Ireland can no longer hope to compete on the basis of low wages, the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, said at the weekend.
Speaking at the opening of the FAS Opportunities 2000 career fair in Dublin on Saturday, he said that as the Irish economy moved "up the value chain we must rely on the skills and ingenuity of our workforce to allow us to compete in the global market place".
About 120,000 people are expected to visit the careers fair in the RDS at which 40,000 jobs are on offer, according to the fair's director, Mr Gregory Craig.
The jobs are not only in the obvious sectors such as computers and information technology, he said, but also in banking, construction, catering, hairdressing and the retail industry.
Mr Craig said it was a stark and welcome indication of how the jobs market had turned around that there were so many jobs on offer this year.
"When I started this fair six years ago in Jury's Hotel, there were 20 stands and no jobs on offer. Today we have 40,000 vacancies to fill here."
As well as exhibits from potential employers, the universities, the institutes of technology and other colleges in Ireland and Britain are there with information stands. There is also a "skills village" with demonstrations of FAS courses. The exhibition has been extended from three to four days this year, to cope with the expected numbers. As well as school-leavers the fair is targeting graduates, those already in employment who are hoping to change career and people wanting to return to the workforce.
Among the exhibitors is Ulster Bank, whose human resources director, Ms Nicola Kearney, said the FAS Opportunities fair was by far the most successful for them.
This is the bank's third year exhibiting at the fair. Ms Kearney said it also exhibited at Expo in London and other fairs around the State and Northern Ireland.
"We're hoping to raise the profile of banking as a career option and to brush away the fuddy-duddy image it sometimes has," she said. Ulster Bank hopes to recruit 70 staff for positions in various departments.
Visiting the fair was Ms Petra Metz (25) from Germany. She had a master's in cartography and would like to get some experience in Ireland, she said, describing the gathering together of all the information under one roof, as very useful.
Niall Farrelly (14) and his brother, Brian (16), had travelled with their parents from Meath. He said he was "just having a look to see what I might do when it comes to deciding later".
FAS Opportunities 2000 ends tomorrow at the RDS in Ballsbridge. It is co-sponsored by the Irish Independent.
