Learner Profile. In terms of the Learner Profile, Learners within LWETB are split 48% Male and 52% Female. With regard to the economic status of learners, they come from a variety of backgrounds and are motivated in different ways, (Source: 2016 Census)
Learner Profile. 21.9% of people aged 15 years and over in Donegal have not been educated beyond primary level, the highest for any county (Census 2016). (Dun Laoghaire- Rathdown figure is 6.6%). Donegal, with Laois, has the lowest admission rate in the state to 3rd level education (41% compared to national average of 51%) (Census 2016). There is little or no mobility of learners from Northern Ireland, in spite of the geographical proximity. FET learners registered with DETB are 48% male and 52% female (2017). In line with the dispersed population and the key objectives of Donegal ETB’s FET service, there is a strong focus on community-based outreach provision, and the ETB partners with 140+ community, voluntary, statutory and private providers to facilitate learner access across the county. It has a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Letterkenny Institute of Technology (LyIT), the only higher education institution in the county. The ETB is also a partner in the recently established MOU between University of Ulster, North West Regional College, and LyIT under the North West Strategic Growth Partnership (NWSGP) which aims to further develop and consolidate existing collaboration between the four institutions and facilitate learner access and progression at all levels. Strategic Performance Agreement 2018 – 2020 3 Donegal Education and Training Board
Learner Profile. At the entry level, many of the learners are economically inactive with low levels of educational achievement. There is an over representation of males, particularly in the 35 to 55 age bracket, sometimes with mental health issues in addition to literacy and numeracy issues. Many of the courses for this cohort are offered at a location which is easily accessed by the learner. At the upper levels, many of the learners are school leavers who, in the main, wish to go in one of two directions. The first group wish to train as an apprentice or want to achieve a work-related qualification which will allow them to get a job at operator level. The second group are looking for an additional qualification to allow them to progress to third level. Recently, WWETB are receiving an increasing level of queries from employers looking to upskill their current workforce and requesting support from the ETB. This is an area we would like to explore more as the learners would be the most venerable to a future recession. WWETB has 13 second level schools (8 of which offer dual provision and one PLC only). Other education options in the region include private providers, higher education provided by Waterford Institute of Technology and Carlow Institute of Technology (at its Wexford campus), SICAP and Skillnets.
Learner Profile. Functionalities’ refers to the suite of tools and processes from time to time available on Learner Profiles and which are used thereon by Learners to facilitate their access to and optimise their engagement with CPD Services.
Learner Profile. The percentage of persons aged 15+ with 3rd level education was 38.5% in Limerick City and County and 40.9% in County Clare, compared to 42% at national level. The percentage of persons 15+ with no formal or primary only education was 14.3% in Limerick City and County and 12.1% in County Clare. Analysis, however, of data at electoral division level in regeneration areas and neighbouring communities, shows that the proportion of the population who left school with just a primary education is considerably higher than the national average. In Limerick City alone, 18 EDs have a higher rate than 20%, and 9 EDs have an early school leaving rate in excess of 30%. Indeed, the CSO Census 2016 has recorded higher rates of unemployment, lower rates of educational attainment, higher rates of unskilled/low skilled workers, higher lone parent rates, higher age dependency rates, and decreasing populations in those areas (see Table 2). This paradox for the Mid-West as the fastest growing region in the country, and yet one with almost one-third of the country’s unemployment blackspots must be addressed and calls for partnership and targeted interventions.
Learner Profile. The profile of learners engaging with CETB Further Education and Training programmes reflects the diversity and complexity of Irish society. From school leavers who are engaging with Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) courses and apprenticeships, to mature adult learners who have engaged with a variety of programmes to build additional skills and competencies that are necessary for them to gain or progress in employment, to individuals seeking compensatory education to develop their literacy and numeracy skills, to members of the immigrant community seeking to develop English language competency, to early school leavers who are availing of second chance options through Youthreach and Community Training Centre options. The learner cohort can be broadly categorised into four main groups, broadly based on the NFQ level of programmes aimed at addressing their specific learning needs: ― Foundation– comprising generally the unemployed, early school leavers, individuals with less than upper second-level qualifications and members of the new communities. Many of these learners are engaged with programmes at NFQ Levels 1 to 3, with a significant emphasis on developing core literacy, numeracy and IT skills for progression. ― Progression - learners who generally have not completed upper secondary level education, but who have reasonable to good functional literacy and numeracy. Their participation is generally on programmes at NFQ Level 4 as preparation for progression to education or training programmes at Level 5. ― Vocational – learners who have generally completed upper secondary level education, or have engaged in significant education and skills development across a period in employment. Whether a recent post-primary (Leaving Certificate) graduate, or a mature learner returning to education/training, this cohort are generally engaged on Further Education and Training programmes at NFQ Level 5 or 6, including PLC, apprenticeship and SST programmes. Successful completion of these programmes may lead directly to employment or progression to higher education programmes. ― Specific Skills Development – the profile of learners engaging with specific skills development courses varies considerably, depending on the purpose and nature of the course. In many instances these learners are engaged in upskilling for a specific skill required in the workplace and the training is supported or sponsored by their employer. There has been a change in the general learner profile as em...
