Not every route starts at Level 8. Level 4 is where a lot of people begin, and for some it is the step that makes everything after it possible. This page sets out what runs at Level 4 in Ireland, who each programme is actually for, what you would actually be doing, and where it leads. Filter by county, by evenings or full time, by length, or show only the free ones.
The National Framework of Qualifications runs from 1 to 10. The Leaving Certificate Applied sits at Level 4. A PLC course is Level 5 or 6, an ordinary degree is Level 7 and an honours degree is Level 8. Nothing here is a dead end: every Level 4 award is designed to carry you to the next one.
Check before you apply. Further education courses start and stop through the year, fill up, and sometimes do not run. Every course below was checked against Qualifax on . Every entry links to Qualifax, and the provider is always the final word on whether a place is available.
Not sure which of these fits you? That is exactly the conversation your guidance counsellor is there for, and it is a much shorter one when you bring two or three of these with you.