Schneider Electric, a global company, intends to recruit approximately 40 individuals within the upcoming two years. However, the firm has warned of a deficit of experienced professionals and trainees in the region. Schneider specialises in creating apparatus and software that commercial enterprises utilise to supervise and regulate their electric consumption.
Currently, the company employs approximately 400 professionals, including engineers, technicians and electricians in Ireland. These employees provide services to customers in various sectors such as industry, technology, and data centres. Chris Collins, the president of Schneider’s Irish operations, expects to augment their workforce by around 10 per cent in the next few years.
Collins, however, indicated that the scarcity of skilled or trained workers remains a problem for the firm. “The company requires an increased number of electricians, service engineers in the field, and trained technicians,” Collins stated. He further proposed that the State Agency Solas needs to broaden the number of spots in their apprentice programmes to satisfy the rising demand.
Schneider Electric, headquartered in France, was recently positioned first in Time magazine’s list of the leading sustainable corporations globally for 2024. Gwenaelle Avice Huet, the Executive Vice President of its European operations, stated that Schneider’s systems supported customers in reducing their electricity consumption by as much as 30 per cent. Huet believes that this, along with the enhancement of renewable energy production, represents the other aspect of the movement towards more sustainable energy usage.
Huet mentioned that buildings contribute to 40 per cent of carbon dioxide emissions, indicating that reducing their energy requirements is crucial to addressing climate change. Schneider’s systems offer a solution, enabling owners of commercial and industrial buildings to reduce energy consumption without major alterations to the structures.
Collins suggested that Ireland should incorporate more renewable sources into its system and accelerate infrastructure development. He also pointed out the need for electricity networks to evolve and become smarter and adaptable to meet new challenges.
Schneider is on course to achieve carbon neutrality by 2025. The company claims its technology has supported customers in cutting or avoiding the emission of 553 million tonnes of carbon dioxide since 2018. It recently inaugurated its new Irish head office in Citywest, Dublin.
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