How hard is it to get on a fas course?

stacexD

Every course I apply for has a huge waiting list, however I know several people who are doing course after course with fas.
Is it a matter of picking your 3 courses and waiting the year until you are top of the waiting list or am i doing something wrong?

Lugh Ildanach

Have a word with your FAS adviser to see if there is any way to get bumped up the queue. I was in a similar position a couple of years ago and my FAS adviser told me that because I was clearly keen on doing the course that he could get me onto a list, rather than having someone who was essentially being forced to do it through the NEAP.

stacexD

Thanks!
May call into the office next week, our area has a clinic every 2nd week and the woman doing it knows I really want to do it but the couple of times I've been there the "screen isn't working" on the laptop. She's typing away at the same time though haha I think she means the internet isn't working. Might get on better in the main office where she has access to waiting lists and what not!

the GALL

About 4 year ago I went into the Fas rep and explained the situation that I was out of work etc and asked her for a computer course. "No" say's she, "there all full up for the next year", Undeterred I told her how I was a married man with No formal education i.e degree and was a builder with an injury which had stopped me working in construction. Again she said "No" still Undeterred I told her what my past education and work experience and that convinced her that I was serious about it. This was a basic computer course lower grade than ECDL.

On the course I met a guy who was signed up to do The Comptia A+ IT technician course I applied for that again I had the refusal and Again I pleaded my case and got a place on the course Now I'm a network technician starting a degree in I.T management at the end of Feb.
Do not take NO for an answer if you can show your serious about what you want to do and back it up there is no reason why you won't get it. Tell the Fas rep you will take first refusal, people drop off these's courses all the time an example would be when I started my Comptia A+ course there was 27students I was the only one to finish the course, the graduation photo had me on my own in it. (it's just as well I aint paranoid)
Anyway the point is don't give up keep knocking on the door and when you get a chance to talk to the rep make sure you can back up what your saying with evidence, it's your so take it.

stacexD

Great, the course I want atm starts in 2 weeks so it may be a little late for that but I emailed the actual recruitment officer for the course and talked to her on the phone for a while so maybe that will work in my favour. Gonna send her another email in the morning so I'm fresh in her memory
I got a letter on Thursday asking do I still want to do the course (I assume they send that to everyone who applies?) The closing date for returning the form is this Wednesday so I figured leaving it close to then to get in contact with her again might be a good idea.

Generally how many places are there in a course, or does it vary a lot?

the GALL

Hey Stacexd
Get the return in straight away. Show them you're keen to be getting on and not just looking for something to pass the time with. There may be limited places on your preferred course and they will be looking for people with a genuine interest. Fas courses usually have people on them with great intent, but little staying power. You need to prove to the deciding officer that you are focused dedicated and have a clear plan/direction of where you want to go. Again, Don't wait get it in straight away and follow up with a phone call.

stacexD

Just an update

Sent an email sunday morning and got a reply today saying they are sending out letters tomorrow about the open day which will be help next monday.

Never heard of an open day for a fas course before :eek: Also, the closing date for sending the forms back isn't until wednesday but they said they're sending the letters out tuesday

SyntonFenix

Where's the open day?

Do you have to be on the dole to apply for a FAS course?

stacexD

Yeah you have to be on some sort of social welfare to do a fas course. Haven't got the letter about the open day yet but I assume it's in the training center

wotaccent

Unless things have changed in the last year or so, you don't need to be getting any sw payment to do a FAS course. When I did my course in '10, I wasn't in receipt of any welfare payment, except signing on for credits every 6 months. While you obviously won't get any payment for doing the course, unless you're on some sort of payment already, you'll be able to do it for free. I did, however, get some payment towards petrol costs for when I was doing work experience.

StacexD, I agree with the other posters, the most important thing is to show a genuine interest. Most probably, there will be an interview after the open day, so make sure you are prepared to explain why you want to do it. The open day is to explain what the course entails, what career path it leads to, what's expected of you, etc. Make sure also to ask when the work experience part of it is likely to be, so that you can ask a few potential "employers" if they're willing to take you on. Then by the time the interview comes along, you'd be able to say such and such is willing to offer you a place, even if it's only verbal at that point. Shows you're determined and already putting in the work.

Another thing...are you sure you need to return the form and not call a particular number to confirm your interest? I remember having to call.

Good luck with it!

stacexD

Since January 2010, unemployed people who start a FÁS course do not get a training allowance when they start a FÁS course unless they are entitled to a qualifying payment, such as Jobseeker's Allowance or Jobseeker's Benefit. You can read more details in our document on FÁS training allowances.

That's all the info I could find about not being on sw! I actually asked the woman I talked to in fas about it a while ago because a friend of mine was interested in the course too and didn't qualify for sw, she said that it had changed and she needed to be on sw to do a fas course now, maybe she was thinking of the payment side of it.

Well I got the letter and it's referring to the "open day" as an "appointment" now instead.
That's on the 23rd and the course starts the 30th... getting close now for sorting out somewhere to stay and all :eek:

Shaza141

stacexD wrote: »

That's all the info I could find about not being on sw! I actually asked the woman I talked to in fas about it a while ago because a friend of mine was interested in the course too and didn't qualify for sw, she said that it had changed and she needed to be on sw to do a fas course now, maybe she was thinking of the payment side of it.

Well I got the letter and it's referring to the "open day" as an "appointment" now instead.
That's on the 23rd and the course starts the 30th... getting close now for sorting out somewhere to stay and all :eek:

Hey just want to know if you did the course or not and if you got somewhere to stay in time! As I've applied myself for a course,and I found this thread very helpful as that is the question I've been asking haha

stacexD

Shaza141 wrote: »

Hey just want to know if you did the course or not and if you got somewhere to stay in time! As I've applied myself for a course,and I found this thread very helpful as that is the question I've been asking haha

Hey!
Yep I got the course
Although it was meant to start on the 30th and we were told if we didn't get a letter by (i think it was) the 25th we were unsuccessful. I didn't hear so assumed I didn't get it (and in the proccess spent the money I had saved for a deposit ) Then got a letter the following thursday saying the I got the course and it would be starting on the 6th instead.
And got somewhere to stay easily too first phonecall done it!

Good luck with the course, it really is a lot better than staying at home and tbh i found fas great apart from a bit too much free time sometimes.