Congress General Secretary Patricia King has called for employers to contribute more to higher education funding through an increase in the National Training Fund Levy.

Speaking before the Oireachtas Committee on Education & Skills, Ms King said that as employers were “major beneficiaries of the outcomes of higher education” they should be required to make a ‘structured contribution’ to its funding.

The General Secretary was outlining the Congress response to the recent on funding for the sector Investing in National Ambition: A Strategy for Funding Higher Education. 

She said contributions could be increased by increasing the National Training Fund Levy, with every 0.1% increase raising €50 million. 

The General Secretary also said that a predominantly state-funded education system “is the most equitable and sustainable option” that avoids placing many thousands of future graduates into long-term debt.

“The experience of student loan schemes in the USA shows that 69% of graduates had to borrow money for their education and in the USA it takes a primary degree holder, on average, 21 years to pay off his or her student loan,” she told the Committee.