Apprenticeships may be the better way to go for some students, says Minister of State for Higher Education, Mary Mitchell O’Connor.
The Minister said it's important that students are aware that there "is a route" for all school leavers. Speaking at the launch of Education Matters, Ireland's yearbook of Education, the Minister said:
We must always remember there is more than one way of learning, and some students may be more suited to apprenticeships or to starting their third-level journey in an institute of further education.
While Ireland's third-level participation rate is the highest in Europe, the amount of young people doing apprenticeships is fairly low.
Ms. Mitchell O' Connor also said that more needed to be done in regards to helping students adapt to third-level or higher education from secondary school. In some areas of higher education, like certificate and ordinary degree courses, drop-out rates are exceptionally high.
She said:
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There is a huge gap between the culture and ethos of our second and third level institutions.
Students often experienced difficulty when they move from pastoral care of second-level to the self-management style of third level.
We often worry about getting more people into college - we don’t always consider what is the right route.
It's worth noting that Leaving Cert students should take a bit of time out to think about what they really want to do once they leave school, rather than considering the CAO process as the only viable option.
Ms. Mitchell O'Connor's comments come not long after The European Commission review found that Ireland has the second highest third-level fees in Europe. Undergraduate students here are charged whopping fees of €3,000 per year.
