Event report: ESRI – Blockchain Skills Conference, 1 June 2022

ESRI – Blockchain Skills Conference

1 June 2022

The Blockchain Skills Conference, organised by the ESRI in association with CHAISE, Blockchain Ireland, and Digital Futures at Work Research Centre, was held on the 1st of June 2022 to analyse the demand and supply of Blockchain skills and to provide an examination of the current blockchain labour market within Ireland, the UK and the EU-27. In particular, documenting blockchain relevant sectors, occupations, skill requirements and blockchain demand and supply forecasts. This research comes as a response to the rapid expansion in the application of blockchain technologies and an increase in demand for blockchain skills which is likely to put pressure on the current labour market to provide the necessary skills.

The conference was opened by Prof. Alan Barrett (Director of the ESRI) and William Beausang (Assistant Secretary, Skills Policy & Further Education and Training Division, Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Ireland); and welcomed contributions from Dionysios Solomos (Head of Programme, Erasmus+, CHAISE, EXELIA), Dr. Adele Whelan (Senior Research Officer, ESRI), Dr. Klavs Ciprikis (Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, ESRI), and Prof. Joyce O Connor (Chair of the Education, Skills and Innovation Working Group at Blockchain Ireland).