Over 15,000 enrolments on essential skills courses in 2024/25
Date published:
New official statistics published today by NISRA statisticians in the Department for the Economy present Essential Skills enrolments and outcomes in Further Education Colleges for the 2024/25 academic year.
Key findings
- There were 15,230 FE sector enrolments on Essential Skills courses in 2024/25, an increase of 16% on the previous academic year (2023/24).
- The number of Essential Skills students rose by 12%, from 9,100 to 10,205. This marks the largest year-on-year increase within the last five academic years.
- Young people aged 16 and 17 accounted for 60% of all enrolments in 2024/25, up from an average of 55% over the previous five years.
- Learners from the two most deprived areas in Northern Ireland made up 48% of Essential Skills enrolments over the five-year period.
- Numeracy remains the most popular subject, followed by literacy and ICT. However, those aged 45 and over are more likely to study ICT than younger learners.
- Belfast Metropolitan College hosted the highest number of enrolments (3,170), while North West Regional College had the fewest (1,805).
- Over the past five years, the overall success rate for Essential Skills courses in FE was 59%, with ICT achieving the highest success rate (79%) compared to literacy (59%) and numeracy (46%).
About this publication
The full report provides detailed analysis of Essential Skills enrolments in Further Education Colleges from 2020/21 to 2024/25. It includes breakdowns by age, sex, deprivation, subject area and college location, as well as performance measures including retention, achievement and success rates. Courses delivered by private training providers and community organisations are excluded from this analysis.
Further information
Read the full report: Northern Ireland FE College Statistics Bulletin
View the data tables and background information: Essential Skills Enrolments and Outcomes in Northern Ireland Further Education Colleges: 2020/21 to 2024/25