UCD report finds many employers still do not provide upskilling opportunities
Employers are struggling to meet employee demands for professional growth according to the third UCD Professional Academy annual report, Driving Growth and Impact: Understanding the Irish professional education landscape.
Interest in upskilling remains high within the Irish workforce, with more than 2 million estimated to be potentially interested in pursuing a course. UCD Professional Academy’s third annual upskilling
report shows that 44% of those surveyed are possibly considering taking a professional development course in the next twelve months and a further 22% would be interested if the right course was available to them.
However, financial concerns continue to hamper uptake and 31% of respondents who had not previously engaged in upskilling cannot afford to take a course. This is an increase of 3% since 2022, highlighting the growing affordability challenges posed by broader economic issues.
Almost a quarter (24%) of past course takers feel a lack of government or public funding may prevent them from taking further upskilling courses. As with previous years, such courses are most commonly self-funded (38%). While there has been a slight increase (3%) in employers or organisations paying for staff to upskill, 42% of respondents reported that their employer offered employees no option for professional development or learning, either in-house or externally.
The report further highlights the continued importance of flexibility for upskilling. After costs, time constraints were the most common barrier to upskilling. Convenience was identified by 20% of those who have not pursued an upskilling course and a further 9% think a course would be too time consuming. For potential learners to take on the commitment of a short form professional development course convenient to potential students juggling work and other commitments.
More than half (55%) of Irish workers would prefer a part-time approach with one class a week over a longer period (10 to 12 weeks), while a third (34%) would favour a ‘full day’ class over a shorter period of 4-6 weeks. While hybrid learning remains the preferred option (31%), there is a notable increase in past-course takers wanting in-person classes (19% in 2023 versus 12% in 2022). This uptick potentially reflects post-Covid-19 virtual fatigue.
Siobhan McAleer, interim CEO at UCD Professional Academy, said: “Despite uncertain economic times, we are very pleased to see the Irish workforce continues to demonstrate a strong interest in upskilling… In 2023, the EU Year of Skills, UCD Professional Academy hopes that the insights provided in this report can inform the upskilling of Ireland’s workforce, which is essential to ensuring that Ireland can continue to thrive into the future.”
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