When researching careers, another area worth having a look at is the Irish Labour market and its trends.  This is the relationship between the Workplace and the Workforce and how it changes over time.  Some sectors of the economy could be experiencing growth, which would point towards good job opportunities, while others could be on a downward trend and may indicate job uncertainty in that sector at that particular time.  These trends can often have an effect on numbers applying to college courses and as a result can sometimes cause CAO points to either rise or fall.  

A good example of how trends can shift is if we look at the Irish construction industry over the past 15 years.  Before the economic crash of 2007/08 the Irish construction industry, particularly housing, was thriving.  Huge numbers were employed across the sector and college courses in construction related disciplines were full and commanding high points.  Then the crash came.   

In just a couple of years the industry was devastated, the property bubble had burst and huge numbers of people became unemployed across the sector.  Colleges were now finding it difficult to attract students and as a result points fell drastically.  This past 5/6 years have seen the industry recover again to a stage where it is once again thriving and this can again be noted in the increased points required for the related courses.  

When a sector of the economy recovers from a downturn there are often significant skills shortages in that area.  When this “boom boost” scenario occurs it can have a long term negative effects on the economy with a shortage of those qualified to work in that sector.  There are still skills shortages in the construction sector and consequently great job opportunities for those suitably qualified with the correct qualification, apprenticeships and experience. 

Labour Market information is released each year by organisations such as SOLAS, the ESRI and the CSO. Their reports provide statistical information on growth trends across most sectors of the Irish economy, and we can then easily identify career sectors that have a growing number of employment opportunities. They also identify if there are any particular Jobs in Demand – jobs that are currently showing demand for workers and are actively recruiting.