NEWS NI Skills Council releases latest labour market intelligence
The Northern Ireland Skills Council has published its latest skills and labour market intelligence for February 2025, providing key insights into employment trends, economic inactivity, and workforce challenges. As a crucial body guiding skills development and workforce planning, the Council’s work is essential for ensuring Northern Ireland’s economy remains competitive and resilient. The report highlights that Northern Ireland’s employment rate stands at
72.6%, ranking as the fourth lowest across the UK. Additionally, the region faces an economic inactivity rate of 26.1%, the highest in the UK, with 40,000 people who are not currently working expressing a desire to enter the workforce – many of whom are affected by long-term illness. These statistics underscore the importance of targeted skills initiatives to boost participation in the labour market. The NI Skills Council’s core mission is to align education and training with
industry needs, ensuring that workers are equipped with the skills required in key sectors such as manufacturing, technology, and healthcare. Stephen Kelly, Manufacturing NI’s chief executive, said: “The Council also
promotes lifelong learning and upskilling to support career progression and adaptability in an evolving job market. “With economic challenges and shifting workforce demands, the NI Skills Council’s latest report provides essential data to shape future skills strategies. By addressing skills gaps and supporting workforce development, the Council is helping to drive sustainable growth and prosperity for Northern Ireland.”
PMI: Buoyant Irish manufacturing
reland’s manufacturing sector returned to growth in January thanks to fresh impetus in month high. The AIB Ireland Manufacturing PMI rose crossing the 50.0 mark that separates growth from contraction for just the second time in
which have now fallen for a year straight. Input costs rose at the fastest rate in six months due to general price hikes and increased charges for raw materials, although those increases were only partly passed on to consumers.
production in the next 12 months compared with just 6% that predict a reduction. AIB Ireland said that the survey responses
While new orders expanded for just the second time in the last 12 months, the uptick was only fractional as overall growth was weighed down by a continuing decline in new export sales,
were collected in the second half of January, sweeping tariffs on goods from Mexico, Canada and China.
Rockwell Automation, the world’s largest company dedicated to industrial automation and digital transformation, has announced that Irish baked- goods company, West-Bake., has adopted the Plex Smart Manufacturing Platform as a company-wide management suite for its growing operations. Based in Glenamaddy, Co. Galway, West-Bake
operates a state-of-the art, 44,000sq ft bakery, with cookies and cakes for customers around Europe. PJ Shanks, IT manager at West-Bake said the adoption of the Plex solution will it to establish and maintain tighter inventory and quality control in a digital format as it scales up its manufacturing. “By digitalising our inventory and quality
and cost savings,” said Mr Shanks. “As well as more accurate records and smoothing of supply trainer’ approach Plex offers means we can be for future products, new recipes and additional manufacturing lines. “And the tightly integrated offerings mean that all pertinent data generated across our operations is accessible in real time to all internal stakeholders.”
4 February 2025 Irish Manufacturing
www.irish-manufacturing.com
West-Bake adopts Rockwell Automation’s Plex Smart
Manufacturing Platform
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