Demand for engineering talent remains strong across Ireland, with the majority of employers expecting growth over 2024.
However, there are some clouds on the horizon. A lack of qualified talent and Ireland's housing shortage are making it difficult for organisations to attract and retain the right people.
Companies will focus on DE&I, hybrid working models, and other retention strategies to meet talent demand.
Engineers are in constant demand across a myriad of sectors and at all skill levels. With 250+ industrial technology and engineering companies in Ireland, and over 23,000 people directly employed in the engineering sector, it’s a buoyant area.
A report by Engineers Ireland in 2023, ‘Engineering 2023: A barometer of the profession in Ireland’, showed 71% of employers had continued confidence in the sector, expecting their financial position to improve, while 72% also expressed concern at the shortage of engineers with the correct skills being a barrier to business growth.
The housing crisis in Ireland has exacerbated the shortage of engineers and impacted hiring timelines. We are seeing an increasing number of employers heavily promoting the Rent-a-Room Tax Relief to their workforce, to aid in finding accommodation for new hires. We’ve also seen growing trends of homeowners directly approaching large employers in their locality, to advertise their own rental options. This bridges the housing need for certain profiles of workers, however when it comes to family dwellings or accessible housing, these are more restricted in availability, and that is having an impact on hiring a diverse and inclusive workforce.
With DE&I remaining at the forefront of most HR and recruitment professionals in 2023, and with women already underrepresented in most engineering functions, consideration will be required for how to further attract and retain diverse talent in this space.
Hybrid and remote working models are talent attraction and retention tools that have been in the spotlight this past year. With a growing push from many firms to have workers back on-site, on a full-time basis, those employers who can offer a strong culture, whilst offering hybrid working conditions, have had a larger candidate pool.
Supply chain disruption has continued to be a factor in many sectors. Engineering companies that had previously employed ‘just in time’ methodologies for stock holding have had to reconsider this model to allow buffers and reduce downtime in manufacturing.
Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) and sustainability drove hiring needs over 2023 and will continue to do so into the future. Solar, wind, and wave energy, as well as areas like sustainable package design, are seeing an increase in talent demand.
The Cpl Engineering Recruitment Team found 2023 to be a strong year for engineering, despite global economic uncertainty resulting in fewer vacancies than anticipated.
We also observed continued recruitment across food manufacturing, chemical, automotive, construction-related engineering, MedTech, pharma, biotech, and more traditional engineering.
Electro-mechanical and chemical engineering remained in very high demand, and the start of 2024 has indicated that need is unlikely to reduce any time soon.
Environment, Health, and Safety (EHS), quality, maintenance and packaging candidates have all been highly sought after, in every sector.
With an increasing number of large-scale government projects, as well as continued indigenous and foreign direct investment in Ireland, the level of demand for engineers will continue to grow.
Ireland has been experiencing a shortage of skilled engineers for some time. However, there are green shoots, 45,000 third-level students enrol in STEM fields annually and Ireland is a destination of choice for international talent.
There is an increase in people taking up apprenticeships and employers embracing the return to apprenticeships, including new apprenticeship paths, are experiencing great results.
Benchmark salaries across different locations, industries, and areas of expertise
Reach out to Cpl's Life Science and Engineering team for a consultation on how we can help you meet your talent needs for 2024 and beyond.
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