Pandemic is pushing changes in business – and new skills are proving essential for survival

New report reveals how important the quality of the workforce in Ireland is to the success of multinationals here

Students now in the educational system are far more technologically aware than their predecessors

Fearghal O'Connor

April 11 2021 02:30 AM

Organisations are struggling to keep pace with the new skills needed in their workforces – and the issue has been heightened due to the pandemic, according to new research from Dublin City University.

Less than a third of firms contacted for the study – which ranged from SMEs to multinationals – were confident in their ability to meet future skill needs.

It found that, prior to the pandemic, four in 10 participants had identified “preparing for the future” as a high or top priority for their organisation – but those that did prepare had since proven “more responsive and agile”.

Large-scale trends – such as the shift to digital business models and the increased adoption of workplace automation, artificial intelligence and advanced analytics – have been accelerated due to the pandemic.

This has put an increased premium on learning and development as a means of equipping companies to handle both long-term challenges and short-term crises.

The research was carried out among more than 60 companies across six countries by David Collings and John McMackin from DCU Business School, and was funded by Skillnet Ireland and the Irish Institute of Training and Development.

It involved over 300 professionals, including CEOs and senior HR and business leaders worldwide.

“Before Covid, technology was already changing employee and customer behaviours in dramatic ways, but the pace has now increased,” said Collings, professor of human resource management at DCU Business School.

Collings said that while the findings were no worse for firms in Ireland, it did raise issues for Irish-based firms – not least for multinationals already facing a changing global corporate tax environment.

“People underestimate how important the quality of the workforce in Ireland is to the success of multinationals here.

"There’s no doubt that tax plays a part in that success, as does location. But talent also plays a big part in that story.

"And as a country, I think it really is a priority for us to continue to create our talent pipelines to ensure that we remain competitive.”

According to Collings, the fact that students now in the educational system are far more technologically aware than their predecessors will create a natural upskilling as they enter the workforce.

Nevertheless, there are still challenges to be met across the wider education system – and areas such as humanities and social science needed to ensure students had some grounding in technology.