Post-Leaving Certificate courses play growing role as routes to work and higher education

Question

Now that the CAO deadline for applications has closed, what options should students consider to give themselves the widest set of options when they receive their Leaving Cert results in late August?

Answer

With the CAO closing date now passed, many Leaving Cert students and their families are entering a familiar period of uncertainty. Course choices have been submitted but seven months remain before results are known and, for many, questions begin to surface.

One option that continues to play a significant role in the Republic’s education system is post-Leaving Certificate (PLC) courses. These provide direct preparation for employment, progression routes into higher education and strong links with industry and professional practice. They offer smaller class sizes and a more supported transition from school.

Within Co Dublin, courses are provided by City of Dublin Education Training Board (CDETB) and a brand new entity, Dublin College. This brings together long-established further-education colleges operating under the Dublin and Dún Laoghaire Education and Training Board (DDLETB); stretching like a horseshoe around the city of Dublin – from Rush via Swords, Blanchardstown, Lucan, Tallaght, Dundrum, Blackrock, Stillorgan and Dún Laoghaire to Sallynoggin – it offers a diverse range of PLC and other courses including in healthcare, childcare, IT, business, creative arts and social care.

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A simpler way to apply

In recent years, one of the challenges for families considering DDLETB PLC courses was navigating multiple application processes across different colleges. All Dublin College PLC courses from 2026 entry onwards will be applied for through a single online application system called EduPortal. This means applicants no longer need to submit separate applications to individual colleges; instead, students apply once and list up to five DDLETB PLC course preferences, across different Dublin College locations.

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Where to begin

To begin the process go to mydublincollege.ie, which brings together information on further education options across the entire Dublin College network, including PLC, apprenticeships, training courses and more.

Those interested specifically in PLCs or these other options can view all available courses in one place and apply directly from there. Alternatively, students can go straight to eduportal.enrol.ie/dublincollege, which takes them directly into the new application system.

How the process works

Once an application is submitted through EduPortal applicants receive immediate confirmation. They can log into an online account to track progress, documentation can be uploaded if requested and interview or portfolio stages are clearly communicated where required.

Students who are under 18 or who are applying as non-EU nationals are guided automatically through the additional steps involved. Applications are processed starting with a student’s first preference and offers are accepted and confirmed online.

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Timing matters

Unlike the CAO, PLC applications operate on a different timeline. Courses typically open for applications in January and remain open until late August, with offers made on a rolling basis until filled. For students who have already submitted CAO choices, this means PLCs can be explored in parallel, without affecting CAO applications in any way.

Keeping options open

At this stage of the year, the best advice remains to keep pathways open. PLC courses are not an alternative to higher education for many students, but a different route into one that emphasises practical skills, confidence building, and progression.

With a clearer, unified application system now in place in Co Dublin, exploring PLC options has become considerably more straightforward, at a time when clarity and reassurance matter most.

While Dublin College is a new logo within further education, the colleges themselves are well established. Bringing them together in this way makes it easier for students to compare options and identify the course that best matches their interests.