THERE has been a dramatic increase in the number of full time male mature students in universities and institutes of technology, according to figures released by the Higher Education Authority. Over 3,000 men aged over 23 started full time undergraduate programmes in 2009/10, almost double the number of similarly aged men two years previously. The number of new male entrants aged over 23 have grown at the universities from 782 in 2007/8 to 921 in 2008/9 and to 1,137 in 2009/10 while at the Institutes of Technology, the numbers have doubled over those two years from 958 to 1,258 to 1,910.
The number of female mature students has also increased but not as significantly.
HEA Chief Executive, Tom Boland stated, “The figures are welcome in that we are seeing more men realise the value of higher education. In these difficult economic times, there is an appreciation of the intrinsic value of a third level programme but also that graduates are far more likely to find employment than non-graduates. Many men are returning to education after a period in the labour market and strong college support structures are in place to assist men and women to deal with this transition.”
Three years ago, Tom Boland expressed concern about the future for males in the construction sector who left school early and how they would fare during the downturn.
He added, “If someone wants to go to college after a number of years away from education, contact the university or institute, they will be more than happy to advise and they understand the challenges that are involved.”
LIT President Dr Maria Hinfelaar said, “Our intake of mature students has doubled in the past couple of years, and in many cases we have offered entry into the second or third year of a programme so that the learner can pick up a top-up qualification quickly. Courses in Renewable Energy Systems, Multimedia and Accounting & Finance are amongst the popular choices for mature learners who are aiming to reskill for the labour market. These mature students bring a freshness into the classroom, because they bring valuable experience with them and are highly motivated”.
The HEA will announce in May a series of new higher education courses aimed at those who are unemployed. Springboard will allow participants to study for a higher education qualification on a part-time basis whilst remaining available to take up a job.
