Education and Employment in Ireland

by Cormac Spencer, Consultant and Director with Link Personnel Services

June has rolled around again, and while for some that will mean evening strolls, a spot of gardening or watching the European Championships for 6 hours a day, for the 100,000+ students sitting Junior and Leaving Cert papers and the thousands now finishing up university exams this is a luxury they will have to wait for. At this point many readers will now be reflecting on how lucky they are not to have to go through all that again, and while receiving bad results does not equate to doing badly in life, the fact remains that a good education can be instrumental in enhancing opportunities for employment and earning potential within work as well as being a tool for personal growth

It must be said that a good education does not necessarily mean completing an undergraduate degree and perhaps a Masters. Once people have the foundation the Leaving Cert provides it can mean learning a trade, a new language, or training to be a fitness instructor. The point remains the same: those who engage in education and up-skilling, benefit from increased employment opportunities and higher salaries.

A report by The Pew Research Centre supports this theory. They found that college graduates aged 25-32 and working full-time earned in the region of $17,500 more per year than their counterparts who only held a high school diploma. This pay gap has widened in recent years. What’s more, those surveyed with a college education were more likely to be employed full time (89% to 82% for high school graduates) and less likely to be unemployed (3.8% to 12.2%). The last statistic is eye opening. Those with a high school diploma were nearly 4 times more likely to be unemployed. Ireland is no different. Graduates are much less likely to be unemployed here and command higher wages when in work. The recent downturn showed that jobs requiring a higher level of education were more recession-proof and less likely to be subject to redundancy or sent offshore. Graduates are also benefiting from the upturn, filling a large proportion of new jobs created.

The good news for Ireland is that more and more people are choosing to stay in education (our rate of 3rd level attendance is well above the OECD average). One of the big reasons for this is that education has become more accessible. Grants are available, access programmes make it easier for people from families who may not previously have gone on to further education to take a course and the mature student programme means people over 23 who have not already completed an undergraduate degree can avail of free fees. In addition state programmes like Springboard are providing millions of Euro for job seekers looking to participate in higher education.

Those sitting the Leaving Cert have a bright future ahead, and once they finish their last exam should forget about books for at least a short while! It really isn’t the end of the world if students don’t get 7 A1s, and not performing fantastically in the Leaving Cert doesn’t mean students won’t go on to have a fantastic life – not by a long shot. The current education system does not suit everyone, and many will not want to pursue a university degree, however, the ample opportunities that exist to pursue further education inside and outside of the classroom should be grasped. As a country we should promote those opportunities to learn not only as a means to opening doors in the world of work but to aid in the creation of a more vibrant, engaged and healthy society.

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