‘Lack of computer graduates a threat to the economy’

IRELAND will lose its competitive edge unless more students take up computer courses, a leading academic has warned.

Ireland’s economic progress will be put at risk if there is not a sharp increase in the number of information and communications technology (ICT) graduates leaving the country’s colleges, according to Dr Mícheál Ó hÉigeartaigh, head of the Department of Physical and Quantitative Sciences at Waterford Institute of Technology.

He says “massive opportunities” are being missed as third-level students spurn computing and information technology courses after the perception took hold in 2002 and 2003 that there was a major cool-down underway in the sector with fewer firms recruiting.

“The stark reality is that thousands of well-paid and interesting jobs in the software sector are going unfilled because of a very serious lack of graduates with relevant skills.

“The ultimate impact of this will be to make Ireland a far less attractive location for inward investment - something that will have very serious implications for the country’s future,” Dr Ó hÉigeartaigh said.

“A study by Dr Seán McDonagh of the Government’s Expert Skills Group shows that less than 1% of those scoring over 450 points in the Leaving Cert are studying courses in information and communications technology; representing a major fall off from six years ago when over 5% of this group pursued such courses.

“Further evidence of this alarming trend was provided by the recent study from analysts IDC, which found that Ireland will drop from third to 21st place in a European league table on available ICT skills within two years as demand for skills far outstrips supply.

“This means those EU countries that we compete with for investment will continue to improve their skills pool as ours falls back. Ireland’s prospects of staying competitive and successful are about to be undermined, yet we see no real evidence of a national debate on this issue,” he continued.

“While there is some limited scope for using highly-skilled immigrants to fill vacancies, this is not a complete panacea and is no substitute for having a home-grown cohort of graduates.

“We now have over 900 firms engaged in our ICT sector and these generate exports worth e16 billion, as well as creating huge opportunities for secure employment. These companies need to recruit and retain skilled people if they are to continue to thrive here and we must address the skills shortfall that now looms.”