Galway Community College offers full-time courses in a wide variety of vocational areas designed as a step towards skilled employment or progression to higher education institutes and universities.
GCC welcomes applications from school leavers and mature learners. The Leaving Certificate class of 2021 are currently facing a lot of uncertainty with their studies due to Covid-19, and completing a further education course might be an appealing choice for September 2021. Recent research by SOLAS has confirmed that students who study a further education course are significantly more likely to graduate from third-level degree courses. Employees too have faced challenges, finding themselves unemployed or facing uncertain job security from the Covid-19 pandemic, causing everyone to reevaluate their options about their future career paths.
All GCC courses offer a mix of practical and portfolio work and work experience. There are no CAO points needed for further education courses. On completion, you can convert your results from the course to apply for more than 1,200 CAO courses that will accept a QQI (Quality & Qualifications Ireland ) award for progression to institutes of technology and universities nationwide. GCC's Level 6 courses give direct access to some second-year courses in GMIT (Galway Mayo Institute of Technology ).
The choice of studying a post-Leaving Certificate/further education course is now attractive to school leavers and those hoping to upskill, because the costs involved are low in comparison to going to college. The registration fee for a full-time course is €175. There is also a Government levy of €200, which many are exempt from if in receipt of a SUSI grant, a medical card, or BTEA allowance. Prospective students are advised to apply to SUSI, Ireland's national awarding authority for all higher and further education grants.
While studying in GCC you can expect a friendly, inclusive, environment. The college has a strong reputation for excellent tutoring. It offers Erasmus placements where there are plenty of work experience opportunities abroad. Situated at Moneenageisha Junction on an 8.5-acre site, it offers lots of facilities with playing pitches, large gym with equipment and dance studio, polytunnels, recreational areas, and an ideal location close to the city centre, with free parking, a café, playing pitches, and bus stop.
A recent study by SOLAS, highlighted that students who first complete further education courses are significantly more likely to graduate from third-level degree courses, and that up to 75 per cent of students with a foundation in a post-Leaving Cert (PLC ) course who move on to higher education complete their degree.
Apply online now at www.galwaycc.ie for September 2021, for a course in your preferred area - business, accounting, legal and medical secretarial, retail pharmacy, graphic design, IT, film, music, and theatre, social care, sport, equine, biomedical science, motor technology, and horticulture. For inquiries email [email protected] and follow @GCCFurtherEd on social media channels.
