Ó An Roinn Breisoideachais agus Ardoideachais, Taighde, Nuálaíochta agus Eolaíochta
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Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Patrick O’Donovan has today welcomed a report which shows a substantial increase in the numbers of people engaged in lifelong learning in the final quarter of last year.
The findings, published in a report compiled by the Skills and Labour Market Research Unit (SLMRU) in SOLAS using the CSO’s Labour Force Survey, revealed Ireland’s lifelong learning (LLL) rate increased to 14 per cent in quarter 4 of 2023, compared to just under 12 per cent during the same period the previous year.
However, the Minister added that even more needs to be done if Ireland is to successfully face current and future challenges in a rapidly changing world.
Speaking today, Minister O’Donovan said:
“It’s incredibly encouraging to see so many people responded to our call to action to learn a new skill during the Year of Skills.
“It’s also inspiring to read in the report that almost 400,000 people took time out of their busy lives to take on a fresh challenge and to learn something new.
“Learning, upskilling, and reskilling should continue throughout our lives and become a social and economic investment in the future, allowing all individuals and businesses to achieve economic success in a just and sustainable way.
“I am acutely aware that how we best learn varies from individual to individual, and that is why my department is working incessantly to add to existing choices, creating more pathways and providing more support, to ensure no one is left behind and that everyone has the opportunity to reach their full potential.
“We must now continue to increase engagement in lifelong learning activities in Ireland but also focus on widening participation for some of those cohorts who are less likely to take part - including older workers and those working in smaller enterprises.”
The necessity to make a step change in lifelong learning was confirmed by the findings of the OECD Review of the skills system in Ireland, completed in May 2023.
Findings of the Review call for an urgent need to embed a culture of lifelong learning in Ireland to adapt to constantly changing priorities and skills needs of the workforce, labour market, and society.
The data from today’s SLMRU report shows that in Q4, 2023, the participation rate amongst those aged 25-34 (19 per cent) was more than twice that of those aged 55-64 (9 per cent). Meanwhile, the rate amongst those with a NFQ level 9/10 qualification (22 per cent) was more than four times that of those with a qualification at NFQ level 3 (5 per cent).
Andrew Brownlee, CEO of SOLAS, said:
“We are really pleased to see an increase in the lifelong learning participation rate in Ireland. This is in keeping with the unprecedented growth and demand that Further Education and Training provision (FET) experienced in 2023.
“Additional data from SOLAS shows that the FET learner base has grown by 17 per cent from 2022 to 2023, with one in ten adults in Ireland engaged in apprenticeships, our construction skills schemes or other FET activity last year. The LLL report also shows that the increase in formal learning participation was driven by increased participation in FET programmes.”
SOLAS is the state agency responsible for Further Education and Training (FET) in Ireland. Their vision is to power the potential of individuals, communities and enterprise through lifelong learning and workforce transformation. In recent years SOLAS have led an ambitious FET Strategy Transforming Learning and driven change across the FET system – providing easier access; simplified pathways; a consistent learner experience; and a stronger identity.
Further information on SOLAS can be found at: www.solas.ie.
The 2023 Ireland OECD Skills Strategy Review, published on 9 May 2023, led by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS) in partnership with the OECD, reviewed comprehensively Ireland’s National Skills Strategy, its skills structures and approaches. The Review focused on the following priority areas:
1. Securing balance in skills through a responsive and diversified supply of skills.
2. Fostering greater participation in lifelong learning in and outside of the workplace.
3. Strengthening the governance across a joined-up skills ecosystem.
4. Leveraging skills to drive innovation and strengthen the performance of firms.
The Review findings confirmed that while there is a substantial provision of lifelong learning opportunities offered across all the tertiary education system in Ireland - through initiatives such as Springboard+, the Human Capital Initiative, Skills to Advance and the work of Skillnet Ireland - Ireland’s participation rate in lifelong learning lags behind that of top EU performers.
More information on courses and learning options can be found on gov.ie/skills.