Third-level students ‘need more high-end skills’

Third-level colleges may not be developing enough of the high-end skills in students that are wanted by employers, a major student survey finds.

The findings in the first national study of student engagement are mostly positive about their college experiences. However, they appear to raise questions about the success of colleges in developing the same skills they complain are not being engendered in students by schools.

The pilot Irish Survey of Student Engagement (ISSE) received more than 12,700 responses earlier this year from first-year and final-year undergraduates, and students of taught postgraduate courses.