Laois mother of two returns to school after 12 years

A RATHDOWNEY mother of two who is a second-year tertiary degree student is preparing to transition from Portlaoise Institute to South East Technological University (SETU) in Carlow next September.

Isabel Rafter was among over 200 educators, guidance counsellors and policymakers at the first national convention run by the National Tertiary Office (NTO) that was held in Croke Park recently.

Speaking on a panel at the event Isabel told the audience: “I started studying software development 12 years ago before stepping back to raise my family. Now the kids are older, I’m back in education to pursue my dream career in software, but it wouldn’t have been possible without this tertiary degree course.

“There being no fees for two years made a degree possible for me and the class sizes being smaller makes it less intimidating for a mature student. I love the course, the close-knit group, and being able to start my studies closer to home so I can balance family and college commitments - it’s built my confidence so much that here I am sharing my experience with everyone.” 

Also sharing their experience with delegates at the convention were Cillian Byrne and Eoin O’Gorman, both studying a Bachelor of Business Studies through the Laois/Offaly Education Training Board and SETU, and Jaqueline Fernandes, who is also studying the B.Sc in Software Development.

Tertiary degree courses are an additional route to third level education, which do not require applicants to provide Leaving Certificate points. Students begin their studies at a further education college, where the years studied are fee-free, before progressing directly to complete their degree and graduate from the partnered higher education college.

There are over 350 tertiary degree students across the country, taking part in 19 courses ranging from general and mental health nursing; social work; tourism and hospitality; information technology management and software development; public health and health promotion; applied health care, business; and mobile and web computing.

Director of the NTO Dr. Fiona Maloney said: “The driving force behind tertiary degrees is about creating access for students who might never have considered doing a degree. The whole programme is designed to break down barriers, be they financial, social or otherwise.

For more information about tertiary degrees, log onto www.nto.ie