THE newly unemployed, and perhaps soon to be jobless, have produced a bulge in those seeking to upskill or a complete change in career.

That was the view at Mallow College of Further Education (MCFE), which held its open night last week.

With unemployment rising rapidly in North Cork, many employees are turning their attentions to opportunities to retrain or improve their skills to make themselves more employable. Meanwhile, many unemployed workers are diversifying and attempting to anticipate where future employment may arise.

"At the open evening we certainly had a larger number of adults looking for courses," reported Margaret Kennedy of MCFE. "Many were recently unemployed, looking to retrain, often in areas very different to what they had been employed in.

"I also felt we had a lot of older, over 50 year old, men seeking to anticipate courses that would produce jobs in the future." Margaret also fetlt that it semed that they didn’t have as many enquires from foreign nationals this year. However, numbers were still up.

"We definately had more young adults—younger than 25 years—signing up to cources for next year in anticipation that the would not have employment anyway," said Margaret. "Many of these would already be on courses/education or in work at the moment.

The college’s open evening for prospective students was attended by an unprecedented number of adults seeking further education. Organisers felt the large attendance reflected the local workforce’s need to retrain and re-evaluate in the current, difficult economic climate.

Now the largest provider of further education in North Cork, the college is offering over 14 courses for the coming academic year, with new courses of Fashion and Design, Horticulture and Garden Design and Fine Art courses included.

Margaret Kennedy the college now draws students from as far afield as Lismore, Co Waterford and Fermoy to Blarney and Scartaglen in Kerry.

* Enrolment is still being accepted at the college; contacted 022-43309 or see their web site at www.mallowcollege.ie.