Careers in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries are increasingly becoming the dream jobs for many Generation Z students as a result of the pandemic, a new survey reveals.

 According to ‘The Most Attractive Employers Index Ireland 2021’, leading pharmaceutical giants are now vying with the HSE as the employer of choice among third-level students studying natural sciences, health and medicine.

The survey was carried out among 10,043 students, 87pc of whom are Generation Z having been born after 1997.

The HSE retained its number-one spot since 2020 as the most desired employer for health and medicine students. But pharmaceutical giants Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson now rank second and third respectively, while also moving to first and second spot for natural science students. They both rank in the top 10 for engineering students and top 30 for business students.

“The growth in popularity of those within the healthcare space over the past year is a very tangible reflection of how the pandemic has shaped the attitudes and aspirations of young talent in Ireland,” said Steve Ward of employer branding agency Universum, which commissioned the survey.

He said the “unprecedented contributions” made by the health and pharma sectors have “resonated with young people”.