Northern Ireland’s job market remains tight with employers struggling to fill growing skills gaps.
That’s the message from the latest NIJobs Job Report with Ulster Bank which reported that companies are continuing to experience difficulties when filling some roles.
It said employer activity on its online platform picked up in the third quarter, despite government jobs data showing a slight slowdown.
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The construction sector reported the most pronounced tightening, with skilled trades in particular short supply, particularly for gradutate civil engineers, plumbing and heating engineers, and conservation officers.
The overall talent shortage is a result of a continuation of the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, demographic changes and shifts in the way of working, Sam Dooley, Country Director of The Stepstone Group Ireland which owns NIJobs said.
“Our advice to employers is to focus on your key goals over a set period and identify business critical roles that you will need to reach these objectives,” he said. “This will allow you to clearly identify where skills shortages exist within your organisation and will also give a clear path of what skillsets are required for future success.
“It’s never been more important to hire and retain talent in the current climate. Upskilling your existing workforce is a good starting point. It’s also worth remembering that employees will want to see more than monetary value placed on their role now. Offering flexibility in work models alongside other incentives such as extra annual leave or wellbeing support or initiatives can attract and retain staff long-term,”