IrishJobs.ie have released a special report focusing on the labour market conditions facing students entering the Irish university system.
The research explores the extent to which students' third level course preferences are in line with career opportunities in the labour market.
The IrishJobs.ie CAO Report was published in conjunction with the IrishJobs.ie quarterly Jobs Index and Sentiment Survey which gauges sentiment amongst almost 1,500 jobseekers across Ireland.
The report reveals that while Government efforts to promote STEM related courses is working with more and more students now enrolling in STEM related courses, job vacancies in this sector have experienced the lowest growth of all sectors analysed.
The Construction/Architecture & Property sector is among those sectors experiencing the strongest growth in job vacancies and has seen steady growth in university applicants in recent years.
The research shows that the greatest increase in the number of CAO applicants has taken place in courses categorised as Other Healthcare, such as Occupational Therapy. This development is well matched by trends in the labour market.
Job vacancies in the Medical Professionals & Healthcare sector have grown more than five-fold since 2009, representing the strongest growth of all sectors.
The CAO report dovetails with the latest IrishJobs.ie Jobseeker Sentiment Survey which gauges the views of almost 1,500 jobseekers.
In line with the CAO report, research shows that 74% of jobseekers are looking for employment relevant to their third level qualification. Interestingly, research also shows that 85% of jobseekers believe office skills such as email etiquette, presentation skills and team leading should form part of every degree course.
General Manager of IrishJobs.ie, Orla Moran commented, "Our Job Index show an 8% growth in the number of jobs advertised on line since this time last year and a 4% growth in jobs advertised between July and September. Strong annual increases are evident for jobs in construction and manufacturing, with quarterly increases in two thirds of all sectors analysed."
She added, "It’s been a very positive year, so far, for the Irish job market and for Irish jobseekers. The next three months should bring the traditional surge in seasonal sectors – Hospitality, Retail, etc. as well as HR managers preparing their recruitment strategies in anticipation of the increase in job hunting activity we experience every January."
Source: www.businessworld.ie
