In September, new courses in health sciences, nursing, business, engineering, and construction will start.

More students will begin their academic careers in further education colleges before transferring to universities to finish their degrees.

According to Simon Harris, Minister of Further and Higher Education, the courses were designed to make sure that employment options and educational choices were not dictated by points or the stress of the system.

"I hope this sends a clear message to young people considering options after school, you can be a nurse, engineer, work in ICT or construction without worrying about your points," added Harris.

"These courses offer an alternative to the CAO system," he stated.

"We introduced the first degree programmes that did not use the points system last year. We are offering pupils twice as much today," he continued.

A few of the programmes are now accepting applications, and more will be added in the upcoming year.

Institutions of higher learning around the nation are offering the new programmes.

There are intentions to expand the initiative into the traditional university and specialty college sectors, as well as to produce new programmes of this type in time for September 2025.

The University of Limerick, University of Galway, National College of Art and Design, Mary Immaculate College, and University College Cork are the institutions that have suggested the programmes, according to the Department of Further and Higher Education.

Additionally, the suggested curricula would cover crucial strategic skill areas like early childhood education, sustainability, and pharmaceutical sciences.

The new degree pathway, according to Dr. Fiona Maloney, Director of the National Tertiary Office, addresses the regional disparity in the delivery of higher education and relieves the pressure of the points race. It also supports the diversification of vocations.