Sustainability skills in demand

Sustainability, cybersecurity and data analytics were identified as the 3 most sought-after skills from Cork-based employees by technology companies.

That’s according to new analysis of Ireland’s talent pool by Accenture in Ireland which was released this week.

Sustainability skills were the most in-demand by employers, accounting for 379 of 1,439 available technology roles.

In Cork’s metropolitan area, sustainability skills appeared on 26% of all technology jobs advertised on the platform, followed by data analytics (20%) and cybersecurity (19%).

Other emerging technology skills like quantum computing, robotics, extended reality, and data ethics and responsibility, currently feature in 5% of job postings combined for the Cork region.

It found that Cork’s workforce continues to go from strength to strength as employees continue to upskill their professional offering, developing more skills in emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, cloud computing, cybersecurity, data analytics, data ethics and sustainability.

Accenture’s Ireland Talent Tracker analyses the latest trends in the Irish technology market, and their findings also confirmed Cork as the leading city for top tech talent outside of Dublin city, with over 10,000 employees possessing in-demand skills sought by technology employers in Ireland.

In a previous report published in March, Accenture identified 8 main technology hubs across Ireland - Cork, Dublin, Galway, Kildare, Limerick, Waterford, Westmeath and Sligo. The latest report finds there has been a change in several trends across these technology hubs over the past 6 months:

• Remote working technology jobs have doubled in advertisements, from 12% in March 2022 to 25% in August 2022.

• 72% of the jobs advertised by businesses across Ireland are currently available in the eight major hubs being studied - Cork, Dublin, Galway, Kildare, Limerick, Waterford, Westmeath and Sligo. This represents a 24% decline from March. In March, this figure stood at 96%, demonstrating the lessening impact of the pandemic on office and general remote working roles.

• The pool of those with technology skills including cloud computing, analytics and has increased by almost 30 per cent (29%) in the six months from March across the 8 major hubs. This indicates that Irish people are recognising the importance of upskilling in key skill areas.

• The number of technology jobs advertised has decreased by 27% across the 8 major hubs being studied, however, there has been a significant increase (104%) in remote jobs across Ireland.

Antony Keane, Strategy and Consulting lead, Accenture in Ireland, said: “The second iteration of Accenture’s Ireland Talent Tracker points to some interesting trends emerging. The drop in available roles listed could mean that businesses are dialling back on large-scale innovation projects. The 2nd half of this year is becoming one of uncertainty for the market given inflation and the rising cost of living and energy prices, and businesses’ practices seem to have reflected that. However, we would expect that number to bounce back next year as companies look set to innovate and grow through new technology initiatives.”

“There is a tremendous opportunity right now for businesses that have been proactive against the backdrop of uncertainty. Those that have sought new opportunities and embraced innovation are set to benefit in the long term,” Mr Keane concluded.