Just 18 per cent saw software developers and 11 per cent accountants as resilient professions. City & Guilds, which has almost three-quarters of the plumbing qualification market in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, reports a significant increase in the number of people studying for plumbing credentials. Completed apprenticeships nearly doubled to 859 in the year to October 2025, with an uplift in other plumbing qualifications. While middle-class parents might see plumbing as a safe career, are they prepared for their offspring to forgo university and enter the trades? The Jobber survey found only 7 per cent of parents would prefer their child pursue a trade or vocational programme.

Source: The Irish Times March 23, 2026 07:32 UTC