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The LCVP Programme was established in 1994 and offers the students a chance to develop practical skills and self confidence. Candidates are encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning at every opportunity.
LCVP students take a minimum of five Leaving Certificate subjects. The LCVP itself is divided into three Link Modules: Enterprise Education, Preparation for Work and Work Experience. Most LCVP pupils will be doing seven Leaving Certificate subject plus these Link Modules.
Students experience the outside world of work in the Enterprise Education Module through visits to established industries as well as discovering about enterprising efforts being made in their own locality. For example, this year's Fifth Year group visited Galway Irish Crystal and Royal Tara, and they also had the opportunity to learn more about their local community thanks to the visit of Pádraig Boland, Community Development Officer, West Offaly Partnership, and an active promoter of Ferbane.
The Work Experience Module allows students to experience the world of work firsthand when they are placed for a week in the workplace of an employer of their choice. The support of local businesses is vital to the success of this module but community co-operation has been excellent and is much appreciated.
Computer skills are developed in the Preparation for Work Module, because students get ample opportunity to type up reports and other course work. Research is also undertaken on the internet where necessary. LCVP candidates gain valuable skills like form filling, writing letters of application, preparation of their CVs and developing interview skills. Almost all of the LCVP course is school based--most of the work takes place in the classroom and computer room.
The LCVP is assessed as part of the Leaving Certificate by traditional exam (which accounts for 40% of the total marks) but more especially by the portfolio of materials prepared by the candidate. This portfolio contains a CV, a filled-in application form, a short report on a visit to a company, a diary of work experience, among other items. This is the work which the candidate has prepared over the preceding two years and accounts for 60% of the total marks for the course.
The LCVP is graded thus: Distinction (80-100%); Merit (65-79%) and Pass (50-64%)
The Universities allow 50 points for a Distinction, 40 for a Merit and 30 points for a Pass for the LCVP course, while the ITs allow 70 points for a Distinction, 50 points for a Merit and 30 points for a Pass.
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