Kerry wants to know: "Hi Jan. I'm curious, what prompted you to do the survey in the first place? "

Jan Walsh said:

The survey was commissioned by Foundation Degrees because they wanted to know how attitudes were changing to job satisfaction and the need for skills and qualifications.

Pete wants to know: "What were the most common reasons for boredom at work?"

Jan Walsh said:

This came out in people’s comments when answering questions. Very often, people said they were bored and dissatisfied because they were working below what they felt to be their own ability. In other words they'd got stuck in a rut and desperately wanted to climb the ladder in order to have a more interesting time at work.

Donna wants to know: "Which industry seemed to have the most stressed workers and do you know why this might be the case?"

Jan Walsh said:

People working in IT spent more of their working day feeling dissatisfied and unhappy. In fact 14% said they were unhappy for the whole of their working day. But the top sectors were management, education and the civil service.

BK43 wants to know: "How does people's dissatisfaction with their current job and stress level manifest itself in their personal lives?"

Jan Walsh said:

Well, we had a about a third of people in the survey who wake up worrying about their work in the middle of the night. But also, similar number admitted that their unhappiness at work affects the people they love. In other words they come home and have arguments with their partner or shout at their children because of their frustrations at work.

Gillian wants to know: "Did you find that employees of smaller business tend to have a higher level of job satisfaction than those that work for large corporations?"

Jan Walsh said:

I'm afraid we didn't differentiate between firms of different sizes. My personal guess would be that people working for smaller businesses might well be happier simply because in the small working environment you tend to be more valued.

Imogen wants to know: "How do you spot a stressed worker - what are the tell tail signs?"

Jan Walsh said:

I'm not a stress counsellor but health problems are one of the main signs. So people who are constantly ill may well be suffering stress. Obviously people who fly off the handle unreasonably are likely to be suffering stress.

Rick wants to know: “How can taking one of these degrees help me achieve a decent work life balance?"

Jan Walsh said:

The whole point of increasing your skills at work is to rise up the professional ladder. And the higher you go, clearly the more you are likely to earn, and the more flexibility you will have in your job. You may not work fewer hours but you will probably be able to arrange them in a way that suits you and you are more likely to be enjoying what you are doing. I think that gives you a better work life balance.

Willy_mac wants to know: "What is the principle behind a foundation degree?"

Jan Walsh said:

The point about Foundation Degrees is that they enable you to get a Degree qualification but linked to a specific job skill. At the end of the day this qualification makes you much more valuable to an employer.

ISPY wants to know: “At what age are people eligible for Foundation Degrees? and do you have to go to college or uni?"

Jan Walsh said:

From 18 years you can join a Foundation Degree course and there is no upper age limit. They all involve going to a college or university for at least part of the time. But they also involve learning within the workplace.

Kim wants to know: "I am nurse who is sick of working under constant stress and pressure. I want to retrain as a horticulturist but am worried that retraining will be a lengthy process. How long does the average Foundation course take?"

Jan Walsh said:

Presuming that you do the course full time it will take you 2 years. But if you were to do the course part time it would give you time to do work and earn some money, which would mean that the course would take 3 years.

Jerry Williams wants to know: "I'm 40 and looking for a career change and a Foundation Degree sounds perfect but I've got a mortgage to pay and 2 kids so I can't afford to stop earning while I retrain."

Jan Walsh said:

It sounds like your best bet would be to do a part time Foundation Degree course which would give you time to continue earning money.

Steven Scott wants to know: “What is the range of courses on offer?"

Jan Walsh said:

Well, there are hundreds of courses - everything from multi-media courses, forensic science, aeronautical engineering, management studies, sport science etc... does that give you flavour? If you would like to see a complete list have a look at the website www.foundationdegree.org.uk

Nadia wants to know: "Are there any weird and wonderful vocational courses? I'm a trainee accountant and hating it, I just want to find something completely different to do with my life."

Jan Walsh said:

How about Dental technology or hospitality management. This is very difficult question to answer because you want to make the right decision the second time given you seemed to have made the wrong decision the first time. But do have a look at the website.

Robert wants to know: "Is there a foundation degree course that would be good for both an employer and an employee to go on together? My boss wants to do something and says he will fund me through one of my choice to keep him company?"

Jan Walsh said:

Advertising, marketing, there are loads of courses that might benefit both the boss and the employee to know more about.

Costas wants to know: "Surely it is very difficult to find your ideal course when there are so many careers available? How do I find my ideal course and how do you know if you are going to like the career that the course will help me achieve?"

Jan Walsh said:

I would suggest you talk to a career advisor at a local college or university to see what's on offer and get some ideas.

Hamish wants to know: "I did highers at school instead of A'levels - does this mean I'm not eligible for a foundation degree course?"

Jan Walsh said:

They could all vary and they would take your work experience into account. The fact that you did highers rather than A-levels probably won't be relevant. You would need to check the precise requirements for your course.

Henry wants to know: "What Foundation Degrees would you suggest for people looking to set up business on their own?"

Jan Walsh said:

There is a Business Studies course. There are also courses in marketing which are all relevant if you're setting up business on your own.

NND wants to know: "Would you advise paying for staff to take courses as a good motivational tool that doesn't cost too much? How much are we talking about?"

Jan Walsh said:

The maximum amount would be £1,150 for a full time course per year. Many students pay a reduced amount or none at all. Fees for part time courses vary so you would need to check with the university or college, but it would be less than a £1,000.

Wendy wants to know: "What is the usual return on investment on obtaining a foundation degree? How long would it take for me to earn back the amount I've spent on a course by the increased wages that come with the qualification?"

Jan Walsh said:

Obviously, this is a difficult question to answer but, spending around a £1,000, and probably quite a lot less, would easily be re-couped in higher wages. Have a look at www.dfes.gov.uk/studentsupport and that will tell you about higher education grants and fees etc.

Danny wants to know: “Do many employers get involved in funding staff through these courses, and what do they get out of it?"

Jan Walsh said:

Employers vary, some of them fund 100% of the fees, some of them give time off on full pay and some of them pay part of the fees.

MSegall wants to know: "How can I, as an employer, pay for one of my staff to go through this?

Jan Walsh said:

There is an employer and student booklet where you can see how other employers approached it. Contact 0845 60 222 60 there you can see which companies are involved with Foundation Degrees. e.g., Norwich Union and Marsh, Rolls Royce and The Royal Navy are all heavily involved with Foundation Degrees.

jimbob wants to know: "I am desperate to leave my current unskilled job to run my own gardening business but I have no qualifications. Do you think there is a course for me?"

Jan Walsh said:

Certainly! There are several horticultural courses that would hit the spot for you!

Wendy wants to know: "How easy is it as an employer to encourage employees to take courses such as these without undermining the confidence of the staff?"

Jan Walsh said:

I think, suggesting employees might want to go on a skills course such as a Foundation Degree shows clearly the faith you have in them and the support you are prepared to give them. I think most employees would gain a lot of confidence in knowing that their firm is backing them with this type of training.

Henry wants to know: "I'd love to ask my boss to help me - either with money or time off - to improve my skills by doing such a course but I'm worried he will say no because he will think I want to better myself to find another job. How can I convince him it will make me a better employee?"

Jan Walsh said:

This is a really good question, it's true that many employers are understandably worried that they may back employees who want financial help and or time off to do a course and then find that at the end of the course the employee ups sticks and takes his/her skills elsewhere. The answer is to give your boss your commitment that you will stay for an agreed period of time and this can even be written down in the form of a contract. Why not send off for the student and employers booklets, which might help to convince your employer to fund the course. Contact 0845 60 222 60 Most employers recognise that if they have a more highly skilled work force they tend to have a more profitable company.

Ms Davies wants to know: "I already work 9 hours a day plus travel - how can I fit in extra study - how flexible are these courses?"

Jan Walsh said:

The level of flexibility depends on the course. It is possible to study for a Foundation Degree in many ways. Full time, part time through distance learning and via the internet.

Donna wants to know: "Hi Jan, what course would you like to do and why?"

Jan Walsh said:

Hi Donna! I suppose if I had the time I would love to do equine management because that was always a childhood dream of mine.