Three quarters of workers surveyed by Accenture believe businesses have a responsibility to invest more in upskilling their employees.
Accenture canvassed the views of 1,000 people working here for the report, 'Talent for Tomorrow: Reskilling to Power Ireland's Economy', which is published today.
Half of the respondents believed businesses were cutting back on their commitment to investing in skills.
The report found that 25% of workers surveyed had not undertaken skills training in the past 12 months.
"This cohort are seemingly ill-prepared for a new era of employment, raising questions over the flexibility and capacity of Ireland's workforce to adapt to a changing economy.
Of the respondents who had not taken any new skills training in the past 12 months, 70% said they would not undertake training in the year ahead.
"A year on from the emergence of the global pandemic, the economic and social impact is evident throughout the world and across our country. Ireland needs to revisit its talent pipeline to help prepare for economic recovery and a new wave of growth," Alastair Blair, country managing director at Accenture in Ireland said.
"The risk is that large sections of the population will not be able to catch the wave. According to our new survey, they will miss emerging job opportunities because they lack skills which will leave a hole in the workforce that could impact Ireland's innovation potential and attractiveness for businesses large and small, and as a place for local and indigenous businesses, as well as Foreign Direct Investment, to thrive."
Accenture's report also highlights the uneven impact the pandemic has had on different groups in society, particularly those who are more vulnerable, and calls for these inequalities to be addressed.
