People with low levels of education are more likely to be unemployed in Ireland than in other EU Member States, according to the National Adult Literacy Agency (Nala).
Launching a new campaign aimed at encouraging adults to continue learning, the organisation warned this morning that the low skilled are most at risk in the current economic climate
"If you have low skills in Ireland you are more likely to be unemployed than in any other EU country. Currently 30 per cent of the workforce has only Junior Certificate, 10 per cent has only primary level education and a further 25 per cent of adults lack basic literacy," said Inez Bailey, director, Nala.
A new DVD entitled 'Take on learning. Take on life' was launched by the organisation at the National Library of Ireland this morning. It features literacy students talking about their reasons for taking up education and the positive change that tackling their reading and writing difficulties has had on their lives.
"In the last few decades, Ireland has positioned itself as a high skilled, knowledge based economy. Its investment in upskilling has benefited those at a higher level of educational attainment. However, without policy change there will be surpluses at lower educational levels, with a large number of low-skilled individuals unemployed or inactive. Now more than ever there needs to be a concerted effort to address those with low or no qualifications. This responsibility rests jointly with the government, employers and the individual," said Ms Inez.
"Unfortunately Ireland's participation rate in continuing education is relatively poor. Work is needed to build a culture of adult learning throughout life in Ireland and recognise the limitations of school based learning. This exists in many of our neighboring countries and as far afield as India," she added.
National Adult Literacy Awareness Week which begins today is intended to raise awareness of the literacy issue in Ireland and inform individuals about the benefits of brushing up on their reading, writing and maths skills. Throughout the week members of the general public can drop into local Adult Literacy Centres nationwide to find out more about the learning services that are available to them.
Speaking at the launch, Minister for Lifelong Learning, Seán Haughey, said: "the importance of further, continuing and adult education is particularly evident during these challenging economic times. The need to reskill and upskill our workforce, and the need to ensure the best quality education for our population, is vital."
Currently there are 45,000 adults attending VEC literacy courses nationwide.
