In the context of the recent first round CAO offers 2016 and students just having returned to university, IrishJobs.ie has released a special report focusing on the labour market conditions facing students entering the Irish university system.
The research explores the extent to which students’ third level course preferences are in line with career opportunities in the labour market.
The IrishJobs.ie CAO Report reveals that while Government efforts to promote STEM related courses are working with more and more students now enrolling in STEM related courses, job vacancies in this sector have experienced the lowest growth of all sectors analysed.
Meanwhile, the Construction/Architecture & Property sector is among those experiencing the strongest growth in job vacancies and has seen steady growth in university applicants in recent years.
The research shows that the greatest increase in the number of CAO applicants has taken place in courses categorised as Other Healthcare, such as Occupational Therapy.
This development is well matched by trends in the labour market. Job vacancies in the Medical Professionals & Healthcare sector have grown more than five-fold since 2009, representing the strongest growth of all sectors.
Orla Moran, General Manager of IrishJobs.ie commented;
““The IrishJobs.ie CAO Report looked at students’ preferences and the career opportunities currently available to them. Our study shows that sectors which were badly impacted during the crash such as Construction & Architecture have bounced back which is good news for people studying and graduating from relevant courses. While jobs in the Engineering and Science sectors have experienced steady, consistent growth, the uptake of STEM related courses has also increased. This makes continued job creation in this sector vital, ensuring graduates of the future enjoy great career opportunities. Of course, it’s important to keep an eye on the job market but ultimately, we would always encourage people to choose the course that plays to their strengths in a subject they are passionate about.”