For all the psychometric testing, career guidance and college open days available nowadays, the biggest influence on students’ career course choices comes down to just one person: the Irish mammy.
That, at least, is one of the findings of an unpublished report commissioned by the Department of Education.
And for many parents, higher education is the be all and end all to ensure their child achieves their economic destiny. Ireland now has the highest proportion of young people with third-level qualifications across the European Union and one of the highest in the world.
Policymakers see it as a badge of honour and a calling card when attracting foreign direct investment.
However, a report this week by the Higher Education Authority shows that a significant minority of school leavers are dropping out of their courses.
Young men with low CAO points are a particular risk, especially those in demanding courses such as computing and engineering.
It raises questions about the adequacy of career guidance and students’ prior knowledge of these courses. But it also challenges us to reconsider the suitability of third level for a significant minority of school leavers.
Surely, many of these students would do better in other options such as apprenticeships or further education? We all learn in different ways. We are not all suited to traditional academic approaches.
Apprenticeships, for example, offer excellent “earn and learn” options with on-the-job experience, good starting salaries and high chance of full-time employment.
However, they still suffer from a status problem. Parents and students remain obsessed with third level and tend to see anything else as “second best”. This is despite the fact that graduates from apprenticeships and post-Leaving Cert (PLC) courses are rated by employers as highly as graduates from universities and third-level colleges..
In fact, employers rate further-education graduates slightly higher than college graduates in areas such as team working, commercial awareness and entrepreneurial skills.
It’s easy to blame parents, though many are simply making what they see as a pragmatic decision, influenced by society, the media and others. There is also a responsibility on colleges to do more to ensure students are academically able for the programmes they take on.
What is the consequence of dropping out?
Many have low minimum-entry requirements, which may help boost student numbers for individual colleges in the short term. But they are complicit in the fact that so many students with low Leaving Cert points are falling through the cracks of courses, especially at higher certificate and ordinary degree level.
This is damaging the self-confidence of young people and can come at a huge financial cost to the individuals, families and wider society.
There is also, potentially, a mismatch in the supply of skills versus the needs of employers.
An ever-increasing number of reports underline employer demand for workers with strong occupational skills, which can be delivered through on-the-job training and hands-on courses.
Yet, latest research shows Irish workers are among the most overqualified in Europe for the jobs in which they are working.
Ultimately, it seems increasingly clear that student aptitude should determine their learning pathway, rather than an automatic assumption that they should go to third level.
