Digital Skills Gap in Ireland: Addressing the Challenges

Is Ireland ready for the fast-changing digital world, or is there a hidden skills shortage? This could affect the country’s future success.

Ireland is getting better at digital tech and education, but it still faces a big digital skills gap. It ranked 3rd in the EU for Human Capital in the 2022 Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) with a score of 62.63. Yet, there are big challenges to overcome.

About 70% of people in Ireland have basic digital skills, which is above the EU average. But, there are still issues like a big gender gap in ICT, with only 20% of ICT specialists being women. Also, lower-income groups struggle with daily computer use. To use Artificial Intelligence well, Ireland needs to improve its digital workforce.

The Irish Coalition for Digital Skills and Jobs is leading the charge. With 50 partners from different sectors, it aims to improve digital skills, encourage ICT careers, and make people more aware of digital issues. This effort could help Ireland close its digital skills gap and move forward with technology.

Key Takeaways

Ireland ranks 3rd in Human Capital on DESI 2022, indicating strong digital skill potential.
Within ICT, only 20% of specialists in Ireland are female, highlighting a significant gender divide.
Sociodemographic disparities affect daily computer use and other essential digital skills.
The Irish Coalition for Digital Skills and Jobs is crucial for advancing digital workforce inclusion.
Addressing the digital skills gap is essential for embracing AI and supporting economic growth.

Introduction

Ireland is working hard to become a top tech center. It’s now third in the EU for human capital, showing big progress in digital skills. The Irish Coalition of Digital Skills and Jobs leads the way with plans for better education and upskilling. Their work is key to making sure everyone can enjoy the benefits of the digital world.

Overview of Digital Skills in Ireland

About four-fifths of Irish workers need basic to moderate ICT skills for their jobs, more than the EU average. Only 8% say they don’t need any ICT skills, unlike the 15% EU average. Among college graduates, nearly a fifth need advanced ICT skills, while only 6% of those with just a secondary education do.

Also, 82% of workers with low education levels in Ireland need some ICT skills, which is higher than the EU average of 65%.

Importance of Addressing the Skills Gap

Fixing the digital skills gap is crucial for Ireland to stay competitive. Over half of Irish SME owners find it hard to hire people with the right skills. This problem is common in Europe, where 77% of businesses struggle to find skilled workers.

There’s also a growing need for advanced ICT skills among young workers. This highlights the need for targeted upskilling programs across different sectors and groups.

More than half of Ireland’s workers have seen changes in their work technology in the last five years. This shows how fast technology is changing. To tackle economic gaps and ensure no one is left out, it’s vital to focus on digital skills and upskilling efforts.

Current State of Digital Skills in Ireland

In Ireland, the digital skills scene shows both good and bad sides. The country’s Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) 2022 shows big steps forward. Yet, there are still challenges in making the workforce and digital skills better.

Statistics and Rankings

Ireland is ranked 20th in the Digital Skills Gap Index (DSGI) with a score of 6.5. This is a strong spot, but countries like Singapore, with a score of 7.8, show there’s room to get better. The DSGI looks at things like how well employers and employees match up, the STEM gender gap, and how much research is done on digital topics.

Over 1,800 companies from abroad have set up shop in Ireland, covering areas from Technology to Financial Services. But, only 4.2% of people feel the digital skills here are good enough. This is worrying, especially when 85% of American workers think digital skills are key for doing well at work.

Gender Divide in ICT

The gender gap in ICT is still a big problem in Ireland. The country has more ICT specialists and graduates than the EU average, but fewer women in these roles. Almost half of those surveyed before the pandemic saw a big digital skills gap, and the pandemic has made it worse.

Groups like those with less education, people of color, younger workers, people with disabilities, and women are hit hard. This shows we need programs that help everyone get better at digital skills. Getting more women into tech jobs is key for Ireland to stay competitive worldwide.

Government Initiatives and Policies

The Irish government is tackling the digital skills gap with various initiatives and policies. A key effort is the National Digital Strategy. This strategy aims to make Ireland a leader in digital advancements. It’s linked to the 2021 Economic Recovery Plan, focusing on digital infrastructure and a secure digital transition for everyone.

The National Digital Strategy

The National Digital Strategy includes many projects, like high-speed broadband in schools and digital education reforms. It highlights the importance of working together between the public and private sectors. For example, a €400,000 project aims to create a national skills platform to tackle Ireland’s digital skills gap.

This project is supported by Skillnet Ireland and Cisco through its Country Digital Acceleration Programme. It’s led by The Learnovate Centre at Trinity College Dublin. The platform will have tools for assessing digital skills, matching skills with jobs, and learning on the job. It aims to improve digital literacy and build a strong digital infrastructure in Ireland.

Industry leaders stress the need to train and retrain workers. This is crucial for meeting the strategy’s goals and staying competitive in the digital world.

Economic Recovery Plan

The 2021 Economic Recovery Plan backs the National Digital Strategy. It sees digital infrastructure as key to Ireland’s recovery after the pandemic. Workshops showed that there’s a big need for more digital and data skills in the industry.

Only 14% of Irish adults were in education or training in 2021, which is a bit higher than the EU average. But it’s lower than in countries like Sweden and Finland. This shows the need for ongoing upskilling to get ready for the digital future.

By 2030, McKinsey predicts 375 million workers worldwide might need to switch jobs because of digital changes. This makes learning new digital skills and lifelong learning vital for national policies.

Public-Private Partnerships

Public-private partnerships (PPP) are key to solving Ireland’s digital skills gap. They combine the knowledge of industry leaders, schools, and job training groups. This mix drives innovation and offers vital training chances.

Collaborative Research Projects

The Learnovate Centre is a great example of how PPPs boost digital skills education. It works with Cisco and Skillnet Ireland to create new skills tests and match people with digital jobs. The VMware IT Academy also helps over 500 schools in the European Union with digital skills training that employers want now.

Involvement of Industry Leaders

Big tech companies like VMware are crucial to these partnerships. They’re working hard to fix the talent shortage with public-private partnerships and community efforts. For example, their work with eForHum in Milan, Italy, prepares students for jobs in virtualization and cloud computing. This shows how such programs can bridge the gap between school and the real job world.

Thanks to these partnerships, Ireland is tackling its digital skills gap well. With ongoing work between tech leaders and schools, the country is getting ready for a digital future. This will help meet the needs of a fast-changing tech world.

Technology Education in Schools

Technology education is key in Ireland’s plan to prepare students for the digital economy. Despite a high demand for digital skills, there’s a big gap in STEM programs. By August 2022, only 34 Computer Science teachers were accredited in Ireland. Most of the 140 teachers in Computer Science didn’t have the official Teaching Council accreditation.

Only 15.6% of schools offered Computer Science at the Leaving Certificate level. This means just 114 out of 728 post-primary schools had it. Also, 117 out of 728 schools taught Junior Cycle Coding. The gender gap is clear, with more boys than girls in these tech subjects.

The Irish government is tackling this issue with big investments in school technology. They’re focusing on high-speed broadband and giving ICT devices to students early on. These steps aim to bridge the gender gap and prepare students for the digital economy.

Even though many young people have phones and smart devices, they lack deep technical skills. This shows the need for early and ongoing computing education. Adding coding, robotics, and computer science to the K-12 curriculum can help close the digital skills gap.

With 54% of big companies worldwide struggling to find enough digital talent, the need for strong STEM programs is clear. As we move deeper into a digital world, students must be ready to face future challenges. This will help ensure a prosperous and innovative digital economy.

Workforce Development Initiatives

The workforce development in Ireland has seen big improvements thanks to special programs and investments. Skillnet Ireland plays a big role by focusing on upskilling. They aim to make the workforce more skilled in digital areas.

Skillnet Ireland Programs

Skillnet Ireland has made it easier for workers to learn digital skills. They offer many upskilling programs for ongoing professional growth. This helps keep the Irish workforce competitive in the digital world.

It’s crucial as 76% of tech hiring managers face strong competition. Also, 50% plan to grow their teams by 2024.

Apprenticeships and Lifelong Learning

Skillnet Ireland focuses on apprenticeships and lifelong learning to bridge the skills gap. They encourage ongoing learning to boost Ireland’s lifelong learning rate, currently at 14%. These efforts are key as STEM jobs are expected to grow by 8% by 2025.

Working with groups like Learnovate and Cisco highlights the need to tackle the skills shortage. A €400,000 investment has gone into a national skills platform. This platform helps spot skill gaps and suggests learning paths. It helps professionals grow and boosts Ireland’s innovation.

Importance of Coding Literacy

Coding literacy is key to a strong digital skills base. It lets people understand and make technology, getting them ready for future jobs. Countries like Ireland see digital exclusion as a big social risk. This shows the need for more digital education.

Early Education Programs

In Ireland, early education programs are vital for teaching coding to young students. Groups like the Department of Education (DoE) start coding lessons early. This helps students become creative problem solvers and innovators, not just users of technology.

The “Adult Literacy for Life (ALL)” strategy in Ireland shows how coding literacy is crucial for all ages. It also points out groups that are not well connected with digital tech. This highlights the need for early education to close the digital gap.

Community and Online Learning Resources

There are many community and online resources in Ireland to help with coding literacy. Sites like Codecademy, Coursera, and Khan Academy offer great learning options for all ages. These platforms help people from different backgrounds improve their skills at their own speed, making society more digital-friendly.

The Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation, and Science (DFHERIS) works with local groups on digital education. Their programs focus on improving digital skills for older people, those living in rural areas, and other groups often left behind.

As Ireland works to be one of the EU’s most digitally inclusive countries, community and online resources are key. They provide flexible and inclusive ways for everyone to get involved with technology. This supports the country’s efforts to improve digital skills for all.

Upskilling Initiatives for Existing Professionals

Upskilling programs for professionals in Ireland are key to keeping the workforce ready for fast-changing tech. These programs help with professional growth and career advancement in today’s digital world.

PwC’s New World. New skills. program has helped over 10 million people since it started. It works with UNICEF and Generation Unlimited to help 1.8 billion young people move from school to work by 2030. PwC is also a partner in the World Economic Forum’s Reskilling Revolution, aiming to educate, skill, and employ one billion people by 2030.

The Global Solutions Initiative’s Young Global Changers (YGCs) program, backed by PwC, has brought together over 400 young innovators from 120 countries since 2017. These efforts show how crucial digital skills are to avoid job losses. In Ireland, 16% of workers are at high risk of losing their jobs to automation, higher than the OECD average.

About 21% of Ireland’s employees could lose their jobs due to new technology, says the Economic, Social, and Research Institute. With one in three jobs in Ireland at risk from digital tech, upskilling is more important than ever. Around 370,000 people work in jobs highly likely to be automated, and another 600,000 in jobs at medium risk.

The Irish government plans to graduate over 12,400 people with advanced digital skills by the end of the year. This matches the growing need for highly skilled workers. Microsoft is also offering a digital skills training program in Ireland for 10,000 people hit hard by COVID-19. An Cosán, a Dublin-based education group, has launched new digital tools to tackle Ireland’s digital skills gap.

Third-level schools in Ireland are starting tech courses, like data center management and cybersecurity, to meet the job market’s needs. The Dublin Tech Skills Forum on March 9, 2022, will highlight the need for ongoing digital upskilling for career growth in the digital economy.

STEM Programs and Their Impact

In Ireland, STEM programs are key to building a skilled tech workforce. They greatly improve digital skills and help grow the tech industry. With 46% of science, engineering, and tech companies facing challenges in hiring roles like application developers and IT engineers, STEM skills are more important than ever.

Gartner found that 64% of CIOs worldwide faced talent shortages in 2021. This shows the growing need for specialized skills in tech.

Investing in STEM education has a big impact on both careers and the economy. In Ireland, STEM jobs are expected to increase by about 8% by 2025, faster than the average job growth. This means we need around 4,800 more STEM graduates each year, according to Science Foundation Ireland.

Even though STEM fields are growing, there’s still a big gender gap. Only 25% of STEM jobs in Ireland are held by women. Fixing this gap could add $12 trillion to the global economy by 2025. With two-thirds of secondary students interested in STEM, Ireland must keep supporting these programs to ensure everyone has equal access.

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The Growth Catalysts Team

Equipped with decades of collective expertise in soft skills, personal and professional development, leadership, management, psychology, organizational behavior, and business, the Growth Catalysts Team at ESOFT Lifelong Learning stands at the forefront of your self-improvement journey. Our members, enriched by diverse 3rd level education backgrounds including psychology, organizational behavior, management consulting, and business, have refined their craft within major media houses, and as trainers, coaches, and consultants. Driven by a shared zeal for empowerment and transformative growth, we dedicate ourselves to delivering actionable insights that pave your way to success.
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