Ireland can be the Silicon Valley of Europe
The event aims to facilitate networking between key industry leaders here and those who are travelling from Silicon Valley in California. It will also focus on the ICT sector and its role on our journey to economic recovery.
It is a fantastic opportunity to showcase Ireland to successful companies in the US. I have been invited to speak at the event as part of a panel of guests. We will be discussing “Education and Skills for Ireland’s Tech Industry — Closing the Gap”.
Ireland is the second largest software exporter in the world. In recent times, Cork has seen positive levels of job creation, particularly in the ICT sector, with investments from global technology businesses such as Huawei and Apple.
However, there is much more that can be done in order to attract further investment from technology companies looking to expand their operations abroad.
In Ireland, the traditional sectors which were once the lifeblood of our economy are struggling for survival. In contrast, it is estimated that the ICT sector has between 4,000 to 5,000 vacant positions.
However, these positions cannot be filled for a variety of reasons. To put it simply, there are not enough Irish graduates with the relevant skills to take up employment in this area. There is a global shortage of workers who possess these types of skills.
Ireland needs to seize this opportunity by organically generating more technology graduates through education. There are multiple ways we can ensure further investment in this area of employment.
The Government launched the ICT Action Plan in Jan 2012 which aims to address the skills shortage in this area. A key target of the plan is to double the number of graduates in this discipline by 2018.
It is early days, but we are making significant progress in achieving that goal, for example with the delivery of 23 new one-year conversion courses in ICT and in providing 818 free places on courses offered by 16 higher education providers.
The HEA’s Springboard initiative has also been successful. One third of these course places are in ICT disciplines. There have been 750 graduates so far from ICT courses as part of this initiative, with a further 2,000 graduates emerging from the scheme towards the end of 2012 and the beginning of this year.
During my research in this area, many leaders in this industry spoke to me on the need for a “technology visa” that would enable highly skilled workers from abroad to fill temporary IT skills shortages in Ireland.
I have raised this issue during a meeting of the Jobs, Enterprise, and Innovation Committee with Jobs Minister Richard Bruton. I received assurance from Mr Bruton that the department is continuing to work to improve the visa regime and is considering removing restrictions from highly skilled people applying for employment within Ireland.
If just one person is brought into a company from abroad, then this results in a positive knock-on effect, creating more jobs within that business and in the wider economy.
The ITLG summit demonstrates the crucial business relationship between Ireland and America. Peter Keegan, the president of the American Chamber of Commerce, recently highlighted the skills shortage in this area in Ireland, and stated that talent is, in his view, the single most important factor in sustaining and growing our economy.
He also pointed out the importance of continued investment in education, which remains a key focus for the Government in 2013. For example, a high proficiency in mathematics is an essential part of technology courses.
The 35% recent increase in students taking higher level maths at Leaving Certificate level as a result of the bonus points scheme is a very positive development which I hope will continue.
In the recent National Survey of Employers’ Views of Irish Higher Education, it was found that more than 80% of the companies were satisfied with the graduates from science, maths, engineering, and computing disciplines.
However, there was significantly less satisfaction with the speed at which the necessary course content changes are made. Another interesting finding is that half of the companies did not feel there is adequate engagement between industry and higher education.
People who work in the ICT industry have the skills and inside knowledge of the sector; their practical input is invaluable. The Higher Education Authority is now tackling this issue by appointing senior staff to take up roles as enterprise-higher education liaisons.
These liaisons will engage with the relevant business sectors and gather their expertise. This will lead to a higher level of understanding and connection between industry and education. The ITLG conference provides a unique opportunity to discuss the industry’s needs with regard to education. The event also allows for start-up companies to pitch their business ideas to significant investors.
In my view, schools are still zoning in on traditional areas of professional employment such as law, business, and medicine, and so on. I recognise the importance of these areas, but students need to be informed about the value of an ICT-related course.
Industry leaders should be invited to career days as guest speakers to explain the fantastic doors that can be opened if you study a degree in this area.
I will continue my work to highlight areas which we need to improve on and to promote Ireland on the world stage for technology investment.
We have the opportunity to make Ireland the Silicon Valley of Europe by harnessing our young people’s talents and encouraging them to study and succeed in this flourishing industry.
* Senator Deirdre Clune is Fine Gael spokeswoman for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation in the Seanad, and author of ‘A review of the ICT skills demand in Ireland’ which was launched by the Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
