ACCORDING to educationalists in the Mid West, Leaving Cert students are becoming nervous as immense pressure lies on them to do well and to give them entry to the course of their choice.
There are, however, indicators that fewer students are interested in the construction industry, moving away from architecture and engineering.
John O’Halloran of Limerick Tutorial College, claimed to The Limerick Post, that the state of the economy has pushed students to want to get their best possible exam results.
He said: “When they leave university, employers will have their pick of graduates, and they will want the best qualified”.
Mr O’Halloran said that his students are still very keen on business degrees, in the belief that after their college graduation, there will be a demand for business students again.
Pointing out that although some students have a positive outlook, it is clear that others are worried.
He expressed the view that there is a definite turn away from construction this year. “People are clearly scared. There’s also a question mark over architecture, after the building boom Ireland experienced, students aren’t sure if there will be any jobs in this sector”.
P.J O’Connor, guidance counsellor at Salesians College, Pallaskenry, confirmed this fear, saying that the “biggest drawback is in construction courses, and students who were aiming to do apprenticeships are now looking to college courses for the assurance of stability”.
It is believed as more and more jobs are in jeopardy, that parents are urging their children to attend their local colleges, thus cutting expenses..
With excellent college’s in Limerick, students have a superb amount of choice, and the Salesian’s counsellor suggests that now is the time, more than ever, to further education “Fifteen years ago, when the job market wasn’t good, people continued in college and received a masters degree, and they are the people who got the best jobs when the economy recovered, and that is going to happen again”.
Students all over Limerick have applied for the first time to the CAO this month, even though they can make amendments up until June, huge decision making is taking place.
Although there is pressure mounting to pick a course that will guarantee graduates a job, Mr. O’Connor advises that “students should still follow their heart to an extent, if you’re very good at something, you can always get to the top”.
