Welcome news as 2,000 additional ICT graduates to be provided in the coming year

Changes are part of Action Plan for jobs 2013

A total of 2,000 additional ICT graduates-level professionals will be provided in the coming year through the education system and the employment permits system, as part of a series of reforms aimed at making Ireland the internet capital of Europe. The reforms are being driven by the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD, and the Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn TD.

The changes are part of Action Plan for Jobs 2013, and have an ultimate aim of providing Ireland with the highest proportion of ICT graduates as a share of third level graduates by 2018.

ICT indentifed as key growth area by CareerWise for sometime

CareerWise highlighted ICT as a key growth sector for Ireland for sometime now and todays announcement is a positive step in addressing the ICT skills gap in Ireland.

Ken Murphy (Director, CareerWise Recruitment) stated back in February when the Minister for education announced 760 ICT graduate skills conversion places that:

“The onus is on the third level institutions to now develop relevant re-training courses and to produce technology graduates to fill these new open roles”.

Ken Murphy (Director CareerWise Recruitment)

The ministers made the announcements today at ICT company Version 1 in Dublin, which itself is hiring 10 people who have graduated from the new ICT conversion courses. Based in Dublin, it employs over 350 people and has hired several people in senior technology positions through the employment permits system in recent years. This has allowed the company to win new business and ultimately create new jobs.

“International research has shown that every high-tech job created leads to an additional four to five jobs elsewhere in the economy”

Richard Bruton TD (The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation)

A series of new reforms to the employment permits system announced today by Minister Bruton will target:
An increase of 50%, or 700, in the number of employment permits granted over the coming year in the ICT sector. International research has shown that for every high-tech job created, a further 4-5 jobs are created elsewhere in the economy.
A reduction of 33% in the processing time for employment permits
Improvements in the appeals process and a reduction in the number of appeals
Broadening the highly-skilled eligible occupations list
Improved customer service and communications
Other areas where there is also a shortage of sufficient skilled talent

The employment permit system is demand-led and there is a global demand for high-tech skills. Therefore, the changes being made to the system seek to increase Ireland’s attractiveness as a location for international mobile talent.

Under the ICT Skills Action Plan published by Ministers Quinn and Bruton last year, an additional 1,300 ICT graduates will be supplied in 2013 by the education system, including:

700 additional graduates from ICT skills conversion Programmes
600 additional graduates from Springboard ICT courses.

“The ICT sector forms a key part of the Government’s plans for jobs and growth, and since we have come to office we have seen an increase of more than 11,000 in the number of people at work in this sector. We in Government are determined to sustain this growth with ambitious action to make Ireland the internet capital of Europe. In order to do this we must have structures in place, through the employment permits system as well as the education system, to ensure that Irish and multinational businesses in the sector cancan hire the skilled workers they need in Ireland”

Richard Bruton TD (The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation)

A further 300 graduates from the conversion programmes will be available before the end of the year, as well as 600 graduates from high level Springboard ICT programmes. The impact of these initiatives will be to double the projected output of honours degree-level ICT graduates from the education system in 2013.

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