Portobello College, a private, fee-paying institution, is auctioning two reduced-rate courses in law and business on Ibid.ie, an internet portal.
“It’s an innovative way to advertise and attract potential students,” said Frances Baker, a college administrator.
Portobello has put a reserve price of €1,985 on the first year of a part-time, three-year law degree. The usual price is €3,950 per annum. Standard fees apply for the remaining years of the course.
The reserve price has already been met for the law degree, but only one person has entered a bid for Portobello’s three-year business course, valued at €2,950 a year. The reserve price is €1,475, but only €510 has been offered to date. If successful, Baker says the online auction will be used for other courses.
“This type of advertising has worked in other jurisdictions. Portobello is a private college and in a competitive environment. If you don’t advertise, you’re dead,” she said.
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“The college will gain from the publicity it receives on the site, but ultimately potential students gain. By bidding for a course at a reduced-fee rate, they can avail of a quasi-scholarship. On degree day, students receive the same parchment as those who apply in a traditional manner. Despite the auction, all students still have to meet strict entry requirements.”
Portobello is one of several colleges using online auctions to attract new recruits. Bids for diplomas in personal business and image coaching have been launched by the Irish Lifecoach Institute and the National Training Centre (NCT) is auctioning several of its courses.
“It is a novel idea in a way, and I’ll be interested to see what bids are placed on these courses,” said Greg Merriman, chief advertising officer for the NCT. It is offering reduced fees to the highest bidder for six courses, including a fitness training programme and a sports first-aid course.
“I personally would have my own reservations about the courses on the website,” said Merriman. “Although it’s a quirky idea it’s not the same as bidding for a television.”
In recent years, there has been a proliferation of courses for trainee barristers after criticism of the education monopolies held by the Bar Council and the Law Society, the training bodies for the legal profession. But getting a degree isn’t the only obstacle to earning spectacular fees at the Four Courts.
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Earlier this year the Bar Council issued a warning to would-be legal eagles. It said there are too many barristers in training and at least a third of qualified lawyers are struggling to find work. Up to half of new entrants leave the bar within the first eight years and there are four-year waiting lists for some “masters”, junior counsel who lead unpaid “devils” through their first year of practice.
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