THERE HAS BEEN a marked increase in the number of students applying to third-level courses relating to the green economy.

CAO applications for this year show that the biggest increases in demand at both Level 8 and Level 6/7 are related to the environment.

At Level 8, there is a 27% increase in the number of students who applied for Transport Services compared to last year, the biggest percentage increase.

At Level 6/7, there is a 19% increase in the number of students applying for courses in the Environment, also the biggest such increase in that bracket.

In terms of falls in demand based on last year, Hygiene and Occupational Services is down by 24% while Journalism is down by 8% at Level 8.

Demand for Journalism is also down by 60% at Level 6/7. 

The CAO application deadline closed four months ago on 1 February, at which point 72,973 applications were submitted.

Some of the biggest movers in Level 8 CAO applications. Source: CAO

Some 98% of this year’s 61,000 leaving certificate students have registered for calculated grades after June’s examinations where cancelled as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

These grades will determine the CAO points allocated to them and ultimately decide the course they are offered. 

The first offers for mature, deferred and access applicants (Round A) will be made on Saturday, 18 July and Round Zero offers for certain other categories will be on 8 August. 

The date for the main body of offers for students completing the Leaving Cert has not yet been set. The CAO has said this will be made clear “after Irish Leaving Certificate Examination results become available”. 

(View the full breakdown of CAO applications)