Information trends yield interesting insights about demand for adult education
28 Jul 2009 03:39 PM
AONTAS has today, July 28th released information on the latest trends identified from their Information Referral Service. This service provides those seeking to return to education with information about entitlements, courses and other relevant details. When analysed, queries to the service over the past six months yield interesting insights on the current challenges in relation to adult education and lifelong learning.
Over the past six months, AONTAS has fielded 4245 different queries from people interested in returning to education. The number of queries has risen by 1000 in comparison to the same time last year. Over two thirds of all queries handled by AONTAS came from men interested in going back to some form of learning.
The information is released as unemployment in Ireland stands at 11.9% according to June figures from the CSO. The government has just announced 1500 extra places in third level undergraduate courses, one of the measures included in the Supplementary Budget earlier this year.
Reacting to the figures, AONTAS Director Berni Brady said 'Firstly we can see a stark increase in the number of people contacting us in line with the economic downturn. Three quarters of those who contacted us indicated that they had recently been made unemployed. Half of those who contacted us had been made unemployed over the past year. Many of these individuals have expressed low self-esteem, and lack of confidence as a result of redundancy - highlighting that along with the economic crisis, we have a serious social crisis on our hands. Secondly, the information we have outlines the challenges in relation to upskilling, and the need for a real commitment to lifelong learning. A staggering 76% of those in touch with us hadn't taken part in any form of education for over ten years, while 49% had been out of education for more than twenty years. People who have been out of education for a substantial length of time are highly vulnerable in the current climate. Greater access to training and education in the workplace, even on an informal level, could help correct this worrying trend. The sector is currently forced into a knee jerk reaction as people with lower skills are made redundant and unsure of what do to next.'
Finally, the analysis shows that information is crucial in developing a speedy response. 'A range of new initiatives and expansion of existing ones were introduced in the Supplementary Budget earlier this year' explains Ms Brady. 'But there is still confusion over eligibility criteria, financial supports and who to contact.'
ENDS
For more information, contact Niamh Farren, Communications Officer
NOTE TO EDITOR
1. The main trends identified in the analysis include:
- 68% of learners contacting the service to date this year indicated that knowing where to access information is a barrier in itself. 91 individuals contacting the service stated they had been given inaccurate information on options available them and this lead to further confusion regarding their benefits.
- 76% of individuals contacting the service had been out of education for more than ten years with a further 49% of individuals stating they had been out of education for more than twenty years.
- Finance and childcare continue to be a barrier for unwaged and unemployed clients wishing to return to education. Many people recently unemployed are seeking to up-skill or retrain and their biggest concern is funding for courses and meeting childcare costs.
For more details on trends and statistics gathered over the past six months, contact AONTAS.
2. AONTAS is the National Adult Learning Organisation. The organisation's mission is to ensure that every adult in Ireland has access to appropriate and affordable learning opportunities throughout their lives, thus enabling them to contribute to and participate in the economic, social, civic and cultural development of Irish society. The role of AONTAS is to work towards improving the adult education sector in Ireland through policy development, promoting the benefits of adult education and research.
