Ireland’s skills mismatch - students urged to reconsider CAO

THIS week Leaving Certificate students have the chance to change their minds on their CAO forms, and some of the top employers in the country want them to do just that.

Ireland has one of the widest gaps in Europe between the skills of the workforce and the needs of employers. Those with jobs to offer are having to poach skilled workers from rival companies, develop retraining programmes, or go abroad to get the people they need.

All three options are expensive and make little impact on the length of the country’s dole queues.