In February 2018 the Business Support Unit launched the Laois Commuter Survey with the aim of building a commuter profile detailing the skills, education and employment sectors of our 11,477 outbound commuters. The survey was a huge success and has enabled Laois County Council to build a comprehensive profile of our commuter workforce which can now be used to promote Laois as a place to do business.
The survey revealed that of the 11,477 outbound commuters 77% (8847) have a third level degree or higher with the majority of workers commuting to Dublin, Kildare, Carlow, Kilkenny and neighbouring Offaly.
Laois Commuters have a wide variety of skills and are involved in a number of key industries. 6,033 of our highly educated workforce are employed in Business & IT (1,671), Healthcare (1,443), Training & Development (1,084), Manufacturing (944) and Retail/Wholesale Services (891) alone.
With a better perspective of the skills and education of our indigenous workforce, we took our research one step further and examined the workforce and skills available within a 60 minute drive of Laois. Our research revealed that there is a population of 791,019 people within 1 hour’s drive of Laois, accounting for a workforce of 379,881. Of this potential workforce 128,383 have a third level degree in the disciplines of Business & Law (64,166), Science, Maths and Computing (19,484), and Engineering and Construction (44,733). Interestingly Laois has a high number of people with Apprenticeships, Technical and Vocational Qualifications (105,338) within this radius making it an ideal base for the manufacturing, Transport and Distribution sector.
When presented with the survey results, Ken Whitelaw IDA Regional Manager for the Midlands stated,
“IDA Ireland welcomes the publication of the Laois Commuter Survey. The findings of this survey show that Laois has a significant pool of qualified, multilingual and mobile talent within and around the county. Understanding the skills profile of a location is a key factor for potential investors when considering where to place their investment, so having this insight will assist in how we position the area for Foreign Direct Investment.“
With the information now on hand, Laois and the IDA are well placed to increase their promotion of the County as a business destination, building on the recent announcements of major investment from Glanbia, Pat McDonagh and US I.T. firm skOUT. This vote of confidence will ensure that Laois is well positioned to become the centrally located logistics and distribution hub of the Midlands.
As part of our commuter survey we gave away three €250 vouchers for the luxurious Midlands Park Hotel. The prize winners were Claire Cowhig, James Morning and Jody Davis. The winners collected their vouchers on Thursday the 8th of November where James Morning was presented with his prize by the Cathaoirleach, Cllr John King, Denise Rainey (BSU) and Evelyn Reddin (Laois LEO).
Laois County Council and the Business Support Unit would like to express their thanks to the people of Laois, in particular our outbound commuters for taking the time to participate in the Laois Commuter Survey 2018.
The full Laois Commuter Survey can be viewed here.
Learn more about the 30 jobs being created by Cyber Security Firm skOUt click here.
Read about Glanbia’s new investment in the future of Laois click here.
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