Forecasting the demand for ICT Practitioners in Ireland over the period 2017-2022

Tender description

Ireland's Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (DJEI) is seeking the provision of research and consultancy services to undertake a forecast of the demand for ICT Practitioners in Ireland over the period 2017-2022, arising both within the ICT sector and across other sectors of the economy. The Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN), whose Secretariat is based in DJEI, will be the main client. The work will be an essential input into the planned update of Ireland's National "ICT Skills Action Plan, 2014-2018". This plan was informed by a previous forecasting exercise commissioned by the EGFSN in 2013, on the demand for high-level ICT skills over the period 2013-2018. The current exercise will produce three plausible demand scenarios for ICT Practitioner skills arising within the ICT Sector and across other sectors of the Irish economy over the period 2017-2022. There will be one Central skills demand forecast anticipated as most likely to occur. The demand forecast scenarios will be informed by a qualitative research exercise, comprising structured interview surveys with enterprises, key informants, and discussions with selected companies and key informants in at least two workshops. This part of the exercise will also elicit ideas/recommendations from stakeholders on how to boost the quantity, quality and diversity of ICT Practitioner skillsets and competences in Ireland. The annual demand scenario forecasts, the implications of the central skill forecast scenario for emerging skillsets and competences, and an overview of ideas/recommendations on boosting the quantity, quality and diversity of ICT Practitioners, comprise the expected outputs of this exercise. These are to be presented within a report with an executive summary (60-70 pages- excluding appendices). A project steering group will oversee this exercise. It is anticipated that the project will commence in late-September 2017, with the final report to be completed by mid-February 2018