Why I’m bringing a busload of students to Ireland Skills Live

There are more routes to employment than going via college or university, writes career guidance counsellor Aoife Walsh

THE annual Feeder Schools’ tables show increasing numbers of schools reaching 100pc admission to third level. However, we recognise that if we are steering 100pc of our students toward higher education, we are doing our students a great disservice.

We pontificate that the problem is middle-class parents wanting to “keep up with the Joneses” by ensuring their darling is heading to a nice three- to four-year honours degree, and preferably in a university. However, this line of thinking does not take into account that over the last 10 years there have been few viable alternatives for school-leavers.

As degrees became more commonplace, the opportunity to leave school with a good Leaving Cert and work your way up to a high level within a company dwindled and disappeared. So too did the opportunity to enter the skilled labour force by way of a craft apprenticeship. During the recession, construction companies and tradespersons found they did not have enough work to support themselves, never mind an apprentice. In these circumstances, parents and young people cannot really be blamed for their focus on third level.

As a guidance counsellor, I have to admit a slight feeling of panic used to flow over me when a young person arrived in my office and declared that they wanted to pursue mechanics, carpentry or a future as an electrician. I would explore how best they might go about finding an employer to take them on. We created CVs and discussed strategies, but I ensured they also left my office with a couple of related courses that they could pursue “just in case you don’t find an employer by September”.

We now have a very different set of circumstances. Today, more and more students are opting for apprentice training. It is wonderful to be able to offer them real options and viable choices as they begin their working life in a mode of study that truly suits their needs, aptitudes and preferences.

The number and range of opportunities to earn and learn currently far outstrips demand as young people and their parents are not aware of the excellent career start this mode of study now offers.

It is likely to take a number of years before all schoolleavers are fully aware of, and brave enough to consider, the many alternatives to conventional higher education. As guidance counsellors we will be tasked in exposing them to these opportunities and giving them confidence to choose this option.

The best way to do this is to support students in exploring these options for themselves. By attending events like Ireland Skills Live, young people are exposed to a range of possible careers and job opportunities.

Students will get to gain first-hand experience through the earn-and-learn model, rather than confining their learning to the classroom for the first four years.

This type of event has been sorely missed from the educational and job-seeker landscape. What also makes Skills Live so noteworthy is that it is fully supported and backed by the Department of Education, the further education and training authority, Solas, the Higher Education Authority, industry bodies and individual employers.

I hope that the young people I will bring to this event will also see the value in completing second-level education before progressing to an apprenticeship-style training.

Most importantly, by expanding the range of options available to young people as they leave second level, we are supporting them in developing in the best way for themselves. It will reduce the number of drop-outs in the early stages of third level. And, by supporting young people’s development and mental health, we are building a stronger economy which utilises the skills and talents of our youth.

I hope that those young people who are excited about moving from Leaving Cert to this model of training will gain some first-hand insights at the exhibition into how apprentices are selected by employers. They now have the opportunity to speak to recruiters directly.

But mostly I hope that young people who are heading towards third level without questioning whether or not it is the right path for them will finally have the opportunity to pursue other paths to success.