Those fluent in only one language may soon find themselves out of a job, as more employers look to recruit people who are multilingual.
And as Ireland lags behind our European counterparts in terms of foreign language learning, employers have expressed concerns about a future shortage of candidates with a second language.
Jobs requiring a foreign language competency made up almost 4% of total job postings on recruitment website Jobs.ie.
Of the total language roles posted on the website since January, 29% of those require workers with the ability to communicate in German, followed by French (22%), Dutch (13%), Italian (6%) and Spanish (6%).
A rise can also be seen in the number of jobs requiring non-European languages, such Chinese, which saw an increase of 40% from 2018.
And the jobs website expressed concern that a decline in CAO points for language courses could signal a poor uptake of course places and a shortage of skilled workers to fill these roles.
General Manager of Jobs.ie Chris Paye said: “In today’s competitive jobs market, an extra language competency can often be the key differentiator between you and another eligible candidate.”
In recent years, Ireland has enjoyed the luxury of being an English-speaking country in a world where English has been the primary international language of communication.
But with the UK set to leave the EU in October, relationships with non-English speaking countries are growing and Ireland is seeing an influx of international companies setting up European headquarters in Ireland.
The demand for bilingual workers remains high, particularly in customer service and sales roles.
Ireland already lags behind the rest of Europe in terms of foreign language learning. Without a strong pipeline of language graduates, Ireland faces a serious skills shortage in this area.
Mr Paye said: “Foreign language skills are an essential criterion for employers looking to fill positions that may involve interaction with international customers or stakeholders.
“In today’s competitive jobs market, an extra language competency can often be the key differentiator between you and another eligible candidate when applying for a role.”
He added that for those learning languages, there are a number of employment opportunities.
He said: “Workers with a language skillset are an invaluable asset to Irish businesses that wish to expand outside of Ireland or access new markets.
“Employees that present with these skills can reap the benefits of the career development that this offers.”
