Bridging the Talent Gap: Ireland’s Struggle with Filling Specialized Engineering and Construction Roles
In a recent study conducted by the hiring platform Indeed, it has been revealed that employers in Ireland are grappling with a significant challenge in filling key positions within the engineering and construction sectors. The research, spanning from January to November of the previous year, pinpointed roles that lingered on the Indeed platform for over 60 days as particularly “hard to fill.”
Engineering Challenges: Specialized Roles in Focus
Among the standout findings, the data showcased that a staggering 62.7% of instrumentation engineer positions defied swift recruitment efforts, remaining vacant for an extended period on the Indeed website. Instrumentation engineers play a crucial role in the planning, installation, monitoring, and maintenance of control systems and machinery in manufacturing environments.
Notably, resident engineers and design engineers claimed spots in the top 10 list of protracted vacancies, emphasizing the struggle to secure talent for these roles. Additionally, senior structural engineers secured the 11th position on the list, underlining the overarching scarcity of skilled professionals in the engineering domain.
Construction Dilemma: Prolonged Openings Persist
The construction industry in Ireland faces its own set of challenges, with 58.8% of job postings for mechanical and electrical project managers lingering on the platform for over two months. This prolonged recruitment struggle extends to roles such as civil supervisors, civil technicians, plumbing managers, and ecologists, all of which found themselves in the top 20 list of persistently open positions.
Beyond the Build: Legal and Tech Sectors Also Struggling
Surprisingly, the legal and tech sectors are not immune to the hiring conundrum. Solicitors and tax consultants emerged as “hard to fill” roles in Ireland last year. Simultaneously, positions such as ad reviewers and online moderators witnessed high demand, showcasing the vital need for professionals overseeing online content and adhering to platform guidelines.
Python developers, specializing in designing, coding, and deploying projects in the Python programming language, faced a similar fate, with over half of related job adverts residing on the site for more than two months.
Insights from Indeed Senior Economist
Indeed Senior Economist Jack Kennedy shed light on the challenges, stating, “The engineering and construction roles proving the hardest to fill are specialized and require either extensive education or training in addition to experience in many cases.” Kennedy emphasized the limited talent pool and advised employers to consider flexibility and additional benefits, alongside competitive salaries, to attract and retain skilled recruits.
In conclusion, Ireland grapples with a notable talent gap in critical engineering and construction roles, requiring innovative approaches from employers to navigate this persistent challenge successfully.
