LCVP activities

LCVP - Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme

The L.C.V.P. programme, also called Link Modules, is a senior cycle programme in our school. It was first introduced in the 1990’s.

The overall aim of the LCVP programme is to promote the development of enterprise, Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and vocational skills at senior cycle. These skills are a key to success at third level.

The LCVP students in Presentation are encouraged to:

• be innovative and enterprising
• take responsibility for their own learning
• communicate their thoughts and ideas effectively
• work with others as part of a team
• investigate and plan career options
• use information and communications technologies
• investigate local business and community enterprises

There are two Link Modules

Link Module I – Preparation for the World of Work
Students will research and investigate local employment opportunities, develop job seeking skills such as letter writing, CV presentation, interview techniques; gain valuable practical experience of the world of work; interview and work shadow a person in a career area that interests them.

Link Module II – Enterprise Education
Students will be involved in organising visits to local business and community enterprises; meet and interview enterprising people on site and in the classroom; plan and undertake interesting activities that will build self–confidence, creativity, initiative and develop teamwork, communication and computer skills.

STUDENT ACCESS TO SUBJECT/LEVEL:
The strong vocational focus of the LCVP is achieved by arranging Leaving Certificate subjects into Vocational Subject Groupings (VSGs) and through the provision of additional courses of study in work preparation and enterprise known as the Link Modules.

Programme Requirements
Programme Requirements for students taking Leaving Certificate Examination from 2004 onwards
• At least five Leaving Certificate subjects plus the Link Modules, one of which must be Irish.
• Two of the above subjects must be selected from one of the designated Vocational Subject.

Groupings
• Two Link Modules: Preparation for the World of Work and Enterprise Education
• A recognised course in a Modern European Language other than Irish or English:

Vocational Subject Groupings (VSGs)
Two subjects are selected from one of the Vocational Subject Groupings. These subjects provide students with a focus for developing vocational skills and exploring their career options.

The Specialist Groupings are ;
1 Construction Studies; Engineering; Design and Communication Graphics; Technology - Any Two
2 Physics and Construction Studies or Engineering or Technology or Design & Communication Graphics
3 Agricultural Science and Construction Studies or Engineering or Technology or Design & Communication Graphics
4 Agricultural Science and Chemistry or Physics or Physics/Chemistry
5 Home Economics; Agricultural Science; Biology - Any Two
6 Home Economics and Art - Design Option or Craft Option
7 Accounting; Business; Economics - Any two
8 Physics and Chemistry
9 Biology and Chemistry or Physics or Physics/Chemistry
10 Biology and Agricultural Science
11 Art - Design Option or Craft Option and Design & Communication Graphics
12 Engineering or Technology or Construction Studies or Design & Communication Graphics and Accounting or Business or Economics
13 Home Economics and Accounting or Business or Economics
14 Agricultural Science and Accounting or Business or Economics
15 Art Design or Craftwork Option and Accounting or Business or Economics
16 Music and Accounting or Business or Economics

GROUPING OF PUPILS:

All LCVP students follow a common course.

Information and Communications Technology
Students taking the LCVP in the Presentation have an opportunity to develop and apply their IT skills. Students also have an opportunity to use audio-visual equipment and computer presentation packages for recording and presentation purposes. During the course of the programme students will develop skills to:

• Enter, edit, store, retrieve and print information
• Word process CVs, letters, reports and create illustrated documents
• Send and receive e–mail messages
• Access and use relevant information the Internet

Teaching and Learning
In LCVP students will do activities such as work placement, a career investigation, a mini–enterprise, and a couple of business and community visits, which are an integral part of the programme. Vocational relevance is enhanced by putting in place opportunities for students to plan, organise and engage in active learning experiences inside and outside the classroom.

• Conducting Investigations – businesses, community enterprises, agencies
• Arranging Visits out of school to sites of interest in the context of conducting investigations. This year it is hoped to visit Waterford Crystal and the Chocolate Warehouse in Dublin. The students will learn about manufacturing, industrial relations and marketing.
• Inviting Visitors to the classroom -adults other than teachers as resource visitors
• Working in Teams – on projects and investigations
• Organising Enterprise Activities – setting up projects as vehicles of learning
• Actively preparing for work – career investigation, job search, practice at interviews
• Experiencing the world of work, work experience, work simulation, work shadowing. The work placement is completed during the Halloween break.
• Making presentations to adults and peers.
• Using Information and Communications Technology – to access, store, communicate and present information

Assessment of the Link Modules

The LCVP students follow the same subject syllabi and are assessed in the same way as their peers in the Leaving Certificate. For the Link Modules they are assessed by Written Examination (40%) and by Portfolio of Coursework (60%). The written examination takes place in May of the Leaving Certificate Year. The examination is of two and a half hours duration and consists of three sections which are outline below.

The structure of the Written Examination is as follows:

Section A Audio Visual Presentation
Section B Case Study (received in advance by students)
Section C General Questions (4 out of 6)

The Portfolio of Coursework accounts for 60% of total marks. Students assemble the portfolio over the two years of the programme and it is assessed at the end of the final year of the Leaving Certificate. The Portfolio and Written Examination are externally assessed by the Department of Education & Science.

Certification

LCVP students receive the same certificate as other Leaving Certificate students but their certificate includes an additional statement of the results of the Link Modules.
Grades for the Link Modules are as follows:

The Link Modules are recognised for points purposes by the Institutes of Technology and the Universities. The points are allocated as follows:

The following courses are catered for in the school

Junior Certificate

Leaving Certificate

Leaving Cert Vocational Programme

Leaving Cert Applied

Transition Year