Many Irish workers are at risk of falling behind as they do not have the right skills to thrive in their current employment and are unprepared for changes in the world of work, according to an OECD report.
The research was carried out for the Government and has highlighted a number of areas requiring improvement.
Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris will bring a memo on the matter to Cabinet today to coincide with the "Year of Skills", an EU initiative to promote reskilling and upskilling for workers.
The OECD report warns of "critical challenges" faced by Ireland's skills ecosystem and states that a "leap forward" will be needed to address the issues.
The research found that Irish employers have great concerns about skills mismatches, which occur when a worker's skills exceed or fall short of those required for the job, and skills shortages in areas such as digital skills, STEM skills and management skills.
According to the OECD, the skills of some adults could be more fully activated in the labour market including workers with low levels of education, women and people with disabilities.
The study found that workplaces could be better designed to stimulate the use of workers’ skills and also highlighted a need to improve management capability in Ireland particular among SMEs.
The OECD said that the governance of Ireland’s skills system is complex and has highlighted the need for a joined-up, all of Government approach.
