With the general atmosphere in the country so depressing, the Leaving Cert Class of 2011 could be forgiven for thinking they are a bit unlucky. However, as they get ready to submit their CAO options, a little perspective should reveal that they are incredibly lucky, not just compared to their counterparts who picked courses at the height of the boom, but also compared to pretty much every previous generation. This post reminds the Class of 2011 which has the chance to choose future-proof skills of just how lucky they are. It outlines two key areas, one for those who like numbers, one for those who like words, where Ireland will have huge demand for skills over the coming years.
Last week, the Government announced its strategy for Education as an Export. This post reviews that strategy and finds its key objectives sadly unspecific. It looks at the data that exists and finds that Ireland needs to break into non-Anglo-Saxon markets – particularly the Middle East. More ambitious targets could bring a significant boost to the economy, including 8,500 new jobs across a range of sectors and using 6 million square metres of currently vacant commercial property.
I came across this excellent review and discussion, by Andrew Leigh of economics.com.au (a great site) of a very interesting paper on education performance (by Brian Byrne of the University of New England), during the summer. Essentially, it uses that treasure trove of the social scientist – identical twins – to attempt to measure the [...]
A newly available dataset on education levels around the world from 1870 to 2010 has allowed economists to test fundamental hypotheses about economic development. This has led to fascinating insights about what causes inequality, population growth and democracy: in each case, education has played a key role. This is an optimistic message as education – unlike for example geography – can be influenced by policy choices.
Earlier this year, I calculated average salary estimates for the public and private sectors in Ireland. The answer, that the average worker in the private sector earned €40,000 last year, almost €10,000 less than their public sector counterpart, has proved if not controversial than certainly a starting point for debate. Given some of the comments [...]
