A survey from The Open University has revealed that almost half of young people in Northern Ireland are thinking about changing jobs in the next 12-18 months.
It also showed more than a quarter (26%) of all age groups were seeking new pastures and about one in eight revealing that they have fallen out of love with their present professional pursuit.
Careers in aviation, sustainability, digital content, cyber security and renewable engineering top the list for the hottest careers of the future, according to The Open University predictor which highlights the shift in the job market over the next five years.
The pandemic is transforming the world of work leaving many employers needing to retool their staff’s skillset to meet the changing demands of their businesses and many workers having to upskill to remain relevant in a fast-changing labour market as business looks to lead Northern Ireland’s economic revival.
Almost half (48%) of those aged 16 and above believe it is useful to upskill during their career with 33% saying it is imperative to do so. However, a quarter think it is up to the employer to make sure their staff are upskilled. The research revealed gaps in people’s skillset when it comes to management, business, computing and IT.
When considering their next career move, 30% think they could benefit from upskilling in cyber security, business (24%) and sustainability (22%). However, these sectors require workers to have a wide skillset and, in many cases, the transition will require plugging skills gaps.
It seems Covid-19 has been a catalyst for deep thought and reflection upon life and direction with 27% of people saying it made them feel nothing towards the work they have been doing with 18% wanting to retrain.
Given the pandemic and the places where people are on their career path, almost a fifth wish they had continued training throughout their career (19%) and the same proportion say they have a skills gap which has driven them to consider retraining – one in eight admit to having a large skills gap with 16% investing their time in further training to get up to speed.
The Open University is offering 23 free study course options in Northern Ireland across a diverse range of areas from management and leadership, cyber security and sustainability through to entrepreneurship. Those studying can benefit from speaking to entrepreneurs who can unleash ambition and give people hope and direction in finding their dream job and which will allow them to develop and enrich their career.
OpenLearn has partnered with the Department for the Economy to provide free courses to those who employment has been affected by the pandemic and in another project has partnered with InvestNI to provide free courses for local businesses to train their workforce.
Keep up to date with the latest news and views on the NI job market and more by following the nijobfinder blog.
Follow nijobfinder on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to see the latest jobs and to ensure your dream job won’t pass you by.