Perennially underfunded, and attached to the secondary school system, it was seen not so much as a stepping stone as a second prize, something to be settled for in the absence of a decent Leaving Cert and the offer of a university place. But things have certainly moved from an initial lukewarm response to the sector, and the scope and value of PLC courses have grown across the country . . .

indeed, there are many who would now see a PLC programme as the first choice, because of the short timescale and the direct route into the working world that it offers.

The value of the sector can be seen in the government's commitment to the development of PLC throughout Ireland. The qualifications have been standardised, and it is now possible to earn up to a FETAC Level 6 qualification through PLC . . . which is in itself a good stepping stone on to higher education. But, more than this has been a commitment from the government to implement the recommendations of the McIvor report on further education, which should establish PLC as a completely separate sector from second level. And while policy will usually mean little to those involved at the coalface of education . . . the students themselves . . . it should create greater funding through a distinct capital budget, and greater professionalizing of the delivery of service in terms of staff and structures.

All of which can only be good news for the students of this fast-growing sector.

Indeed, the resource issue has been particularly important for the PLC colleges around Ireland . . . there has always been a will, but sometimes the quality of education was hampered by a lack of facilities and professionalism.

"Despite those difficulties, PLCs still produced high quality graduates over the years, " said Michael Moriarty of IVEA, the Irish Vocational Educational Authority.

Those graduates either went straight into work (given the vocational nature of PLC training, where the emphasis is on learning skills that will be directly relevant to a sector of industry), or went on to higher education at university or Institute of Technology level. Indeed, it is a strange anomaly that, while there is a route onwards to a degree through the Higher Education Links Scheme, there is occasionally an even faster route to a degree through UK colleges . . . in fact, it is occasionally possible for a PLC graduate to enter the final year of a three year degree programme in Northern Ireland or Britain.

Of course, progression really depends on the programme that people choose. Given the breadth and scope of courses available at PLC level, some will naturally be more geared at direct entry to the workforce, while others will lend themselves to a longer educational career. But this vocational aspect, coupled with the quality of education and training, is leading to greater numbers of both school leavers and mature students choosing PLC as the option for them . . . since their establishment in 1985, the sector has been growing considerably, with over 12,000 students in 1989/1990, more than 24,000 students in 1999/2000, and over 30,000 students today.