Irish election: Ask 2 - Equip more people with the technical skills
Technical skills are at the forefront of the new economy, from green energy to electrical engineering, construction and digital. So apprentices in physics-based businesses, from engineers and technicians in the space sector to sonographers that help save lives every day, have a crucial role to play in tackling the Irish skills gap.
Over 50% of physics-related roles typically don’t require a degree. But this is not widely known by young people considering their post-15 options or those influencing their decisions. This lack of awareness – underpinned by challenges facing apprenticeship training providers and employers in Ireland – means not enough young people are successfully engaging with these rewarding and much-needed routes.
Our 2023 Solving Skills report highlights that employers are not sufficiently involved in shaping apprenticeships, especially for SMEs, who often struggle with the administrative overheads.
Young people also face significant barriers to choosing this rewarding path. They are not sufficiently exposed to local employers to understand the exciting local apprenticeship opportunities that are open to them.
Transition Year (TY) students could be introduced to local opportunities which could be continued, developing a link with schools and extending to Senior Cycle students where, as appropriate, project work elements in the new Leaving Certificate course in physics could be carried out having local relevance.
Over a quarter of apprentices surveyed reported financial concerns relating to their apprenticeship.
Additionally, over a third had to travel distances to their training provider – while having to grapple with poor transport infrastructure and lack of locally affordable housing. Furthermore, these opportunities need to be promoted, especially to underrepresented groups.
Addressing this will mean tackling stereotypes and misperceptions about who can do physics and busting the myth that apprenticeships lead to ‘lower status’ jobs – misperceptions held by young people and the key figures that influence their decision making.