Manufacturing & Supply Chain

Government must urgently address the needs of the labour market, if Ireland is to stay apace with the rapid digitalisation of the global workplace and future employment challenges, according to Ibec CEO, Danny McCoy who was addressing a broad range of business leaders. Speaking at ACCA’s recent Business Leaders Forum in Dublin, Danny McCoy set out the areas where technology would support increased employment but also where jobs would be lost, and he called for both the Government and businesses to actively plan for these changes now.

According to Danny McCoy (pictured left) there are a range of factors that need to be introduced to support a thriving Irish economy in the medium to long term including flexible working, skills support for people out of work and labour market rules that support job creation. However he stated that this must be underpinned by progressive policies that will enable Ireland to attract and retain the talent it needs, citing the inadequate housing provision, insufficient public infrastructure, not fit for purpose planning/legal processes and long-term environmental sustainability as being very significant impediments to economic growth. 

Danny McCoy commented: “Public policy must address pressing challenges and ensure there is increased investment in skills and employability, a dynamic labour market and smoother career transitions to enable Irish business to be prepared for the ever-changing landscape of the global marketplace. However, to enable all of this we urgently need a policy plan that addresses our housing provision, planning and public infrastructure and sustainability to secure a future for Ireland that will attract and most importantly retain the brightest and most productive individuals that not only Ireland, but the world has to offer.”

Stephen O’Flaherty (pictured right), Chair of ACCA Ireland, said: “Over the past 30 years, since the introduction of technology into the workplace, definitions of employment have changed from demand-led technical skills towards a broader, transversal skillset that can adapt as the marketplace changes. If this is reflected in public policy now, Ireland’s businesses can be confident in their ability to adapt to the changes that may lie ahead.”