One in five businesses polled by Skillnet Ireland said they were experiencing difficulties in sourcing people with climate action and sustainability skills.
The majority of Irish businesses are concerned about their workforce’s level of preparedness for the ongoing digital transition. They are also eager to ensure that workers gain skills in sustainability.
That’s according to new data from Skillnet Ireland and Ipsos. The agency looked into the future skills challenges of Irish businesses, surveying a nationally representative sample of 500 businesses of all sizes.
According to the survey, 65pc of businesses stated that staff would require training for the digital transition, while 59pc indicated that employees would benefit from upskilling in the areas of climate action and sustainability.
For larger employers, the key tech upskilling demands identified were in robotic process automation (54pc), cloud computing (47pc), artificial intelligence (42pc), marketing (70pc) and sustainable supply chain management (69pc).
Two-thirds of large employers reported that they have been encountering persistent challenges when trying to hire new talent with the appropriate skillsets.
For SMEs, finding people with cybersecurity and financial skills is a difficulty. The data found that they are in a slightly better position than their larger counterparts when it comes to sourcing talent. The majority of SMEs have upskilled their staff in the past 12 months. Just over half (51pc) reported difficulties in recruiting staff with the necessary skill set.
Climate and sustainability skills a must
It is not solely tech skills that businesses are looking for. Skillnet found that 35pc of all businesses regard climate action and sustainability as very important skill areas in terms of growing their business over the next two to three years.
One in five businesses polled said they were experiencing difficulties in sourcing climate action and sustainability skills, with almost two-thirds stating that their staff will require upskilling in climate action and sustainability for their future success. Businesses also consider energy efficiency to be important, with 64pc highlighting its potential to facilitate growth in the next two to three years.
Paul Healy, CEO of Skillnet Ireland, said the organisation is aware of the challenges Irish businesses face in sourcing people with the appropriate skills.
“Our aim is to help Irish businesses stay ahead of the curve. We know from this research study and from our work with the almost 25,000 businesses we engage with through our 70 business networks, that the business sector will continue to face significant levels of disruption as the digital and climate transitions continue apace. Maintaining a strong talent pipeline is key in tackling these changes.”
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