BRIAN MOONEY'S ADDRESSING YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT:The massive increase in unemployment that has occurred in the past year has particularly affected the young, especially those who left the education system at an early stage because of the lure of good wages in low-skilled employment, particularly in the building industry.
As a result of the recent Budget, these unemployed young people have now experienced a major cut in their benefits following a 50 per cent reduction of the Jobseekers allowance for the under 20s. The allowance will continue to be paid at the higher rate for those engaged in education and training, however. Hopefully, this initiative, which I support, will encourage unemployed young people to begin to explore the option of a return to education.
THE POST-LEAVING CERTIFICATE OPTION
The most obvious route for such unemployed young people is through the Post-Leaving Certificate or further education route. The majority of courses offer Fetac awards from the Further Education and Training Awards Council, which is the awarding body for a range of vocational training. This sector now includes courses previously offered by FÁS, Teagasc, Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) and Fáilte Ireland.
Many FE colleges offer other qualifications including the UK Edexcel award the Higher National Diploma/National Diploma, CACHE (childcare award), City and Guilds and the professional qualifications in accountancy from the CPA and IATI (Ire). In recent years the professional beauty, sports and complementary therapy awarding bodies — Itec, Cibtac and Cidesco have also been on offer in many FE centres.
WHAT DOES FURTHER EDUCATION OFFER THE UNEMPLOYED?
Taking a FE course allows you to sample a course that you are interested in, while also developing additional skills. The continuous assessment approach adopted in FE will be a major change from traditional second-level study methods, which are hated by many young people. With work placement and a focus on communications and computer skills, a FE course offers the opportunity for a gentle progression towards securing employment or moving on to a third-level option. Opportunities for progression also apply to students studying for Post Leaving Certificate awards other than Fetac. Non-Fetac courses are accredited by other awarding bodies and are also linked with degree programmes both in Ireland and the UK.
SHOULD THE CAP ON NUMBERS PARTICIPATING BE LIFTED?
In recent years the further education sector has been complaining about its numbers been capped, but the retention rate in some of the colleges has been less than satisfactory. The ERSI 2007 School Leavers’ Survey represents school leavers who left school in the academic year 2004/05.
In total, 61 per cent of those who participated in PLC courses complete their courses. Only one large college in the FE sector, Cavan Institute, beat both its FE colleagues and some institutes of technology with a retention rate of 85 per cent.
WHY DO SO MANY STUDENTS DROP OUT OF PLC COURSES?
PLC colleges receive their resources and staffing numbers based on the number of students who register at the beginning of the course, rather than the number who successfully complete the programme. There is a strong incentive for a college to put its energies into recruiting students, rather than into the far more difficult task of retaining them. The quality of work experience on offer as an integral element of each course is crucial to retaining student’s interest. While all courses contain a workplace element, the standard and quality of work experience on offer varies from centre to centre.
WHAT NOW FOR THE PLC SECTOR?
I am absolutely certain that the further education sector has a role to play in the education and training of the tens of thousands of unemployed young people, but it must deliver a higher completion rate among its students, particularly as there is now a financial incentive for Jobseekers to register for a course, so as to retain a higher level of benefit.
Secondly, with more than 1,400 centres in every corner of Ireland offering PLC courses leading to a Fetac award at some level, in a range of purpose-built facilities, it is easy to see that there is likely to be duplication of courses within the same geographic area. Some form of rationalisation needs to take place in this sector before the taxpayer commits the very limited resources available to Government to an expansion in the numbers of approved places in this sector.
LOCAL SOLUTIONS TO NATIONAL PROBLEMS
On a more positive note, the FE sector can respond very quickly to the needs of industry, developing courses locally to suit the needs of the local community. Perhaps it is time for the FE sector to take a hard look at itself, before looking for an expansion in the number of places. It is also time for the business community throughout the State, which is looking for more highly skilled staff to secure competitive advantage, to look at what is on their doorstep.
Brian Mooney is a guidance counsellor at Oatlands College, Dublin and a former president of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors
