Fixed term employment contract Public Sector

I've been offered a job on a 3 year fixed term employment contract with an Institute of Technology. My concern is (not knowing very much about the public sector) is that I'll be out the door after 3 years with no possibility of renewal. It's a non academic position.

HR at the institute aren't much help as they'll only give the strict legal interpretation - What I'd like to know is if this is a standard way of employing someone in this sector and that in the normal course of events ( performance up to scratch etc.) these contracts are renewed?

Its not a permanent Job.

Sorry I should have been clearer in my question - I understand that I'm not being offerred a permanent job, what I'm trying to get a sense of is whether it might on the balance of probabilities in time lead to a permanent job.

It's not a contact related to a specific task that will be completed in the time frame of the contract.

I know it's a hard question to answer specifically but what I'd like to get a sense of is what might be the usual m.o here.

You may have a problem getting any additional contracts in that institution after the three year one finishes due to the Fixed Term Workers Act. Under the fixed term workers act it is possible for temporary contracts to become permanent contracts. An employer may only engage you for a maximum of two contracts, and the duration of the second contract can only take you up to a period of four years service max. If after this period a third contract is offered or if the second contract takes you past four years service then it becomes a 'contract of indefinite duration' i.e. permanent. This applies unless there are 'objective reasons' to using contract workers, e.g. specific project works; targeted funding use; etc. In your case this would mean that after you complete your three year contract you can only be offered one more contract at the same institution and this contract can only be for one year, otherwise they would have to make you permanent. This means that if another three year contract were to come up you could be less likely to get the job, as you would become defacto permanent, unless there were very good objective reasons to the contary, and this could put your potential employers off. This act has helped lots of contract employees in the public sector to become permanent as the unions object to almost all 'objective reasons' given by public bodies for using contract workers.

Why is the position you are taking fixed term ? Is it because they want it to be fixed term or because they can't take on permanent staff

This is something you should have clarified at the interview