent, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). The representatives will put students in the picture about how the systems work, about pitfalls, dates of entry and any other questions they may have. There will also be 12 separate talks running each day on a wide range of careers.
The conference will run from 9.00 to 4.00 each day. On the evening of the second day, Thursday, September 17th, the session for mature students will be held from 5.30 p.m. until 8.30 p.m. Individuals do not have to book for this session; £5 tickets will be available at the door on the night.
Colleges, universities, training institutes and other third-level centres will be represented at the conference, which is expecting to attract about 7,500 young people each day. There will be a chance to meet representatives from seven colleges in Northern Ireland, over 200 in Britain and some colleges from Europe.
There are lots of career options outside the traditional third-level sector. Students may like to consider alternatives such as apprenticeships with FAS, training for the tourism industry with CERT, or horticulture and agriculture training with Teagasc. The Garda, the Defence Forces and nursing have their own training and education systems outside the CAO courses. All of these sectors will be representated at the RDS during the conference.
PLC colleges will also be there in force, providing students with insights into the range and scope of their courses, which aim to prepare young people for the workforce. The independent, privately-run colleges will also be there.
