Nine in 10 Irish people want to learn a new skill

NINE IN 10 Irish people want to learn a new skill in the future, research has revealed.

The Minister of Education, Simon Harris TD and the Minister of Skills, Niall Collins TD have welcomed the findings of Amárach, a Department commissioned initiative.

The research also found that 90% of people said their new skill also improved their mental health, while only one in four people are confident that they have the skills to advance in their current jobs.

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The EU Year of Skills was launched by Ministers Harris and Collins in May, with a call to action for everyone in the country to put skills at the centre for this year – and to take the opportunity to learn a new skill.

“We have an incredibly educated and highly skilled population in Ireland, but we can no longer treat knowledge as a fixed asset – nor can we assume that what we learned in three or four years of study is sufficient to last a lifetime,” Minister Harris said. 

“Today is about telling people of all ages and all backgrounds that there are countless opportunities available in this country to learn a new skill.

“Learning a new skill, pursuing a passion, or taking on a course you always wanted to do improves for your self-confidence and mental well-being.”

The launch of the EU Year of Skills in May coincided with the publication of the OECD Ireland Skills Strategy Report, which found participation in lifelong learning here, while above the EU average, falls far behind the top performers.

Self-development is the main motivation for learning a new skill with 62% reporting so, followed by interest in the subject (45%), and to improve health and wellbeing (39%).

Minister of State for Skills and Further Education, Collins said: “Funding is available to support a wide range of upskilling and reskilling initiatives that meet the demands of a changing world, address skills shortages and contribute to the digital and green economy.

“We have also seen what learning a new skill can do for someone’s confidence and feeling of self-worth. So if it’s reskilling for a new career, upskilling for your current role, or simply pursuing a hobby that you were always passionate about, I would encourage everyone to take on a fresh challenge this year.”

Amárach was commissioned by the Department to carry out a nationwide online survey of 1,100 adults over the age of 18 examining attitudes to upskilling, reskilling and learning new skills.

The survey was carried out over two days, September 4 and 5, and asked ten questions around the reasons people chose to learn a new skill, whether they were planning to learn a new skill, the motivation behind learning a new skill, and what the benefits of learning a new skill have been to them.

This project was led in Ireland by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science in partnership with the OECD.