Tuesday, 07-02-2012
Posted on 2009-04-06 in Training
The 2007 Lifelong Learning Index
The 2007 Lifelong Learning Index
Learning Ireland, publisher of First Train, has recently announced the results of ‘The Lifelong Learning Index’, survey on the current state of lifelong learning in Ireland. Donal Kavanagh explores the principal findings of the surveyThe Lifelong Learning Index represents a significant insight into the training and education experiences and aspirations of the nation. It will make invaluable reading for both education and training providers and corporate buyers of training services. Over two thousand visitors to the Learning Ireland suite of websites participated in this survey. This number represents a significant sample of that element of the Irish population who can be profiled, in marketing terms, as ‘career-wise’. Over two-thirds of the respondents were between 26 and 45 and just under two-third were female. Just over half live in Dublin.
In line with the results of The Lifelong Learning Index 2006, it is abundantly clear that Irish people continue to be committed to improving their personal and professional situation through engaging with education and training opportunities. 75per cent of the participants in the survey have participated in a lifelong learning course, while an even greater figure of 87 per cent (up 10 per cent on last year’s 77 per cent) plan to enrol in a training or education programme over the next 12 months. Of course, moving plans into action requires several elements to be in place, including not just personal commitment but also the availability of financial and time resources and the levels of access to programmes, in terms of flexible delivery, location and entry requirements.
Published in March of this year, the government report Tomorrow’s Skills: Towards a National Skills Strategy portrayed a grim future for Ireland’s economy unless serious progress is made with regard to worker upskilling and standards of education. The report emphasised the need for a highly skilled workforce if the goal of a knowledge and innovation-driven economy by 2020 is to be attained.
Drop in Employer Support
With that in mind, the education and training support shown by employers to employees, in this year’s, survey reveals a disappointing downward trend. 47 per cent of our respondents receive ‘organised or regular training’ at work, compared to 59 per cent of those surveyed in the 2006 Lifelong Learning Index. Similarly, respondents who believe their employer provides ‘sufficient training and education opportunities’ has dropped from 66 per cent in 2006, to 51 per cent in 2007.
Examining the survey findings, neither does it appear that employers are performing too well in terms of funding external training and education for their employees. In 2006, 42 per cent of respondents said their employer paid for the greater proportion of the fees due for their most recent education or training course. Alarmingly, this figure has fallen to a miserly 22 per cent in this year’s survey. On a more reassuring note however, the number of respondents whose employers provide some sort of funding for a course outside work hours has risen from 56 to 59 per cent.
State still not playing full role
It is not just employers who appear to be making little progress in terms of promoting lifelong learning; responses to the survey also highlight deficiencies in the government’s adult education and training policies. 84 per cent do not believe the government is investing enough money in lifelong learning. This statistic is hardly surprising considering the government provided a significant proportion of fees to only ten per cent of our respondents. This figure is particularly concerning in light of the levels of state funding that are now available for lifelong learning.
However, a low level of uptake on state funding for training and education highlights another severe weakness in the Irish lifelong learning system. 66 per cent of respondents are unaware of the incentives that exist for people who are enrolling in adult education and training, despite the fact an adult education guidance service has been available in VEC centres nationwide since 1999.
These findings suggest the time may have come for the government to consider spending more than two per cent of its annual education budget in the area of lifelong learning. It may also be propitious to respond to a long-standing and popular call to widen the current ‘free’ fees scheme, to include a much larger range of the programmes that are available on a part-time basis.
Choosing a Course
One conclusion that is easily drawn from the findings of the 2007 Lifelong Learning Index is the level of drive and ambition exhibited by respondents; a majority are clearly keen to improve their career prospects by way of engaging in education and training. A brief examination of the subject areas that respondents would be most likely to take a course in reveals a high percentage who are primarily interested in career orientated courses such as IT (20 per cent), Business (10 per cent), and Professional Qualifications (22 per cent).
Part time education/training is ‘reasonably important’ or ‘very important’ to the future career development of a stunning 94per cent of respondents. Without denigrating the importance of courses that involve leisure pursuits and life skills, which undoubtedly have an important role to play in individual development and promoting social interaction, the Irish public are evidently aware of the need to upskill and to continually improve their career knowledge and performance through continually engaging with lifelong learning.
A number of issues that will greatly interest course providers arise from the results of the 2007 Lifelong Learning Index. 59 per cent of respondents attach ‘a lot’ of importance to certification, and believe it to be a ‘significant factor’, while for 25 percent: ‘The level of award is the most important aspect of completing a course.’ These findings show the need for HETAC (Higher Education and Training Awards Council) to continue its important work, not just incorporating national awards into the NFQ (National Framework of Qualifications) but also painting a clear picture of the equivalency of international, including UK, awards in this framework.
‘Hands-on practical experience’ is the respondents’ preferred method of learning, by some distance, at 56 per cent. Although e-learning is the least favoured learning option at seven per cent, 81 per cent would consider taking a distance learning/e-learning if the classroom option is not available. In general, the survey reveals a high degree of information technology-savvy among respondents, with the evident popularity of IT courses and the majority of course-goers (64 per cent) finding out about education/training opportunities online. Though, this is perhaps unsurprising, in that the survey was conducted on-line.
In terms of the potential blocks to accessing education and training, other than financial ones, it is significant that 71per cent of respondents are prepared to travel up to 20km for the right course. However, a significantly high number, some 86per cent, believe the state should fund childcare to all parents who are returning to education.
Food for thought.
