Member Article

One in three adults go back to school

A third of British adults are living a life of regret, according to new research by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). Close to one in three adults (31 per cent) say they wish they had achieved better qualifications when they were younger and one in four (27 per cent) regret not making the most of the opportunities they were given at school or college. Over a quarter, (28 per cent) admit that they didn’t work hard enough while they were at school, and are now living with the consequences.

The survey reveals another side to the issue as well – over a third of adults (35 per cent) have already gone back to learning to gain more qualifications and a further six per cent are planning to do the same. More than one in four (30 per cent) of those who have completed retraining say it improved their employability, 17 per cent were rewarded with a pay rise and over a quarter say their job is now more rewarding.

Julia Dowd, Director of Young People’s Learning at the LSC, says, “Unfortunately, in today’s competitive world, it’s highly unusual for people to follow the likes of Alan Sugar and Richard Branson and achieve great success without any qualifications. Now, the best chance anyone can have is to achieve at least five good GCSEs, or a Level 2 diploma. Like Michelle Dewberry [winner of last year’s The Apprentice programme], it is never too late to return to learning and there are thousands of vocational and academic courses available across the country. “So today, we are calling on all young people to ensure they achieve at least the minimum set of qualifications before leaving college or school, which will increase their employability.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .