Debate contribution: 'Skills Barometer: 2023-2033' Report
Debate contribution by Dr Caoimhe Archibald on .
- MLA
- Dr Caoimhe Archibald
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 10 February 2025
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Oral Answers to Questions
- Heading
- 'Skills Barometer: 2023-2033' Report
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4790748
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I thank the Member for her question. I was delighted to attend and speak at the launch of the 'Skills Barometer: 2023-2033' report this morning. I was encouraged that the sectors with the highest forecasted growth rates in the skills barometer align well with my Department's seven priority sectors. However, the skills barometer also highlights the long-term challenges posed by our ageing population. Quite simply, not enough young people are coming into the labour market to meet the increased demand for jobs. Given that Brexit has limited our ability to attract workers from the EU and that the British Government's immigration policy makes it difficult to attract workers full stop, it is vital that we get more people into work. It also makes it all the more important that we remove cross-border barriers for workers so that we can access a larger talent pool across the island. It is important to support people who face barriers to getting back into employment. I noted at the launch of the skills barometer this morning that our skills base and opportunities to access skills underpin all the economic objectives that have been set for the Department. We need to equip people with the skills to deliver on that.
205 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.04 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- Assessed as legitimate policy scrutiny (0.72).
- No identity-based framing was identified (1.00).
- Subject area: Immigration, asylum, race, ethnicity and Travellers.
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.04 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.03 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.01 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.03 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.03 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.72 | Yes |
| Overall judgement | 0.04 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 1.00 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.00 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Immigration, asylum, race, ethnicity and Travellers | 0.70 |
| Constitutional question, Brexit, the Windsor Framework and sovereignty | 0.15 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.09 |
| Sexism, misogyny, ageism and other equality groups | 0.06 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 11:56 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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