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Adult Education Survey 2022

Learning Guidance

CSO statistical release, 30 April 2024, 11am

This chapter explores the demand for lifelong learning, the availability and effectiveness of guidance, and the difficulties individuals face when pursuing continuous education.

Education or training institutions the most popular source of guidance on learning activities

Nearly two in ten (17%) of adults aged 25-69 received guidance on learning from some institutions/organisations during the reference period.
The most popular type of guidance received was counselling or advice on learning opportunities at 79%. See Table 6.1.

Table 6.1 Persons aged 25-69, classified by whether they received guidance on educational possibilities, 2022

Demand for lifelong learning

Examining the demand for lifelong learning, we can see that 31% of persons aged 25-69 had some form of unmet demand, where they either participated in lifelong learning and wanted to participate more (21%) or did not participate but wanted to (10%).
Females are more likely to report some form of unmet demand with 34% of females aged 25-69 reporting this compared with 29% of males. See Table 6.2.

Table 6.2 Persons aged 25-69 classified by their demand for lifelong learning and sex, 2022

Difficulties accessing lifelong learning

The main difficulties experienced by persons aged 25-69 to accessing lifelong learning were the schedule and family responsibilities both at 25%.
Nearly three in ten females (29%) reported Did not have time due to family responsibilities as the main difficulty compared to 18% of males.
The main difficulty for males was Training conflicted with work schedule/was organised at inconvenient time reported by three in ten males (30%). In females aged 25-69 this was reported by just over two in ten females (21%). See Figure 6.1 & Table 6.3.

X-axis label	Male	Female
Schedule	30	21
Family responsibilities	18	29
Cost	21	21
No suitable education or training activity offer	6	6
Health	5	6

Table 6.3 Persons aged 25-69 who stated that they wanted to participate more in educational activities, classified by the main difficulty identified and sex, 2022

Languages

English was reported as the most popular mother tongue language for adults aged 25-69 (84%) with Polish (3%) coming second.
Overall, 62% of adults reported knowing at least one other language (other than their mother tongue).
Looking at the citizenship of the respondent, 85% of those who are non-Irish report knowing at least one other language compared to 60% of adults with Irish citizenship. See Figures 6.2, 6.3, Tables 6.4 & 6.5.

X-axis label	% who reported it as their mother tongue
English	84
Polish	3
Romanian	1
Irish	1
Portuguese	1
All other languages	10

Table 6.4 The top five mother tongues as reported, 2022

X-axis label	Irish	Non-Irish
No other language	41	15
One language	33	44
Two languages	20	27
Three languages or more	7	14

Table 6.5 Number of languages other than mother tongue, 2022

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Table 6.1 Persons aged 25-69, classified by whether they received guidance on educational possibilities, 2022^1,2
% of persons aged 25-69
Details on guidance received in the last 12 months

Did you receive information on learning activities?
Yes	17
No	83

The type of information received on learning activities of those who received information on learning activities

Received counselling or advice on learning opportunities
Yes	78
No	20
Not Stated	1
Done screening or evaluation on your learning needs
Yes	39
No	60
Not Stated	1
Advice on recognition of skills
Yes	45
No	55
Not Stated	1

The source of information received on learning activities

Education or training institutions
Yes	47
No	52
Not Stated	2
Employment services
Yes	13
No	85
Not Stated	2
Employer or employer organisations
Yes	37
No	61
Not Stated	2
Other institutions/organisations
Yes	15
No	83
Not Stated	2

The mode of delivery of information received on learning activities
Interaction with a person
Yes	78
No	21
Not Stated	1
Interaction without a person, bots etc
Yes	29
No	70
Not Stated	1
¹ See Background Notes for definition of survey population.
² Note that more than one category may have been selected by the respondent.

Table 6.2 Persons aged 25-69 classified by their demand for lifelong learning and sex, 2022¹
% of persons aged 25-69
	Male	Female	Total
Person participated in formal or non-formal education
Did not want to participate more	37	37	37
Wanted to participate more	21	22	21

Person did not participated in formal or non-formal education
Did not want to participate more	34	30	32
Wanted to participate more	8	12	10
¹See Background Notes for definition of survey population and demand.

Table 6.5 Number of languages other than mother tongue, 2022¹
% of persons aged 25-69
	No other language	One language	Two languages	Three languages or more
State	38	34	21	7

Sex
Male	43	32	19	6
Female	33	36	22	9

Age
25-34	30	36	27	7
35-44	35	34	23	9
45-54	41	33	17	8
55-69	44	34	17	6

Region
Border	56	30	8	6
West	27	40	25	7
Mid-West	31	35	28	5
South-East	38	34	21	6
South-West	28	41	23	9
Dublin	39	32	20	9
Mid-East	42	31	19	8
Midland	47	32	16	5

Highest level of educational attainment
Higher secondary or below	52	31	13	3
Post Leaving Certificate	40	37	18	6
Third level non honours degree	34	37	17	11
Third level honours degree or higher	26	35	28	11
Not Stated	[54]	[26]	[14]	[6]

Principal economic status
Working for payment or profit	36	34	22	8
Unemployed	42	32	18	8
Other including retired or unable to work	43	34	17	5
Student or pupil	[29]	[42]	[19]	[10]
Engaged on home duties	41	37	17	6

Citizenship
Irish	41	33	20	7
Non-Irish	15	44	27	14
¹ See Background Notes for definition of mother tongue.
[ ] Figures in parentheses indicate percentages based on small numbers and are, therefore, subject to a wide margin of error.

Adult Education Survey 2022

Learning Guidance

Learning Guidance

Education or training institutions the most popular source of guidance on learning activities

Demand for lifelong learning

Difficulties accessing lifelong learning

Languages

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Table 6.4 The top five mother tongues as reported, 2022¹
Rank	Language	% who reported it as their mother tongue
1	English	84
2	Polish	3
3	Romanian	1
4	Irish	1
5	Portuguese	1
	All other languages	10
¹ See Background Notes for definition of mother tongue.