The OECD (1997) suggested that teachers are the final and most important link in the delivery of education to students, and they are considered to be the interface through which the objectives of the schools and the education system are mediated (OECD 2004). Research in this area has identified the importance of teaching quality in education provision to meet the challenges presented by contemporary society (UNESCO 2005; DES 2002, Darling- Hammond 1999, 2000; Ferguson 1991; Ferguson & Ladd 1996). Teacher policy is currently high on the agenda of many countries. This is evidenced in the numerous EU ministerial agreements such as Lisbon, 2000, Stockholm, 2001 and Barcelona, 2002. A number of reports on teacher education have been published. These include The Teacher Today (OECD 1990); Quality in Teaching (OECD 1994); Teacher Education and the Teaching Career in an Era of Lifelong Learning (OECD 2002), The Teaching Profession in Europe: Profile, trends and concerns Report IV: Keeping teaching attractive for the 21st century (Eurydice 2004), Teachers Matter: Attracting, Developing and Retaining Effective Teachers (OECD 2004). The OECD reports that substantial policy initiatives are under way in a number of countries in relation to teacher recruitment and supply, the reform of initial teacher education and professional development, and the restructuring teachers' work and careers. Issues concerned with the diversification of teachers' roles, the creation of flexible pathways into teaching, the promotion of incentive structures rewarding the skills and performance that most closely relate to student learning, as well as teacher development and accountability have also featured prominently in policy discussions (OECD 2004). The research reported in this paper seeks to develop an in- depth understanding of these issues in an Irish context. This paper presents data from a longitudinal study profiling post-primary student teachers in three education departments in colleges in the Dublin area (Clarke et al 2004). The research profiles the participants in the three programmes across a five year period (2002 - 2006), considers their experiences of the Higher Diploma in Education programme (including content, teaching practice and modes of assessment) and their motivations for selecting teaching as a career. The study follows up the programme graduates two years after graduation to document their initial experiences of teaching and their assessment of programme content and focus in light of these experiences. For the final two years of the study, the research has been broadened to include the remaining two Irish university education departments which offer the Higher Diploma in Education. The research is also concerned with the collection and analysis of strategic national data documenting the current and projected numbers of post- primary teachers across various subject specialisms and the projected system needs over the next decade. There is a dearth of information in the Irish context profiling those who choose to enter the Higher Diploma in Education programme. The Higher Diploma in Education is structured according to the consecutive model, which is of one year duration. The number of places on teacher education courses is limited by the Higher Education Authority, in collaboration with the Department of Education and Science (Drudy 2004). While there is some data examining the profiles, experiences and destinations of those who train as primary teachers (Drudy 2004; Kelleghan et al. 2001), nothing of a similar nature has been produced in relation to the post-primary sector. The results from this study will make a useful contribution to the current debate at international and European level in relation to teacher education and the roles that have been identified for teachers in the promotion of the knowledge economy.