Universities are meeting employer demands for new graduates to fill artificial intelligence (AI), automation and blockchain-related jobs, according to new research from the ESRI.
The study was funded by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS) and used data from a range of sources, including online job vacancies and a workshop conducted with employers.
It found that the labour market demand for new entrants in AI, automation and blockchain-related jobs is currently being met by supply projections from Irish universities in the medium-term.
Employers highlighted that a substantial amount of labour market requirements will likely arise from the upcoming regulatory changes, such as the recently approved European Artificial Intelligence Act.
“Employers stressed that policy needs to be developed to assist companies in implementing change that will occur at a national level across a whole range of dimensions related to AI,” the ESRI said.
“While employers were happy with the methodological approach and forecasting exercise, they stressed that high levels of uncertainty regarding the development and adoption of AI could still result in levels of demand exceeding those predicted by our research,” the study found.
Patrick O’Donovan, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science welcomed the publication of the report.
“We have committed to futureproofing Ireland’s skills supply and implementing the recommendations of the OECD review of Ireland’s Skills System including the need for granular, timely data to inform future policy formation,” Mr O’Donovan said.
“The research suggests that higher and further education providers have responded in a timely fashion to the emergence of these new emerging technologies,” he added.
Dr Seamus McGuinness, one of the authors of the report, said it was hoped the research will provides an important addition to Ireland’s labour market foresight capabilities.
“In a rapidly changing world experiencing global megatrends, policymakers require tools that allow them to be proactive in the face of changing labour market requirements, to avoid future skills shortages and gaps,” Dr McGuinness said.
