Dr. Katriona O'Sullivan:

There is evidence to show that if people are activated into low-paid jobs their children will be lower paid than they were. There is a cost to society of placing people in jobs that are limited, for example, service jobs. There is evidence that people who are moved into apprenticeships do not get uplift for their family and there is a generational impact. While job numbers might be affected now, which is positive for lots of reasons, there is a long-term cost to society because the next generation is more likely to end up unemployed. There is a societal benefit in investing in meaningful pathways. It is costly to do it but the long-term benefit outweighs the cost. I am glad the Deputy recognises that and has heard it on the ground. In the work I do, we hear it consistently. I have had mature students who actively left work nine months before commencing their studies. They had to decide to leave in order that they could find a path into education because they were sick of being stuck in a job they were unhappy with. They wanted to have the potential to be whatever they dreamt of but the system would not support them to do that. People are being strategic about it to try to ensure they have the supports to be able to get to where they want to go. We should not have a system like that. It should be the other way around.