Progress on skills gap welcome, but a continued focus on skills is key
Date published:
The Department for the Economy today published the findings of the Northern Ireland Employer Skills Survey 2024, which examines the skills challenges faced by businesses.
The survey gathered insights from 3,388 employers, focusing on: Recruitment and skill-shortage vacancies; Workforce skills gaps; Training and development; Apprenticeships; High-performance working practices; and use of artificial intelligence.
A skills shortage vacancy arises when a post is hard to fill because of a lack of skills, qualifications or experience among applicants.
Key findings:
- There are 29,900 vacancies in 2024 - a decrease of 9,600 since 2022.
- 25% of all vacancies were skills-shortage vacancies (down from 35% in 2024).
- 7,500 skill-shortage vacancies in 2024, falling from 13,700 in 2022.
- 11% of employers reported skills gaps in 2024 and the proportion of employees with skill gaps fell from 4.6% in 2022 to 4% in 2024.
- 17% of employers currently offer apprenticeships, while 24% said they plan to offer apprenticeships in the future, a decrease on 32% in 2022.
Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald welcomed the progress but cautioned that employers continue to face challenges. She said:
"While this survey shows that the volume of vacancies and skills shortages has fallen from 2022, employers still face challenging circumstances in filling many posts. Developing the skills of our workforce will be essential if we are to achieve the objectives outlined within my Economic Vision.
"Skills are at the heart of this vision and my Department is investing heavily across the skills ecosystem, however both government and business must ensure that we continue to prioritise investment in skills as this will be key to achieving our economic aspirations."
The Minister also emphasised the importance of apprenticeships in bridging the skills gap and urged more employers to consider apprentices. She said:
"Apprenticeships have a proven track record of providing the specific skills employers need. I encourage more employers to explore the potential of apprenticeships to develop the skills and talent they require to succeed."
