Online applications for college places for the 2022 academic year opened at midday today and will remain open until late January.
For the first time, students this year will also be able to find out about further education courses and apprenticeships via the CAO portal.
Applications for these courses will continue to be made through the traditional channels, however the CAO website will contain links to those channels.
Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris said the inclusion of information about the full range of third level options on one single platform was about making the sector "more inclusive".
He said he hoped the step would "change the conversation" about career opportunities.
While the CAO process caters to students applying for Level 8 and Level 6/7 courses, information on over 400 Post Leaving Certificate QQI Level 5 or 6 courses will also now be available via a weblink on the site.
Students will also be able to access information and guidance on national apprenticeships.
The CEO of State training agency SOLAS said it was a significant milestone for Further Education & Training and Apprenticeships.
Andrew Brownlee said: "Given the focal point the CAO holds in the mind of the school leaver, as well as parents, teachers and guidance counsellors, getting all of these options on the table alongside higher education choices when young people are discussing their next steps after leaving school can only help in making smart, rounded choices based on their skills and interests."
The Institute of Guidance Counsellors has also welcomed the move. President Beatrice Dooley said the IGC had been recommending it since 2013.
"The creation of a centralised application platform where students can clearly see the range of progression options available to them through FET, HE and apprenticeship pathways will go a long way to achieve parity of esteem for all of these pathways in the mind-set of students and parents," she said.
The CAO has advised applicants to its courses to read the CAO Handbook, which is available to view and download at www.cao.ie/handbook and to become familiar with the various guides available in the 'applicants' section of the CAO website.
The CAO has reminded potential students that there is an online demo application facility on the website where they can practise their application in advance.
Once they have applied, applicants can add, remove or change the order of their courses as many times as they like up to 1 February for no extra charge.
Meanwhile, the Minister for Further Education Simon Harris has said he believes more CAO handbooks should be sent out to schools so that all students have access to information on their third level options.
Guidance counsellors have complained about the fact that this year the CAO has decided to reduce the number of information handbooks supplied to schools.
The CAO has told RTÉ News the decision was taken "out of concern for the environmental impacts of printing and distributing such a large document in such significant quantities every year".
It said that "in the main, applicants will be accessing the handbook online via the PDF download or the interactive version".
However, a school serving students from disadvantaged backgrounds has told RTÉ News that the move discriminates against young people who do not have access to computers in their homes.
This school received just five handbooks for more than 100 students.
The school has also raised Covid-19 related hygiene concerns around the sharing of handbooks among students.
The Institute of Guidance Counsellors says it has written to the CAO about the matter.
Minister Simon Harris said the sending out of more booklets was "a very logical suggestion".
"We have to ensure that students have access to information", he said, adding that he would engage with the CAO on the matter.
