The charts give information about the main reasons why students of different age groups study and the support they receive from employers.
On the whole, the majority of the age group under 26 study for career purposes, while older students are more likely to study for personal interest. As can be clearly seen from the chart, the youngest group receive the highest level of support.
Students under 26 mostly study for career purposes over interest, with a difference of 70%. A similar pattern can be seen in the 26-29 age group, where approximately 70% study for career purposes and about 15-20% for interest. For people aged 30-39, the proportion studying for career purposes falls to around 55-60%, while interest rises to approximately 25%. In the 40-49 group, the percentages for both reasons are equal at 40%. For people over 49, studying for interest increases to 70% and studying for career purposes decreases to about 15%.
About 65-70% of students under 26 receive support from their employers. This figure drops to around 50% for the 26-29 group and reaches the lowest point of about 35% for those aged 30-39. It then increases slightly to around 40% for the 40-49 group and to about 45-50% for people over 49.