Demand for upskilling courses high but costs remain biggest barrier, says report

A quarter of the workforce are either taking or say they are highly likely to take a short course for professional upskilling, but costs remain the biggest barrier to doing so, according to a report published by UCD Professional Academy.

“Career advancement” was cited as the main motivator by 76 per cent of those surveyed, followed by “bettering my skill set” by 71 per cent and “bolstering my CV” by 55 per cent, a survey conducted for the report found. When asked in which areas they wanted to upskill, subject preferences skewed towards modern business skills, such as IT and computer science, alongside business, finance and leadership skills.

But there was evidence of a disconnect between the times working professionals are available to learn and the times many upskilling courses are being offered. When asked what might prevent them from participating in a course, 40 per cent referenced inconvenience in relation to timing. The report highlights that part-time on weekday evenings is the most popular time to take a course, while 89 per cent of people want to take a course according to a flexible timeline rather than in full-time blocks.

Affordability is highlighted as the single most significant barrier to undertaking professional courses, with 59 per cent citing financial reasons for not doing so. Meanwhile, of those pursuing upskilling courses, 41 per cent are self-funded while 40 per cent are either fully or partly funded by their employer.

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“As the rate of economic change accelerates, continuous professional development will play an ever-increasing role in unlocking both the professional potential of individuals and the wider economic potential of the country,” said UCD Professional Academy chief executive Aaron McKenna.

“To engage Ireland’s workforce in continuous professional development, we must consider accessibility through funding and convenience. We have to meet working professionals on their terms regarding subject matter, accessibility, and convenience and to achieve the cut through required. Simply put, people need compelling reasons to commit their scant time and resources to their individual upskilling.”

The UCD Professional Academy, based in University College Dublin’s campus in Belfield, Dublin 4, was launched in December 2019 and now has more than 40 courses covering areas such as data analytics, human resources and coding, with 20 more in the pipeline.