Unemployment levels in Ireland have hit the highest numbers since 1994 with more than 440,000 people or 14.5% of the labour force unemployed but this recession has brought new challenges; almost three quarters of them have never been out of work before. The largest increase in unemployment has occurred among people who already have good qualifications and work experience.

Unemployment levels in Ireland have hit the highest numbers since 1994 with more than 440,000 people or 14.5% of the labour force unemployed but this recession has brought new challenges; almost three quarters of them have never been out of work before. The largest increase in unemployment has occurred among people who already have good qualifications and work experience.

The Irish Central Statistics Office figures reveal that between 2007 and 2010 there was a 300 percent rise in the number of people with a third level educational qualification losing their jobs. Many of these people worked in the construction, manufacturing and retail sectors which have been hardest hit by the economic crisis. The new government recently announced a Jobs Initiative which, amongst a range of measures is providing 6000 free higher education places with a view to upskill and reskill unemployed people in order to support them to change career paths and give them a real chance of re-entering the workforce . While unemployment has increased, nonetheless there are sectors of the Irish economy which are experiencing skills shortages. Forfas, Ireland’s policy advisory board for enterprise , trade, science, technology and innovation has identified skills gaps in the following sectors:-

• ICT
• Engineering
• Science
• Sales
• Financial services
• Transport

In addition it anticipated future skills gaps in the following areas:-

• Cloud Computing
• The Green Economy
• Bio-Pharma and Pharmachem
• Food and Beverages
• International Financial services
• Irish Medical Devices

The new initiative entitled Springboard is designed to offer participants an opportunity to exploit career opportunities in these areas by developing the skills most in need within enterprises around the country. It is also designed to prevent skilled people from becoming disconnected from the Labour Market and drifting into long term unemployment.

Who will benefit

The initiative is aimed at people like Peter who told his story to the Irish Independent newspaper. At 53 years old he had to take a three day week when the company he was working for was hit by the effects of the slump in the construction industry. He had been working full time as an electrical technician in the same company for many years. The company manufactured air conditioning units, extractor fans and other products which were highly dependent on the construction industry. Peter had never been out of work and found the change in his working hours very stressful. He had always been interested in information technology and had done some short courses through the years. With spare time on his hands for the first time in his life, Peter decided to sign up for a BSc in Information Technology by distance learning. Doing the course by distance learning means that it fits around his current working hours while giving him skills in a new area hopefully eventually leading to a new career path.

He says, “ All in all it has been an incredibly rewarding experience and I would recommend that anyone who thinks the new programmes might benefit them should check them out”

Learning does not stop at school or college

Launching the programme on May 25^th 2011, the Irish Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairi Quinn said,

‘ I recognise that to change career paths in order to get back into employment can be daunting. People who may not have set foot in a classroom for decades may be anxious about getting back on the education ladder, particularly if they have not been in higher education before. Learning does not stop in school or college. The skills learnt and developed in the world of work are highly valued by employers. They can provide a strong foundation for participation in many of the programmes on offer through Springboard”.

Courses offered under the Springboard initiative will be delivered by a range of higher education institutions across the country and information can be accessed at a dedicated website, BlueBrick.ie. To be eligible for one of these free courses a person must be unemployed and seeking work for at least six months at the time of commencement of the course. If they are successful in securing new employment while on the course, programme providers are being asked to ensure that participants are facilitated to gain the programme award.

Bernadette Maria Brady June 2011