Irish third-level students ‘less likely to drop out than in most developed nations’
However, the organisation has revealed that Irish workers have far fewer opportunities for training and education than their counterparts in most other developed nations.
The OECD’s Education at a Glance report shows 40% of people in the 25 to 34 age bracket have a third-level qualification, compared to an EU average of 28%, placing us eighth out of 34 countries in this regard.
The figure reflects the huge growth in numbers availing of third-level education in the last two decades, as just 22% of those aged between 45 and 54 hold a college qualification.
Education Minister Mary Hanafin welcomed the findings as an indication of the country’s attractiveness as a location for jobs investment.
“The publication shows Ireland continuing to perform strongly in many areas. Educational outcomes, in particular completion and performance at second and third levels, means Ireland’s talented pupils and future workforce is well placed to compete internationally,” she said.
The report reveals the country’s third-level students are less likely than those in any other developed country except Japan to drop out of university or other honours degree courses. Ireland has an 83% survival rate, the same as Korea’s.
The survival rate for other third-level courses is also well above the OECD average and places Ireland eighth out of 16 countries at 69%.
The report shows 20% of workers with a third-level qualification are likely to have received job-related education or training in the last year, but this applies to just 11% of all workers aged 25 t0 64. In this respect, Ireland is ranked 17th out of 22 countries when compared with training rates above 35% for workers in Denmark, Finland, Sweden and the United States.
Labour Party Seanad education spokesperson Joanna Tuffy called on the Government to invest further in lifelong learning to improve this dismal performance.
With Irish workers likely to receive just over 200 hours of work-related training compared to 900 in Denmark, national adult education association Aontas called for paid educational leave to be introduced.
“Ireland is one of the only countries in the former EU 15 where paid educational leave is not a statutory entitlement,” said Aontas director Berni Brady.
