Retired? DCU may have the course for you

It is never too late to start a second career. Dublin City University (DCU) recently launched an advanced transitions programme aimed at retired or soon-to-be retired professionals. The DCU programme is based on a mix of academic, personal and professional development and offers participants the chance to take up new challenges and develop new skills.

Brian MacCraith, DCU’s president, believes it is important to consider what older people can offer the economy and society.

“At a national and international level, we must explore ways to respond to the increasing complexity and richness that ageing brings to our societies and economies,” he said.

“Access to development programmes, such as advanced transitions, will allow society to access the valuable resources and experience of older individuals who still have much to contribute.”

There are about 540,000 people aged 65 or older in Ireland, and this is expected to increase 1.4 million over the next 25 years.

Director of the programme, Ronan King said that social responses to retirement needed to change as medical advances meant that more people lived longer and healthier lives.

“The gift of additional decades of life derives from advances in medical science, nutrition, disease eradication and lifestyles. This means that governments, universities and individuals need to recalibrate their thinking and planning if this gift is to be of benefit, rather than a potential burden,” he said.

King believes that tailored approaches to adult learning are needed to ensure individuals can fulfil their personal life goals.

“This, in turn, contributes in a meaningful way to the individual, the family, wider community and the economy,” he said.

The DCU programme begins next January and runs for a year. It is open to 25 people for its first intake. All participants will have access to the DCU library and online resources, as well as sports and gym facilities and the opportunity to take part on university and student-led activities.

Although DCU’s advanced transitions programme is unique, Irish colleges and universities have been increasingly focusing on “lifelong learning” as this is a growing education sector. The National Skills Strategy, published earlier this year, aims to double the number of people upskilling by 2025.