The Irish Further Education and Training (FET) sector has a long history, spanning almost one hundred years, serving the diverse educational and training needs of school leavers and adults in Ireland. However, this sector is often overlooked in mainstream discourse by policy makers, professionals and the general public. While there is a growing body of literature relating to the Irish FET sector, comparatively less emphasis has been placed on longitudinal learner-centred qualitative research which explores the lived experiences of FET students over time. This thesis builds on existing research by exploring the reasons students enrol in FET and the influence that FET has on their lives both during and after their FET participation. To obtain this insight, the research employs a longitudinal interpretative phenomenological approach (LIPA) which explores the lived experience of participants over three temporal points, from FET entry to one year post completion of FET. This approach allows the identification of ways in which FET shapes student perspectives, attitudes and outcomes over these key points in time. The findings reveal that structural constraints, as highlighted by Bourdieu’s social reproduction theory, negatively impact the ability of individuals to achieve their educational and career aspirations. These constraints strongly influence decision-making to enrol in FET. This research also suggests that FET participation empowers individuals to overcome these constraints. The results highlight that transformative and emancipatory pedagogies, advocated by Freire and Mezirow, are widely practiced in the FET environment and that they promote a transformation of learner identities, characterised by increased self-efficacy and academic confidence. Additionally, these pedagogies facilitate a heightened awareness of societal barriers among students, prompting democratic engagement to overcome and dismantle these restrictions for themselves and for others. This study contributes to theoretical and empirical knowledge of Ireland’s FET sector by illustrating the capacity of FET participation to disrupt the persistent cycle of societal reproduction while also providing insight for policy and practice.