Tuesday, February 05, 2013

Tackling the skills challenge in Ireland

Following up from my post last week commenting on the announcement by Education Minister RuarĂ­ Quinn that the Government is funding "760 ICT graduate skills conversion places", it is clear that Analytics is one of the key skills that this programme is targeting. NCI has responded to this call by launching a new Higher Diploma in Data Analytics with places for up to 50 students under the ICTSkills inititative. Our programme is supported by the HEA and Department of Education and Skills which means the tuition fees normally associated with such programmes are waived.

To emphasize the point of the importance of analytics in order to expand and develop the ICT sector and to support innovation and growth across the economy, Accenture's top man in Ireland (and ex-classmate of mine in Cistercian College Roscrea) Mark Ryan, discusses the skills challenge facing Ireland. He refers to the need for "joined up thinking in tackling the skills challenge" (via Silicon Republic). 

In addition to analytics, Mark also suggests that employers have a role to play in plugging the skills gap in an economy where there is a major skills gap despite 14.6% unemployment in this country. He suggests that employers could help plug the gap by upskilling and providing opportunities for their own people in order to "pull talent through their organization" and "create jobs at the lower end of their company which can be filled by people coming off the unemployment register" with some training and development.

If you are thinking of learning about analytics, or even coming on NCI's new course, have a listen to Mark Ryan - he is talking a lot of sense:


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