Lee O’Connor, by his own admission, spent most of his schooldays asleep at the back of the class.
The now 30-year-old software developer for Jaguar Land Rover was never really interested in school and didn’t put much – if any – effort into it. He wasn’t a crammer, because he simply didn’t study at all, he says. He ended up getting about 270 points in his Leaving Cert in 2012.
His teachers at Gallen Community School in Ferbane, Co Offaly, would often hold talks with their students about what they might want to do when they finished school, but O’Connor had no idea. He thought he had a vague interest in computers, but that was about it.
The only thing he was sure of after finishing the Leaving Cert at just 17 years old was that he didn’t want to pursue further education.
RM Block
“At the time, it felt like the consensus was the Leaving Cert was the be-all and end-all to a good education, career and future,” he says. “I didn’t feel pressure from this idea because I believed there were other paths to succeed and be happy in life.”
Some of his friends in Ferbane went off to college and some didn’t, but he never felt he was missing out on anything. It never occurred to him to think like that.
“I never really stressed about missing out on stuff in college,” he says. “I had a few friends who went off to college, and I ended up seeing a lot less of them, and a lot more of the friends who didn’t go, but that’s life.”
He spent some time helping his uncle out with gardening and landscaping around Ferbane because lying idle for too long was frowned upon in those parts. His family needn’t have worried too much, though, as his path back into education was about to open up in front of him.
“I ended up taking a non-traditional route through further education,” he explains. “Instead of going straight from the Leaving Cert to Higher Education via the CAO, I took my time, did various courses, and even took some breaks in between to help me decide what I wanted.”
After leaving school, he found a leaflet for a part-time web design course through Fás that lasted 16 weeks. “I really enjoyed the course, learning with people from different backgrounds and stages of life,” he recalls.
“It was completely different to school, and I liked seeing how other people’s learning paths differed from the traditional path we were taught. When it finished, I realised that web design wasn’t for me, but the programming side had sparked an interest.”
O’Connor had got a taste for what he wanted, but he still wasn’t too clear on the best path forward. His next steps brought him to the United Kingdom, where he worked in a business set up by his family, selling craft and jewellery-making supplies online. “Some of the skills I learned on my course came in handy with web optimisation for our online shops,” he says.
“I was basically trying to attract more customers to the shop. We sold things like leather, beads, chords, and things like that. People would use the products for all sorts of stuff. One guy was using the sequins for deep-sea fishing.”
He did that for about a year-and-a-half and enjoyed it, but it wasn’t what he wanted to do forever.
Finally, though, he was beginning to get the sense he had found some direction in life, and returned to Ireland in 2016, where he contacted TUS Athlone to inquire about its software development courses. “Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough CAO points to join,” he says.
The college referred him to the Laois and Offaly Education and Training Board (LOETB) where he did a PLC in Computer Networks and Maintenance (QQI Level 5). He has high praise for his teachers there who helped him to see subjects in a different way than when he was in school. “In school my experience with how maths was taught meant I didn’t enjoy or engage with the subject,” he says. “But here it was taught in such a way that I still used those skills when I went on to study in the future.
“The class size was smaller, and the teachers were able to support people individually, which made a difference to many of us. Lecturers were more like colleagues, there to guide your learning experience, which felt more collaborative.”
He learned plenty of other valuable skills too, including computer repair, building networks and programming, all of which he still uses to this day. “When a family member has a computer or phone issue, I’m the one they come to,” he says. “My experience learning there was quite different from school – a lot more hands on and practical.”
Completing that course meant he could enrol at TUS Athlone without CAO points, where he would go on to obtain a degree in Mobile Apps and Connected Devices (QQI Level 7 and 8). “That was where my journey through further education really began,” he says.
“I was drawn to this degree because of the mix of programming and practicality with developing mobile applications and working with Internet of Things (IoT) devices.
“I found the earlier years of my degree were easier because of the strong foundational knowledge I had already gained from LOETB, such as programming, networking, collaboration and especially maths.
“LOETB gave me a lot of confidence about what I wanted to do with my future, which really helped my decision to continue further education.”
The student group in Athlone was mixed, from recent school leavers to people who were a bit older, which led to a blend of different perspectives and experiences. He developed a good circle of friends there with which he is still in touch. “We got quite close,” he says. “Some of them I talk to every week and some of them I would meet once or twice a year for a bit of a chinwag.”
But then, towards the end of his Level 8, everything changed again when the Covid-19 pandemic hit and everything moved online. “I lost a lot of the face-to-face social interaction and collaboration – learning felt a little more isolated and less enjoyable,” he admits.
Despite those challenges, he stuck with the course and went on to do a Master’s degree in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, also at Athlone. “I wanted to take my education one step further,” he says.
“The pandemic was still ongoing, so it was mostly online. But by this point we had developed the tools and habits to make remote collaborations easier and more effective.
“Thankfully, this made it easier in the future to adapt when companies began deploying hybrid working and working from home policies.”
When he finished his postgrad, O’Connor won a place on the graduate programme at Jaguar Land Rover in Ireland as a software developer, during which he had the opportunity to travel for training and workshops, including visits to the group’s factories at its UK sites.
“My current role involves planning, documenting and writing code, testing services and debugging problems,” he explains. “It’s a great mix of solo work and collaborating with other developers, testers, and product owners.
“I get to work with a team of people from all over the world, on daily code reviews, planning and design discussions. A lot of my job involves problem-solving and continuous learning, which I really enjoy.
“One of the things I enjoy the most about working here is the variety – no week is the same as the last.”
Indeed, he speaks passionately about the industry and the company he now works with – a far cry from the rudderless and disinterested 17-year-old who sat the Leaving Cert all those years ago.
“I was drawn to Jaguar Land Rover because the automotive industry is undergoing a remarkable transformation, and the shift toward electrification is especially compelling,” he explains.
“As vehicles become increasingly software-defined, the evolution of in-car technology presents really good opportunities for software developers to really help shape the future of mobility. To be a part of that is very exciting.
“As the company continues on its journey towards electrification, I feel lucky to be a part of something that is going that is ultimately going to have a positive impact on the environment and the world. It’s nice to feel like you’re part of something truly future-facing.”
Looking back, O’Connor believes the skills and collaboration he gained from LOETB and further education have been beneficial in his current role. “If I could go back, I wouldn’t change a thing,” he says. “The path I took through education and where I am today is exactly what I needed. Anyone that is uncertain about what to do for their future should take advantage of all the different options out there.
“Try different courses, short or long term. There’s not one way to do it, whether it’s through an ETB, apprenticeships, or further education, it’s never too late or early to learn something new.
“When I did eventually pursue further education, it was a completely different experience to school for me. I was more passionate about what I was learning which made it much easier and I thrived.”
