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The Truth About Your Digital Career Prospects

What future lies in store for graduates? by SoftwareGuru Friday 17th July 2009 When Irish job losses from Dell were announced several months ago, it was clear that this was only the beginning. Despite what many people would prefer to believe, any type of high-tech manufacturing in Ireland is severely at risk due to our lack of multi-lingual skills and high wages. This is confirmed by Intel's decision to follow Dell's cost cutting example and announce plans to cut back its work force, possibly with a long-term view of moving its Irish based manufacturing altogether. As the digital era continues to evolve at a frightening pace, it is clear that Ireland will need to take huge steps forward if it is to remain competitive. The need for a 'National Digital Development Plan' is now being highlighted by sites such as www.digital21.ie We must reassure students that their chosen education path will still be relevant when the time to get a job or career finally arrives. Irish students must become as pro-active and determined as their global village counterparts. Nations such as India are producing huge numbers of highly qualified graduates every year. For example, four million graduates are emerging each year from universities in India and China. India alone produces about 300,000 computer science graduates a year. In the global village, what exactly is Ireland's competitive advantage?
	Flawed Approach To Learning Languages For years Irish students have been told that language skills play a vital role in achieving success. However, the substantial changes which are required to address this issue have not been addressed and forcefully implemented by either the Government or the education industry. Dell's Dermot O'Connell in an interview with SiliconRepublic.com reveals that, "Now we need people who can talk businesspeople through how to fix a storage area network in any language." Ireland lacks leadership when it comes to conveying the importance of language skills. If an ex-Taoiseach is unable to take a senior European Commission role due to a lack of languages, what kind of example does that set to the next generation of students? All key areas where there is a skills shortage must be addressed and made much more attractive to prospective students. Owen Ross, Head of Department of Humanities, Athlone Institute of Technology in an article for independent.ie suggests... "Any student who enrolls on a designated programme would be exempt from paying the €1,500 annual registration fee, and from tuition fees, should they be reintroduced." The question remains whether the Government is doing enough through the Irish education industry to satisfy the shortfall of skilled personal which companies are continuing to complain about. The issue of higher maths and the lack of fully qualified teachers being able to teach the subject also remains. When successful Irish companies are turning to more qualified, more determined students from the rest of Europe, the education system as a whole must be placed under the microscope. Yet while companies struggle to recruit suitable Irish graduates, the scale of the unemployment crisis looming for young teachers. A primary school in Dublin received 1,200 applications for a single temporary job: What exactly are we preparing the next generation for?
A New Way To Approach Learning As part of this overall vision, it is vital that from an early age, students have access to internet ready computers. Learning new skills is in itself, possibly the most important skill in the 21st century. Employers need graduates who can think on their feet, you will show leadership and can problem solve effectively. Unfortunately the examination system forces students to learn how to pass exams and not necessarily geared towards deeper thinking and problem solving, the cornerstones of research and development. If our exam system fundamentally goes against the ideas which create successful R&D employees, is it any wonder that the likes of Microsoft are setting up R&D centres in the likes of India? Irish students need to take advantage of every resource at their disposal, whether it's learning at school, college, university or at home. The cost of improving your digital skill set has never been lower thanks to Software4Students Ireland. Invest today in full version software at academic prices. Create the successful future you deserve.

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