Forfás, Ireland's policy advisory board for enterprise, science and technology, has claimed that a potential 44,000 IT-related jobs could be created in Ireland over the next six years.
This is according to projections from a report carried out by the agency as part of the Government's Action Plan for Jobs. It forecast that the demand for ICT (information and computer technology) skills would grow by as much as 5 per cent each year, thereby creating some 90,000 jobs in the sector.
However, the report came with the added caveat that the Irish workforce will need to be sufficiently trained and prepared in order to meet the forthcoming demand for highly skilled IT personnel. In addition to improving graduates' and jobseekers' IT skills, the report also recommend that the government should aim to attract skilled workers from abroad, as well as encourage a greater degree of female participation in the area.
