Expand+The Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme is an educational opportunities scheme for unemployed persons which is funded by the Department of Education and Science with assistance from the European Social Fund. The Scheme is operated through the Vo...

Hide-The Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme is an educational opportunities scheme for unemployed persons which is funded by the Department of Education and Science with assistance from the European Social Fund. The Scheme is operated through the Vocational Education Committees and provides a special range of courses designed to meet the education and training needs of unemployed people.

The aims of the scheme are :
- to give unemployed people education and training opportunities which will develop their employability

- to prepare people to go into paid employment or on to further opportunities leading to paid employment

Expand+Education: This Leaving Certificate course demands a high level of commitment from the learner and a good standard of reading, writing and maths is required. Having a Junior Certificate standard would be a definite advantage. Learners must have the c...

Hide-Education: This Leaving Certificate course demands a high level of commitment from the learner and a good standard of reading, writing and maths is required. Having a Junior Certificate standard would be a definite advantage. Learners must have the capacity to work with others from diverse social, linguistic and cultural backgrounds; engage in critical and creative thinking and take responsibility for their own learning.

Aptitude: Please refer to Department of Education website

Previous Experience: Please refer to Department of Education website.

Expand+Eligibility criteria are determined by the Department of Education and Skills.

To qualify for VTOS a person must:
- be at least 21 years of age at the commencement of the course,

- be in receipt of an unemployment payment or signing for c...

Hide-Eligibility criteria are determined by the Department of Education and Skills.

To qualify for VTOS a person must:
- be at least 21 years of age at the commencement of the course,

- be in receipt of an unemployment payment or signing for credits for at least 6 months*.

Also, the course must be provided or approved by the local VEC for the purposes of the VTOS scheme.

A limited number of places are available to persons in receipt of One Parent Family Payment, Disability Allowance, Illness Benefit, Blind Pension, Invalidity Pension, Deserted Wife's Benefit/Allowance, Widow's/Widower's Contributory/Non Contributory Pension and Prisoner's Wife's Allowance and to qualified spouses/partners of persons eligible to participate in VTOS.

Periods spent on VTOS, FS training schemes, Community Employment, Job Initiative, Youthreach or time in prison can count towards the 6 month qualifying period.

Expand+Introduction to Leaving Certificate Programme
The programme usually takes a minimum of two years preparation culminating in students sitting the Leaving Certificate examination. Participants on ETB FET programmes may complete the programme in one ye...

Hide-Introduction to Leaving Certificate Programme
The programme usually takes a minimum of two years preparation culminating in students sitting the Leaving Certificate examination. Participants on ETB FET programmes may complete the programme in one year. The Examination is overseen by the State Examinations Commission.

There are three distinct programmes that can be followed. While the outcomes of each programme are quite distinct, each is intended to prepare the student for education, society and work.

Established Leaving Certificate:
The Established Leaving Certificate, requires students to study a minimum of six subjects, including compulsory Irish, compulsory English, and compulsory Mathematics. Most students take seven subjects. In an ETB FET programme the number of subjects studied ranges from 4 to 6 and there may be no subject set as compulsory. Participants may also combine Junior Certificate or other certification resulting in the creation of an individual portfolio of subjects/certification.

Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme:
The Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme, introduced as a more practical "hands-on" complement to the conventional Leaving Certificate. The programme is designed to help the student find their potential for self-directed learning, innovation and enterprise. In an ETB FET programme the number of subjects studied ranges from 4 to 6 and there may be no subject set as compulsory.

Leaving Certificate Programme Aim
The programme offers a broad curriculum that allows for a degree of specialisation for learners and seeks to provide learners with a high quality learning experience to prepare them for the world of work, for further and higher education and for successful personal lives, whatever that may entail for the individual learner.

Expand+Leaving Certificate Higher Level Programme
The following modules are published, national and available for scheduling by all ETB’s on the National Course Calendar as part of the Leaving Certificate Higher Level Programme. All module syllabi are desi...

Hide-Leaving Certificate Higher Level Programme
The following modules are published, national and available for scheduling by all ETB’s on the National Course Calendar as part of the Leaving Certificate Higher Level Programme. All module syllabi are designed as 180 hour courses of study.

LCH01 Irish Core
LCH001 English Core
LCH02 History Elective
LCH03 Biology Elective
LCH04 Geography Elective
LCH05 Mathematics Core
LCH06 Business Elective
LCH08 Art Elective
LCH09 Physics Elective
LCH10 Chemistry Elective
LCH12 Accounting Elective
LCH13 Economics Elective
LCH14 Construction Studies Elective
LCH15 Home Economics Elective
LCH16 Spanish Elective
LCH22 French Elective
LCH18 Arabic Elective


The Leaving Certificate Ordinary Level Programme

The following modules are published, national and available for scheduling by all ETB’s on the National Course Calendar as part of the Leaving Certificate Ordinary Level Programme. All module syllabi are designed as 180 hour courses of study

LCO01 English Core
LCO02 History Elective
LCO03 Biology Elective
LCO04 Geography Elective
LCO05 Mathematics Core
LCO06 Business Elective
LCO09 Irish Core
LCO10 French Elective
LCO08 Chemistry Elective
LCO13 Economics Elective
LCO15 Home Economics Elective
LCO14 Construction Studies Elective
LCO17 Russian Elective
LCO18 Arabic Elective
LCO12 Accounting Elective
LCO16 Spanish Elective

Leaving Cert Higher Level Geography Leaving Certificate (DESLC) Department of Education & Skills
Leaving Cert Ordinary Level Geography Leaving Certificate (DESLC) Department of Education & Skills
Leaving Cert Ordinary Level Mathematics Leaving Certificate (DESLC) Department of Education & Skills
Leaving Certificate (Traditional) Ordinary Level English Leaving Certificate (DESLC) Department of Education & Skills
Leaving Certificate Higher Level English Leaving Certificate (DESLC) Department of Education & Skills
Leaving Certificate Higher Level Business Leaving Certificate (DESLC) Department of Education & Skills
Leaving Certificate Ordinary Level Business Leaving Certificate (DESLC) Department of Education & Skills
Leaving Certificate Higher Level Art Leaving Certificate (DESLC) Department of Education & Skills
Irish Ordinary Level Leaving Certificate (DESLC) Department of Education & Skills
Leaving Cert Higher Level Economics Leaving Certificate (DESLC) Department of Education & Skills
Leaving Cert Ordinary Level Economics Leaving Certificate (DESLC) Department of Education & Skills
Leaving Certificate Foundation Level Mathematics Leaving Certificate (DESLC) Department of Education & Skills
Leaving Certificate Ordinary Level Art Leaving Certificate (DESLC) Department of Education & Skills