Studyclix, Ireland’s most popular teaching and learning tool, is calling on the government to better resource essential career guidance after a nationwide Studyclix survey of 1,300 sixth-year students revealed that many are failing to get sufficient one-on-one time with their guidance counsellor. Four-in-ten say they are unsure whether their Central Applications Office (CAO ) choices are right for them.
An estimated 60,000 sixth-year students will have submitted their CAO applications to undergraduate courses by February 6, underlining the pressure on students to make key choices on their learning and career paths.
Luke Saunders, a former secondary school teacher and Co-Founder of Studyclix, believes the survey results showing the level of uncertainty in young people is “no surprise” given cuts to guidance counsellor hours in recent years. The survey also highlighted that some students are turning to private guidance counsellors due to the lack of support in school.
The Studyclix Student Survey 2025 offers valuable insights into the challenges faced by school students in Ireland. The results highlight a pessimism among students in terms of their prospects of owning a property in their home county when they start work, a sense of inevitability around emigration after they finish university, and a lack of engagement with apprenticeship programmes.
Leaving Cert students are struggling to get adequate one-to-one time with their guidance counsellor, according to the Studyclix survey, with six in ten (60 per cent ) reporting having only one meeting with their guidance counsellor since beginning sixth year. Almost one in five (18 per cent ) said that they have either had no meeting with their guidance counsellor or met them only in a group setting.
With four in ten (40 per cent ) saying that they are unsure if they are making the right choice on their CAO form, uncertainty is driving some to pursue alternative options. More than one in six (15 per cent ) said that they have worked with a private guidance counsellor outside of school to help them decide on their choices on the CAO form.
Luke said: “The guidance counsellor is a vital member of school staff, with responsibilities for teaching careers classes, helping students with CAO and UCAS forms, and supporting students with mental health issues.
“The fallout of the 2008 economic recession saw dramatic cuts to guidance counsellor hours in many small schools, with guidance counsellors also forced to take on a certain number of subject teaching hours. It is no surprise that most students feel they do not have enough time with their guidance counsellor.
“This has created a situation in which students are embarking on the wrong college courses, leading to drop outs. The government should invest in giving schools a greater allocation of guidance counsellor time so that counsellors can provide sufficient support to students.”
The survey also found that students are factoring housing availability into their plans for third-level education, with one in three (34 per cent ) reporting that rent, and the cost-of-living are major factors in where they choose to attend university. Indeed, these concerns are more acute for students from rural counties such as Clare (52 per cent ) and Waterford (56 per cent ).
More than half (55 per cent ), meanwhile, say that they plan to live at home while attending third-level education. The figure is higher in counties Dublin (84 per cent ), Cork (67 per cent ) and Limerick (56 per cent ).
Commenting on the findings, Luke said: “Living in Sligo, I am aware of the growing popularity of Atlantic Technological University where more and more students from the midlands, the west and elsewhere, are commuting into while continuing to live at home. There is also a growing trend of city students moving to regional colleges where there is a greater availability of accommodation.”
The survey highlights a collective disinterest among sixth-year students in apprenticeships or trades, partly as they are not getting enough information about this important career choice. Just one in 20 respondents (five per cent ) say they are considering apprenticeships or trades. Despite a massive government push in recent years to promote them, more than four in ten (44 per cent ) of students say that they have not been given enough information about alternatives to university.
Luke said: “The last government was very vocal about the need for a good supply of skilled tradespeople to maintain a healthy economy, but the survey reveals a failure to engage young people in apprenticeships. Unfortunately, this will have serious implications for not just the housing crisis, but also the prospect of Ireland meeting its home retrofitting and greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets set out in the Climate Action Plan.”
