Philip from Aughnacliffe, Co Longford attended Moyne Community School and progressed to Cavan Institute to undertake and complete the QQI Level 5 Architectural Technology course in May 2019. Philip decided to continue his studies at Cavan Institute and enrolled on the Level 6 Renewable and Engineering Technology course.

"When I finished my leaving cert I went straight to college in Galway and realised that the high numbers in lectures and the intense nature of college wasn’t suited to me. I then made the decision to leave and join a course in Cavan Institute which was closer to home and also provided me with far more tuition than any IT or university could ever provide.

I always had a keen interest in the built environment and CAD so I decided to do Architectural Technology Level 5. The skills and work that I completed felt like they were way out of my depth before I started but through a lot of 1 on 1 guidance with tutors and also making themselves available for any questions whether through email or phone, I found that this was the best experience I could have had post leaving cert.

In the space of a year I managed to complete modules containing AutoCAD, Revit and Photoshop while also completing standard modules such as communications and maths.

After year one, I decided to branch off and study Renewable and Engineering Technology. This course was brilliant for me as it was a three day a week course. The course left the opportunity for work experience which I believe is the best way to learn an industry or trade.

I would definitely recommend Cavan Institute to anyone, whether if you are not sure what you want to do or if you’re interested in a pre university course, the guidance of the tutors and opportunities such as work experience in my case led to a job. I would like to thanks my tutors, Shane McCabe and Stacey Gardiner as they were very helpful throughout my time in Cavan Institute and has paved my way from school to the working life."