Tertiary degrees designed to meet the needs of the South East and Midlands region

Alan O’Gorman

Tertiary Manager and FET Quality Manager, Waterford and Wexford ETB, South East and Midlands Strategic Alliance 

Dr Sarah Sartori 

Higher Education Strategic Project Lead, SETU, South East and Midlands Strategic Alliance 

 Tertiary degrees provide a gentle transition into higher education, with the South East and Midlands Alliance highlighting many benefits to both prospective students and the future workforce. 

For many, the traditional pathway into university comes through the Central Applications Office (CAO), where points calculated from grades achieved make or break a student’s chance at a university place. This, however, does not account for a diverse range of students who may still have extremely strong potential. 

Tertiary degrees removing barriers to education

“Tertiary degrees do not consider CAO points. Instead, they value potential, interest and commitment to the programme,” explains Alan O’Gorman, Tertiary Manager. “In year one, students attend a local ETB College closer to home, and with no college fees to pay, before advancing on to the university degree in year two.” 

“Tertiary degrees remove barriers, especially for students who might have thought higher education wasn’t for them,” adds Dr Sarah Sartori, Higher Education Strategic Project Lead. “They have the added benefit of smaller class sizes, where the students’ confidence can be built upon before they move onto the larger university campus.” 

Integration procedures within the first year help to ease the transition into university life, helping to build familiarity with the university supports, lecturers and peers early so that students still feel part of the university community. 

The flexibility of the system makes this
attractive to many students, allowing
people from all different backgrounds
and circumstances to take part.

Diverse access and opportunity

The diversity of students is but one of the many strengths of tertiary programmes, alongside strong academic support, dual-registration, access to university facilities, reduced fees and bursary opportunities and seamless progression to university. 

“The flexibility of the system makes this attractive to many students, allowing people from all different backgrounds and circumstances to take part,” explains Sartori. “We’ve seen students from refugee backgrounds, carers, parents and those re-entering education. This inclusivity is what makes tertiary programmes a genuine and accessible alternative to the traditional CAO route.” 

Bridging the critical skills gap

The South East and Midlands Alliance is part of the National Tertiary Office (NTO), including Kilkenny and Carlow ETB, Laois and Offaly ETB, Waterford and Wexford ETB and SETU. Together, they form a strong alliance providing diverse and progressive pathways for learners, enabling progression across and between institutions. 

“We are building these programmes in response to the needs of the South East region. It’s about aligning education with skills demand,” says O’Gorman. “The pathway may be different, but the outcome is the same. We are training students to degree level to meet the needs of the region.” 

Courses include information technology management, applied healthcare, tourism and hospitality, software development, intellectual disability nursing and more. Applications are open until the end of September.