Parents of youngsters looking to go on to third level education in Ireland have been urged to encourage their offspring to take up science and technology-based subjects.

Chairman of the Higher Education Authority John Hennessy stated these degrees could offer better career prospects than courses such as medicine and law, the Irish Independent reports.

He said parents "need to move away from the notion that future secure employment is in the traditional professions", as "the real opportunities for Irish graduates will be in technology, science and engineering".

There will be healthy demand for talented computing and IT personnel over the next few years, Mr Hennessy added, as Ireland is now one of the world's top nations for technology.

With around 50,000 Leaving Certificate students preparing their Central Applications Office submissions ahead of the February 1st deadline, the publication observed parental influence on their children's choices should not be underestimated.

Earlier this week, a survey conducted by oxygen.ie suggested up to two-thirds of college students in Ireland may emigrate after they graduate in order to find better employment opportunities.

Written by Donal Walsh

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