Key points for selected other craft occupations
- There were approximately 105,000 persons employed in other craft occupations, representing almost 6% of the total national workforce
- Employment was concentrated in manufacturing and wholesale & retail
- Almost three quarters of total employment in other craft occupations was concentrated in three trades: electrical/electronic (37%); metal machining, fitting and instrument making (20%) and vehicle (17%)
- Employment in other craft occupations contracted at an average annual rate of 8.9% over the period 2007-2011 — declining at a pace just over twice as fast as the national average; approximately 47,000 net job losses were recorded during that four year period; the largest number was for electrical/electronic trades and metal machining, fitting and instrument making trades — 19,600 and 10,000 respectively — together these accounted for just over three fifths of the total number of net job losses
- There were 4,300 net job losses recorded in other craft occupations between 2010 and 2011; the largest number of job losses was recorded for electrical/electronic trades and printing trades
- The age profile of the overall workforce of other craft occupations was broadly similar to the national average
- Approximately 55% of persons employed in the selected occupations held higher secondary/FET qualifications, exceeding the national average of 39%; however, almost 30% of persons held third level qualifications — considerably below the national average of 45%; although the overall share of third level graduates was relatively low, the share varied across occupations; at 90% with third level, computer repair and maintenance engineers (categorised within electrical & electronic crafts-workers) had one of the highest shares among skilled trades in the national workforce, in contrast, only 12% of the workforce of butchers, fishmongers and related trades were third level graduates
- Approximately 43% of the workforce of butchers, fishmongers and related trades was composed of non-Irish nationals — one of the highest shares among skilled trades in the national workforce; the share was also high for the workforce of computer repair and maintenance engineers, with one fifth non-Irish nationals
- The overall workforce of other skilled crafts-workers was predominantly male
Shortage Indicators
During 2011, de-boners and trimmers continued to be sourced from outside the EEA, with 40 new employment permits issued to non-EEA nationals. However, the pilot training programme in butchery skills, developed by FÁS and the National Butchery Academy, should help address the shortage in the short-to-medium term.
There are currently no shortages of electricians. Most job opportunities are in residential repair and maintenance. However, the increase in the use of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies (e.g. photovoltaic and solar panels, wind turbines, energy efficient lighting appliances) and the installation of electrical services associated with smart home technologies and electronic security systems are expected to positively impact on the demand for electricians.
Recently, some companies have reported difficulty in sourcing toolmakers. Apprentice intake levels in 2011 were almost 40% higher than in the previous year. The expansion in tool-making activities and the associated demand for tool-making skills is primarily influenced by the strong performance in some segments of high-tech manufacturing (e.g. medical devices). |
