Latest news with #CAO
RTÉ News
4 hours ago
- Business
- RTÉ News
Kildare man who was 'lost' in LC finds his way in tech
As thousands of students prepare to sit their Leaving Cert exams, we are hearing from young people who took alternative paths to the CAO points race. In 2020, Kildare native Jack Yeates was not sure what he wanted to do when his time in secondary school wrapped up. Diagnosed with dyslexia as a young child, he knew that taking an academic route after school was not something that he wanted to do. "My idea was always that I wasn't going to be this big academic scholar by any means, but I still wanted to do as best as I could," he said. When he was discussing his options with career guidance counsellors, Jack said that he was more drawn to apprenticeships and community colleges. "I always enjoyed more physical subjects in school, like construction, and it was from that that I was recommended maybe being an electrician or a network site engineer. That's where my focus was." In the year after he graduated from school, Jack worked full time in retail and in September of 2021, he did a Post Leaving Cert course in Advanced Computer Science at St Conleth's Community College in Newbridge. PLC courses usually last one to two years and after Jack completed his year-long course, he began making applications for a two-year apprenticeship in software development. After receiving offers from three companies, Jack began his apprenticeship at Salesforce, a cloud-software company which has its European headquarters based in Dublin. "The PLC was a bit of a shot in the dark," Jack said. "It was something that I got real enjoyment out of and it gave me a broad scope of the industry and I thought 'You know what? Maybe I could make something of myself in this industry'." In August of last year, Jack completed his apprenticeship and won the ICT Apprenticeship of the Year Award the following October. After his apprenticeship ended, Jack was on the lookout for jobs and came across a role in Salesforce, which he felt suited him. He secured the position and began working as a Customer Centric Engineer for the company last February. "I found that the job scope and what they were looking for really suited what I had done in the past, and I believe my apprenticeship stood to me massively," he said. Now, Jack is keen for people to know that exams are not the only option and that there are other paths that can be taken after secondary school. "There were days when a lot of my classmates would be going off to college open days and writing down their dream colleges and dream courses," he said. "It did get a little disheartening at a stage, you do generally feel a little bit lost in that kind of way when you've made up your mind that 'college isn't for me'." "One exam isn't the 'be all, end all' for you," he said. "There's so many doors that can open if you just go looking for them. "Sometimes they won't show to you, you just have to really go and look for them yourself."
RTÉ News
a day ago
- General
- RTÉ News
Laois Rose hopes to inspire young women to consider apprenticeships
As pupils prepare to start their Leaving Cert in just a few days, we are hearing from young people who took alternative paths to the CAO. An apprentice electrician - who also happens to be the Laois Rose - hopes that she can highlight to young women that a trade is a great career option for them. Katelyn Cummins grew up on a dairy farm in Co Kilkenny and now lives and works in Laois. She has always enjoyed working with her hands, and going to college never appealed to her. A self-professed "girly-girl", Katelyn was the only young woman in her apprenticeship class. "It's not something you hear about every day, a woman going into a male-dominated trade, but you can still do it no matter what and I wasn't treated any differently," she said. When Katelyn was selected to be the Laois Rose earlier this year, she saw it as a great opportunity to make friends with other women her age. "I don't meet them in my workplace, so it's been incredible because I've met such amazing girls and made really good friends with a few of them now, so I'm delighted with that," she explained. Katelyn said people are often surprised when she tells them she is an apprentice electrician. "When they see me at an event in a dress, they're like, 'And you're supposed to be an electrician?' And it's like, 'Yes, I wear work pants and a baggy hoody every day, that's my normal wear, but at the weekends I'm in a dress, I love my makeup and doing my hair, its two different sides to me." In 2024, a record 9,352 new apprentices registered across 77 different offerings, according to SOLAS. Katelyn hopes to see more women and girls consider exploring the apprenticeships available to them. "Anything that makes you happy is worthwhile doing, no matter if it's going to college, doing an apprenticeship, a PLC course, there's something out there for everybody and it doesn't have to be the traditional route of college," she said. "I think look into the trades like carpentry, plumbing, electrical - they are all crying out for people to join that industry and whether you're a woman or a man, you can still do it no matter what."
RTÉ News
2 days ago
- Health
- RTÉ News
Student who did not do the Leaving Cert now sets sights on being a heart surgeon
With the Leaving Cert beginning in just a few days, we are hearing from some of the young people who took alternative paths to the CAO points race. The first of these is a university student from Dublin who did not sit the Leaving Cert but has set his sights on achieving their dream of becoming a heart surgeon. 20-year-old Liam Nugent has wanted to be a doctor since he was a child. But when he was unable to sit his Leaving Cert due to missing so much school, he feared that dream had slipped away. Liam is autistic and has a chronic anxiety disorder which made attending school very difficult for him. "Secondary school for me was terrible," he explained. "I think the structure of school was part of it, it's so rigid and it's about learning in a specific way, when there's a million different ways to learn." When he realised he would not be sitting his exams, he worried about what other people would think of him, and how it could impact his career aspirations. "I was worried people would think I was stupid, I felt like a failure to be honest," he said. "I was told it wasn't realistic for me to get into college or university. It was a difficult time for me to figure out what I was going to do with my life because I really just wanted to be a doctor." Liam's parents helped him to find a path to where he wanted to be. It began with being accepted into a pre-university science PLC course at Greenhills Community College. "It was a fresh start, I got to meet new people and get educated in things I'm really interested in," Liam said. He has just completed second year studying Biotechnology at Dublin City University, and has his next steps mapped out. "So, it's four years in biotech, then four years of graduate entry medicine, then a two-year residency, and then eight years doing the surgery course in RCSI," he explained. "People are like, 'This is a crazy commitment.' But when you want something, it's not, really. This is what I want, and this is the pathway." Liam shared a piece of advice to students ahead of their exams: "If you want to do it, you can do it. There is a route in, no matter what other people say.
Irish Times
3 days ago
- General
- Irish Times
Classroom to college: your essential Leaving Cert guide
Nerves are jangling, pressure is building and teeth are on edge – and that's just the parents. The Leaving Certificate doesn't just test students; it can feel like the whole household is sitting the exams as kitchen counters are strewn with highlighters and dog-eared study notes. So, how can you help your child prepare for the exams? What's the best way to keep spirits from flagging? And how can you help ensure they pick the right study options after school? READ MORE Our new Classroom to College newsletter will include: 'Get seated 30 minutes beforehand': Leaving Cert survival guide from guidance counsellor Brian Mooney; Exam diarists from Athlone Community College who will share the highs and lows of the Leaving Cert exams; Up-to-the-minute reaction to all the big exams with access to the exam papers; Parents' diary : Damian Cullen on trying to stay calm as the tempest approaches; Analysis of how the move to lower grades towards pre-pandemic norms will affect the class of 2025 in the CAO points race; The inside track on alternative pathways available in further education and third level to help students fulfil their dream careers; My Leaving : entertainers, broadcasters and politicians recall their most vivid exam memories When August comes, we'll provide expert advice on guidance on CAO offers, a live help desk staffed by our team of guidance counsellors to deal with readers' queries, and detailed guidance on the smart options in further education and training.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
City of Windsor defends hiring mayor's wife for project manager role
Windsor's Chief Administrative Officer said all rules were followed in the recent hiring of Jane Deneau, the mayor's wife, for a permanent, full-time, project manager role with the city. According to Ray Mensour, Deneau was the top-scoring candidate for the job in the parks, recreation and facilities department, which has a posted salary range between $96,000 and $116,900. The job opening was listed for six days, from April 4 to 10. The CAO said Deneau was one of 278 people who applied for the position, and then one of three shortlisted candidates — who were all external submissions. "This position does not have any direct reports and is not considered a manager level employee," said Mensour. "Therefore, the recruitment does not require or involve mayoral participation or approval." CBC News reached out to Deneau for comment, but did not receive a response. Windsor mayor Drew Dilkens confirmed on AM800 that his wife had been hired, and said in a statement to CBC News that he "cannot speak to a recruitment process with which I was not involved." Strong mayor powers can raise concerns A municipal government expert believes that strong mayor powers have "muddied the waters" when it comes to hiring people who have a relationship with the mayor. "The crux of the issue here relates to strong mayor powers over administration and how they could undermine the CAO-Council model that most municipalities in Ontario and Canada have adopted," said Joe Lyons, Director of the Local Government Project at Western University. Strong mayor powers give Dilkens the ability to hire and fire nearly all staff members within the City of Windsor. However, Dilkens has delegated that authority to the CAO for any position below manager. Lyons said the mayor's control of the employment of the people who lead the department that Deneau now works in, can create worrying perceptions. "What this situation elicits, you know, is also concerns about how the powers over senior members of administration could leak kind of deeper into the organization, or affect the behaviour of people deeper within the organization when they're doing things like hiring people," said Lyons. All paperwork and processes were followed, says CAO In a statement issued to media on Tuesday, Mensour wrote: "As part of the recruitment, all required paperwork and processes were followed, including completion of a family relationship form." "This process is in place to ensure that there is never a direct reporting relationship between related parties." Mensour said that Deneau had applied to two other positions with the city in the past but was not hired. On Deneau's LinkedIn profile, she lists 27 years of experience working as a project manager with a company called Creative Realities, Inc. — an IT consulting firm based out of Kentucky. As a project manager with parks, recreation and facilities, Deneau "will provide overall management for every aspect of the design, development and implementation of Recreation & Facilities project management initiatives," according to the job posting. The posting said that Deneau will be expected to create reports that she may be required to present to senior management or city council. Deneau's first day of work was May 20.
