Irish businesses are facing an urgent shift in how they build software talent, as artificial intelligence rapidly transforms the skills needed to compete.
With demand for experienced developers continuing to outpace supply, industry leaders are warning that traditional hiring strategies are no longer enough to meet the pace of change.
New insights from a Senior Programme Manager at the global tech firm Google, shared during our recent LinkedIn Live, highlight how AI is not reducing the need for software developers – but fundamentally reshaping what employers must look for.
A Changing Role for Software Developers
Speaking during the live stream, Darina Doyle, Software Development Apprentice Programme Manager at Google, said the future of software development is not about fewer jobs, but fundamentally different ones.
“AI isn’t coming for your job,” she explained. “But the engineer who can control, design and execute effectively through AI definitely will.”
Despite growing concerns about automation and AI, demand for software developers remains strong.
Doyle suggests there is no decline in interest in tech careers, but there is a growing need for broader and more evolving capabilities.
“It’s not about fewer software developers,” Doyle said. “It’s about fewer people who are nuanced in a single language. Engineers are going to need to expand that skill set way more effectively.”
According to Doyle, the industry is already moving beyond simple AI usage into more complex areas such as building and managing intelligent systems.
“Looking into the future is less about prompt engineering and more about agent development, agent testing and agent tool connectivity,” she explained.
Building Talent from Within
As organisations face increasing competition for experienced tech professionals, tech apprenticeships are emerging as a practical solution for building talent pipelines from within.
Our Tech Apprenticeship programmes allows employers to recruit new talent or upskill existing staff through a combination of on-the-job learning and formal training, with apprentices spending approximately 70% of their time in the workplace.
According to Doyle, tech apprentices bring unique advantages to modern software teams. “By tapping into the apprentice workforce, it’s a non-traditional talent pool. There’s a higher potential for diverse thinking,” she said. “They’re usually able to provide almost immediate value to projects, they’re very self-driven and they’ve got a real motivation for what they’re doing.”
Doyle went on to explain that one of the most significant benefits apprentices bring is their openness to new technologies, particularly AI. “Junior developers are getting on the ground floor with AI development. It’s not just about prompting AI, but developing the AI to deliver the response that you need,” Doyle said.
She noted that emerging talent often brings fresh perspectives that can challenge established ways of working. “They’re bringing that new look at AI to teams that maybe haven’t thought about it in that way.”
Future-Proofing Irish Businesses
As AI continues to reshape the workplace, the message for employers is clear: building the right talent is now a strategic priority, not a future consideration.
While technology will continue to evolve, the need for skilled, adaptable professionals remains constant. “The job is shifting. It’s not going away,” Doyle said.
For organisations struggling to attract, retain or future-proof software talent, tech apprenticeships offer a practical and proven solution – enabling businesses to build capability from within while developing employees who are equipped for the demands of an AI-driven era.
As the national coordinator of Tech Apprenticeships in Ireland, we are now encouraging organisations to rethink how they attract and develop talent, and consider Apprenticeships as part of their long-term strategy, to prevent falling behind.
Employers interested in strengthening their software development capability can book a discovery call with the Tech Apprenticeship team here.
