Additional places to be made available on ICT and Software Development Skills ProgrammesThe Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn T.D., announced that the Higher Education Authority (HEA) is today issuing a tender for a second phase of ICT graduate skills conversion programmes to commence in early 2013.
Last January, Minister Quinn, together with the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton T.D., launched the Joint Government - Industry ICT Action Plan: Meeting the High Level ICT Skills Needs of Enterprise in Ireland.
Under this plan, a first phase of the new graduate skills conversion programmes started in March, with the provision of more than 800 free places on 17 programmes in public, private and not-for-profit higher education institutions across the country. Participants are due to graduate from these programmes next year and a number of students have already received confirmed job offers.
Proposals are now being sought from public and private higher education providers, working in collaboration with industry, to design and deliver a second phase of conversion programmes.
Announcing plans for the roll out of the 2013 programme, Minister Quinn said, “This Government is committed to meeting industry demands by providing a range of opportunities for graduates from other disciplines to reskill for the expanding employment opportunities in the ICT area.
”While there is a tight timeframe for the submission of proposals, the demand for ICT graduates has been well highlighted and we want to support companies’ efforts to create and expand employment opportunities.”
“There is an opportunity for all companies, including SMEs and small start-ups, to partner with higher education providers in this initiative to expand their skills base,” said the Minister.
Proposals for funding must be submitted to the HEA by 20th December. Details of the programmes will be announced following selection by an expert panel in January 2013.
Notes for Editors:
Since 2011 the Department has provided more than 5,000 upskilling opportunities on ICT programmes under the Springboard and ICT Skills Conversion Programmes.
More than 3,000 of these places were at level 8 (Honours Degree) or level 9 (Masters Degree) on the National Framework of Qualifications.
The ICT conversion programmes are all highly intensive and lead to an honours degree level award in computer science and include a work placement with an industry partner.
The roll out of ICT conversion programmes is a priority action in the joint Government-Industry ICT Action Plan which was published by the Department of Education and Skills in January 2012.
The Action Plan was developed in close collaboration with industry and has a target of doubling the output of high quality computing graduates from 1,000 in 2011 to 2,000 by 2018.
There was an increase of 20% in CAO applications for level 8 computing courses this year. In addition, first preference applications for STEM programmes accounted for 20% of all level 8 applications in 2012.
The precise number of places to be made available in this second phase will not be known until the completion of the competitive tendering and selection process but it is expected that it will be at least the same as under the first phase of the programme which commenced in March 2012.