A Government and industry-led event, WorldSkills Ireland 2024 is taking place from 25 to 27 September 2024 at the RDS, Simonscourt, aimed at encouraging more young people to consider a skills-based career.

Over 24,000 students across 300 secondary schools are expected to see first-hand the wealth of career opportunities available in the skills and trade industries.

Announcing the return of the event, Minister for Further and Higher Education Patrick O’Donovan says the event will showcase the best of Ireland's skills and professions.

“It is a brilliant opportunity for young people from all over the country to explore the variety of skills-based career paths available to them, from traditional fields, like construction and mechanics, to newer areas, such as financial services, green skills and retrofitting.

“I hear consistent messages from employers in areas of skills demand, so it’s great to see events like WorldSkills returning, benefitting both students and employers from across Ireland.”

The national skills finals will also be taking place at the event showcasing more than 30 varied skills in a competitive setting.

Challenges across the sector

The event is hoping raise the profile and recognition of skills and apprenticeships to attract and retain talent into the trade industry, to help the current skills shortage.

According to WorldSkills Ireland-chair/technical delegate Ray English, the skills shortage is one of the major challenges across all sectors today.

“Simply put, we need more skilled people across multiple sectors and this event reflects the collective support from education, industry and government.

"Skills drive the future and WorldSkills Ireland 2024 will be a true showcase of the best in class across many different disciplines, offering young people a wealth of options as they transition from secondary education into the workforce,” says Ray.

For more information on WorldSkills Ireland, visit here.

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