Skills shortages
Northern Ireland is experiencing a shortage of workers with certain skills. These include electrical, mechanical and civil engineers, medical workers such as doctors, nurses and biochemists, and trades such as construction workers and chefs.
What are the effects of a skills shortage?
- Businesses may not be able to meet demand because they lack staff with suitable expertise and could lose trade as a result.
- Failing to meet orders may reduce business profits and harm growth.
- Businesses may be forced to offer higher wages, costing more money, and harming growth.
Schools should promote STEM subjects because:
- they provide pupils with the skills required for employment in STEM-based businesses;
- they broaden pupils鈥 career prospects;
- they support businesses in the local economy by preparing highly-skilled workers.
Emerging careers
When your great-grandparents were at school, there were no ICT classes, because there were no ICT jobs.
New careers are being created all the time. It鈥檚 difficult to anticipate what your children will be doing for work.