Primary Sector

The primary sector provides the raw materials for the food industry. These raw materials are either used on their own or they are processed. Agriculture is an important part of the primary sector. It provides dairy ingredients such as milk and tillage crops such as wheat and barley.

Secondary Sector

This sector processes raw materials from the primary sector. Food production is a major part of this industry. The primary materials e.g. milk are processed into foods such as cheese and ice cream. This sector provides a huge amount of employment to the food industry.

Tertiary Sector

The tertiary sector involves providing goods or services. This sector provides many jobs and opportunities to the food industry e.g. working in a supermarket, selling the food, working in marketing or branding the food products. The tertiary sector is the most profitable sector in the food industry.

Positive Effects

There is an increase in leisure time for those working from home as the person does not have to commute to and from work. This gives them more time to spend on activities they enjoy e.g. more time with family or more time for exercise. In jobs that involve manufacturing and production of goods, technology increases accuracy. The use of machinery can help to improve the quality of products e.g. stitching of jeans. 

Negative Effects

The use of technology can cause unskilled people to lose jobs. If a company has a work-from-home scheme in place, employees need to have ICT experience. In some situations, older people have less experience working with technology which can make them less employable than their younger counterparts. More and more people working from home is leading to greater social isolation. Technology can cause people to become isolated from the “real” world around them.

In today’s society, a large number of jobs require FETAC qualifications. Most employers look to hire people who have completed their Leaving Cert. The Leaving Cert promotes qualities such as hard work and punctuality which are important to an employer.

Literacy and numeracy skills are needed in nearly every job today. Educational qualifications ensures that a person has these skills.

Safety, Health and Welfare at work acts 2005/2010 ensures safe working conditions for employees. Under these acts, employers must provide instruction and training to employees on health and safety.

Employment Equality act 2015 promotes equality and bans discrimination in the workplace. It ensures that someone’s gender, race or sexuality does not affect how they are treated in the workplace.

The Protection of Young Persons Act 1996 ensures that young people in the workforce are not taken advantage of. It ensures they are paid properly and given insufficient.

Geographical Location: the childcare provider’s location can influence a family’s decision. If they are located near the parent’s place of work or home is an important consideration for the family.

Price: crèches tend to be more expensive than childminders. The amount of money a parent is willing to spend on childcare is an important factor.

Needs of The Child: every child has different needs depending on their age and intellectual ability. Parents have to consider the needs of their children and find out which option is the best for their children.

Environment: the environment in a crèche is extremely different from the environment in a childminder’s home. The family needs to analyse their child and decide which environment they are more suited towards.

Childminder

Childminders are self-employed people who mind children in their own homes or in the child’s homes.

Desirable traits: have a love for children, be in good health, and provide a secure and happy environment.

Advantages: They can give more 1-1 time to the child which is important for their intellectual and emotional development. The child has a reduced risk of susceptibility to illness as they are not around large groups of children.

Disadvantages: there is no backup option for childcare if the childminder is sick. They may not have adequate training to support and care for the child’s needs.

Crèche

Provides a home away from home for the child in a school-type setting. 

Desirable traits: they have sufficient indoor and outdoor space. There are efficient systems of heating, lighting and sanitation. They are run by trained people.

Advantages: all staff members are qualified in early childhood education. It offers a stimulating environment. It’s a reliable option for parents as the opening hours are guaranteed.

Disadvantages: large groups of children reduce the 1-1 time. There’s an increased risk of susceptibility to illness as they are around large groups of children. They operate strict opening hours that may not suit parents who are delayed at work.

Migrants: they may have the sufficient qualifications but experience discrimination by potential employers, prohibiting work attainment. They may have to send a large amount of their wages to family in their country of origin, reducing income for themselves.

Early School Leavers: they may have few or no qualifications which prohibits work attainment.

Older People: may be solely reliant on the state pension as their main source of income, which is often not enough to meet their basic needs.

One-Parent Families: may be unable to find a job that will provide flexible working hours. Expensive childcare may create a barrier to upskilling or obtaining a job.

Influence of social policy on poverty

The social welfare system provides social welfare payments to individuals and families to assist with meeting their basic needs. However, the element of social policy can perpetuate poverty, as social Home Economics | Sample answer 5 welfare payments can sometimes be more financially rewarding than wages in low-paid jobs. As returning to work would represent a financial loss, some people choose to remain dependent on welfare. This situation is a poverty trap.

State response

1) Minimum wage – the current minimum wage for anyone over 20 in Ireland is 10.20 euro an hour. The minimum wage rises as the cost of living rises which helps to prevent poverty as it ensures that people on the minimum wage have enough money to afford the goods that they need.

2) SOLAS – this is the national further education and training authority. This offers traineeship programmes such as childcare and software and apprenticeship programmes such as plumbers and motor mechanics. These programmes and courses help people to gain experience and progress into further training or employment.