Irish Survey on Flexible Learning as a Way to Strengthen Job Prospects
Online survey, conducted on behalf of education website BlueBrick.ie, coincides with a complete refresh of the website to enhance user-friendliness. 65% of respondents have considered flexible learning as a way to strengthen job prospects.
- (1888PressRelease) August 16, 2011 - BlueBrick.ie, the revolutionary education website allowing users to compare courses conveniently and register online, has announced a complete site "refresh" in order to improve user-friendliness. This refresh coincides with a survey conducted on behalf of BlueBrick.ie, focusing on people's attitudes to flexible learning. The website recently registered a 15-fold increase in traffic since courses on the Springboard initiative were made available. There were over 57,000 visitors to the site in July, with an additional 25,000 in the second week of August alone.
The survey found that 65% of respondents had considered flexible learning as a way to strengthen their job prospects, showing that the general public is acutely aware of the importance of upskilling in the current employment market. The survey also found that 37% of respondents cited family commitments as a constraint in any decision to pursue flexible learning, while 36% cited financial constraints. Just over 50% of respondents stated that they would prefer a mixture of classroom and online learning should they pursue further education, showing that flexibility is a key consideration for those interested in further education.
BlueBrick.ie is a unique information tool which allows visitors to find a course to best fit their life and work schedule, and offers hundreds of courses from a variety of higher education providers. The site will include an increased number of courses in the coming months from higher education providers nationwide, and the refreshed site will allow visitors to navigate, search and compare courses with ease. The graphic design has been updated to add a fresh new look to the site, while an improved layout will allow for easier access to the course search and listing features. Increased usability features have been added to the application process which makes it even easier to apply for courses online. The website currently facilitates the Springboard initiative, the government-funded scheme offering free higher education courses to long-term unemployed.
Dr. Richard Thorn, Director of Flexible Learning from the Institutes of Technology Ireland who are a key driving force behind the site commented "We're confident that the newly refreshed BlueBrick.ie will make it even more attractive to those interested in flexible learning to come visit the site and see if there is a flexible learning course that's suitable to them. We've put a considerable amount of time into conducting research among users as to how the site could be improved, and have incorporated these changes. The newly improved site will also make it easier for visitors to choose from a significantly increased number of courses available from a variety of higher education providers."
He continued, "With the survey showing that a majority of people are considering flexible learning to improve their job prospects, we believe that the improved BlueBrick.ie will be an invaluable tool for the public who wish to upskill and develop their qualifications in order to progress through a very challenging employment market feeling more secure and confident. Flexible learning offers a practical way for people to learn at their own pace and at their own place of choice, and with an even greater choice of courses available on BlueBrick.ie, we feel this is the first port of call for people to build a better future for themselves."
BlueBrick.ie includes information on hundreds courses which either allows the individual to continue in their chosen career path by upskilling, or to change career completely through reskilling opportunities. The site has won numerous accolades and user acclaim for being extremely user-friendly, with the focus being on part-time and flexible learning courses, allowing learners the opportunity to study at a time and place that suits them, as opposed to traditional classroom learning.
###
space
space
Satisfied Users & 
Approved Press Releases
Print
Email
Report Spam