What to Do After Secondary School: Every Option Explained

Finishing secondary school is one of those moments where everyone suddenly expects you to have a plan. The truth? Most people don't — and that's completely normal. What matters is knowing what your options actually are, because there are far more than most students realise.

Here's the full picture, without the bias.

Option 1: University or college through the CAO

The most talked-about route. You apply through the CAO, list up to ten Level 8 (honours degree) and ten Level 6/7 courses in order of preference, and offers are made based on your Leaving Cert points.

Good fit if: you know (roughly) what field interests you, you're comfortable with academic study, and the career you want requires a degree (medicine, law, engineering, teaching, etc.).

Worth knowing: around 60% of school leavers go this route, but a significant number drop out of first year — often because they picked a course based on points rather than genuine interest. Choosing the right course matters more than choosing the highest-points course. If you're unsure where your interests point, a structured career test like the one at CourseCompass.ie can help you build a shortlist before you fill in your CAO form.

Option 2: PLC courses (Post Leaving Cert)

One-year (sometimes two-year) courses at Level 5 or 6, run in Further Education colleges. They cover everything from nursing studies to software development to art portfolio preparation.

Good fit if: you didn't get the points you needed, you want to test-drive a field before committing to a degree, or you prefer practical, continuous-assessment learning over big exams.

Worth knowing: PLC courses are a genuine backdoor into university. Thousands of higher education places are reserved each year for QQI Level 5/6 graduates. A student who missed nursing points can do a one-year PLC and progress to the same degree course.

Option 3: Apprenticeships

Earn while you learn. Ireland now has 70+ apprenticeship programmes — not just the traditional trades (electrician, plumber, carpenter) but also finance, insurance, software, biopharma, logistics and auctioneering.

Good fit if: you learn best by doing, you want to start earning immediately, and you like the idea of qualifying with zero student debt and years of real experience.

Worth knowing: apprentice electricians and craftspeople are among the most in-demand workers in the country. Many apprenticeships now go up to Level 9 (Master's equivalent). Browse them all at apprenticeship.ie.

Option 4: Going straight to work

Sometimes the right move is to start working — to save money, figure out what you enjoy, or build experience in retail, hospitality, family businesses or entry-level office roles.

Worth knowing: this doesn't close any doors. Mature student entry (23+) means the CAO points race disappears entirely later in life, and employers increasingly fund further study for staff.

Option 5: A gap year — done properly

A gap year can be brilliant or a wasted year, and the difference is a plan. Working abroad, volunteering, saving for college, or repeating the Leaving Cert with a clear goal all count as "done properly."

Worth knowing: you can accept a CAO deferral for most courses — apply, get your offer, and defer it for a year. That way your place is waiting for you.

How to actually decide

1. Start with interests, not points. Points tell you what you can get into, not what you'll enjoy or finish.
2. Talk to people doing the job. Ten minutes with a real engineer beats ten hours of brochures.
3. Look at the module list, not the course title. "Business" at two different colleges can be completely different courses.
4. Use the tools available. Your school's guidance counsellor, CareersPortal, and interest-based matching tools like CourseCompass all exist to make this easier.

There is no single "best" route — there's only the best route for you. And whichever one you pick, almost every path in Irish education now connects to every other one. Very few decisions at 18 are final.