Higher Education Authority an tÚdarás um Ard-Oideachas HEA

In 2003 the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland launched the first National Framework of Qualifications.  This framework provides a clear and coherent map of ten agreed levels of educational outcome and prioritises access, transfer and progression for learners between each of these levels.  Links between further and higher education fit clearly into the national framework of qualifications and provide an important stepping stone for learners in progressing their education.  These links are also critical to realising increased levels of education and training by the population that the National Skills Strategy envisage will be required to sustain economic growth in the future.

 In 2004 the Action plan 2005-2007 for access noted that there were limited routes of entry to higher education and that this presented a barrier to learners from disadvantaged groups and communities.  One of the goals of this plan was to expand routes of access and progression to higher education, including from the further education sector.  A number of actions were proposed to encourage closer collaboration between the two sectors. Further education is an important access route for adult learners who surveys indicate form at least half the participants in the further-education sector.  Learners from low-income socio-economic groups are significantly represented in the sector.

There are early indications that between 2005 and 2007 levels of progression from further to higher education have seen a significant improvement.  FETAC level 5 and 6 qualifications are now accepted as a basis for admission to the majority of higher education institutions Progression from FETAC Level 5 Certificates and Level 6 Advanced Certificates to Higher Education Courses. CAO and HEA data indicates that the proportion of overall acceptances by applicants with a further education major award (level 5 and 6) has grown from 2.7% (1,041 students) in 2005 to 7.4% (2,964) in 2006 to 9.9% (3,828) in 2007.