Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 November 2021
443. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his Department, not SOLAS or the Higher Education Authority, monitors the transfer rate from further education and training pre-law courses to higher education degree courses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56016/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department does not hold individualised data of learners in further and higher education. Such data is held by SOLAS in the Programme and Learner Support Systems (PLSS) and by the HEA in their Student Records System (SRS), as well as by the further and higher education institutions themselves. As such, analysis of learner data is typically undertaken by the Statistics Unit in the HEA or the Data Analytics Unit in SOLAS, who have both the expertise to undertake such research, and access to the relevant data.
In terms of the transition rate from further to higher education there are two possible data sources. The first is CAO acceptances. In 2017 7.3% (3,517) of CAO acceptances were by candidates who were offered their course on the basis of a QQI/FET qualification.
The second is an analysis undertaken as part of a working paper on Further to Higher Education transitions. With the assistance of the CSO, data from the PLSS was linked with the SRS. This report found that 12.1% (5,296) of undergraduate new entrants in 2017 had completed a PLC course in the previous year. This represented 18.3% of the PLC cohort from that year.
Both of these data sources provide transition rates at an overall level, and a breakdown by subject area is not available.
The working group which prepared this data was chaired by SOLAS, and consisted of representatives from FET and HE providers (via THEA, IUA and ETBI nominees); the HEA and SOLAS; the Higher education – Equity of Access and Further Education sections of the then Department of Education and Skills; and QQI.
