action plan ict (s) · enhancements and greater customer and market reach. following a slowdown...

ICT Action Plan

Meeting the high-levelskills needs of enterprise in Ireland

action plan ICT (s) 27/1/12 13:02

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ICT Action Plan


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Foreword

As a country we face many challenges in bringing about areturn to economic prosperity. In building that recovery, wealso have huge resources to draw from, in terms of thestrength of our ICT enterprise base, the quality of oureducation system and the talent and flexibility of ourworkforce. This Plan represents the output of the process ofresearch and engagement which was initiated in early 2011 toaddress concerns about the supply of high level ICT skills beingexperienced by companies in Ireland. Given the global demandfor ICT skills this is not an issue that is unique to Ireland.However, while inward migration will always play a key role inmeeting the demand for ICT professionals, we need to takeaction to develop a sustainable domestic supply of high levelICT skills to drive the further expansion and development ofthe ICT sector and to support innovation and growth acrossother sectors of the economy. This Plan represents acollaborative response across Government Departments, Stateagencies, the education sector, and enterprise to work togetherto build that supply. A coherent system level approach isprovided for in the Plan. The process of engagement willcontinue and the Action Plan will continue to be developedand new responses, actions and timelines will be added.

Ruairí Quinn T.D.Minister for Education & Skills


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ICT Action Plan


Introduction

The technology sector in Ireland is thriving. Employment, throughindigenous and multinational technology firms continues to growstrongly year on year. All of the top 10 multinational technologycompanies have a significant presence in Ireland and theindigenous software sector’s exports are worth well in excess of€1 billion annually. Five of the top 10 exporters in Ireland aretechnology companies, and the sector is responsible forapproximately one-third of Ireland’s total turnover.

Since January 2011, over 80 jobs a week have been announced inthe sector. This is on foot of 6% employment growth in 2009 and4% in 2010. A recent global competitiveness report ranks Irelandas the top destination in the world by quality and value ofinvestments. With a growing multinational technology presence inIreland and a vibrant and innovative indigenous software sector,the future prospects for Ireland’s technology sector are bright.

Highly skilled individuals are needed to maintain Ireland’scompetitive advantage and meet the demands of a rapidlyexpanding sector. Action is required from both government andindustry. This education action plan is a direct and positiveresponse to the skills needs of the technology sector. Through avariety of initiatives, the action plan places Ireland at the forefrontof the global technology industry, ensuring Ireland will continue toproduce the quality and quantity of skilled graduates needed forthe technology sector.

Regina MoranCEO Fujitsu and Chair of ICT Ireland

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1. High-Level ICT Skills Needs of Enterprise inIreland ICT is a broad and dynamic sector encompassingsoftware (applications, systems, middleware), ITservices (data processing, outsourced IT services, and ITconsulting), electronics and hardware, andcommunications services. It also has a pervasive impacton all sectors, enabling innovation, productivityenhancements and greater customer and market reach.Following a slowdown between 2008 and 2009, theglobal market for ICT is expected to regain momentum,with an overall growth rate of 5 percent between 2009and 2014/151. Internet communications (includingcloud computing) is set to be one of the fastestgrowing sub-markets within ICT – with potentialgrowth rate as high as 20 percent per annum over thenext decade. The manufacture of both semiconductorsand computer hardware continue to exhibit moderateto strong growth prospects globally (6 percent perannum to 2015)2.

The emergence of next generation internet, mobile ICT,location based services and the exponential growth ofsocial networking have driven innovation and newrevenue streams for firms of all sizes. Informationsecurity has emerged as a key issue for activities relianton ICT communications; it also represents a growthopportunity within the ICT sector.

Key to the successful exploitation of theseopportunities is to ensure that one of Ireland’s mostimportant resources, its labour force, is appropriatelyskilled and that Ireland’s education system remainsresponsive to the needs of this expanding and evolvingsector and the ICT needs of enterprises across othersectors as they arise.

2. Context and BackgroundIn 2008, the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs(EGFSN) published a report3 detailing the futuredemand requirements for high-level ICT skills in the ICTsector- and from other sectors such as banking,finance, business services etc. The report found thatthe ICT industry had largely recovered from the globaldownturn experienced in 2001 and that there had beena substantial shift in the skills mix and levels requiredby the industry. It also found that the demand forthese skills was set to exceed domestic supply, due inpart to the lower numbers of high performing schoolleavers choosing to study in computing and electronicengineering disciplines. The decrease in interest wassteeper for females. ICT companies were utilisinginward migration to address this gap. While inwardmigration will continue to be an important source ofskilled professionals into the near future, it wasrecognised that boosting the domestic supply of high-level ICT skills would be the most sustainable wayforward.

Following a significant decline in graduate numbers incomputing and engineering from a peak in 2002, intakeonto science and technology courses has continued toexpand. There has been a 29% increase in studentacceptances onto computing courses; 33% increaseonto electronic engineering courses and 28% increaseonto other engineering courses4 between 2007 and20105. However, it will take time for increasedenrolments on ICT courses to feed through intoincreased graduate supply.

ICT Action Plan

1 Datamonitor, 2011, Software Global Industry Guide; Ovum (Datamonitor), 2011, Global Market Trends 2010: IT Services Forecasts; Datamonitor,2011, Telecommunication Services: Global Industry Guide 2011; Datamonitor, 2010, Computer Hardware: Global Industry Guide; Datamonitor,2011, Semiconductors: Global Industry Guide

2 Datamonitor, 2010, Computer Hardware: Global Industry Guide; Datamonitor, 2011, Semiconductors: Global Industry Guide3 Future Requirements for High-Level ICT Skills in the ICT Sector, EGFSN, 20084 Excluding electronic and civil engineering5 Source HEA 2011


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3. Development of the ICT Action PlanIn early 2011, a range of high-level ICT skillsrecruitment difficulties were raised through the work ofthe EGFSN. Forfás-EGFSN, with the support of IDAIreland and Enterprise Ireland, directly consulted with aselected range of foreign affiliate and indigenouscompanies. Discussions also took place with, ICTIreland, American Chamber of Commerce Ireland, theIrish Software Association, IT@Cork, Dublin Chamber ofCommerce, and Engineers Ireland.6

Companies indicated that current and medium-termrecruitment difficulties mainly related to ICT honoursdegree (NFQ Level 8) and above – both for graduate-entry level positions and particularly for ICTprofessionals with experience. Also, they signalled thata greater skills supply would have the potential tocreate more jobs, as foreign firms can bid for and winmore mobile investment within their group and Irishcompanies can keep more of the work here rather thancontracting it out abroad. At the same time, companiescontinue to fill a substantial number of professional,administrative, sales and marketing positions withouttoo much difficulty. These recruitment difficulties alsoneed to be set against a background of a high world-wide demand for high-level ICT Skills. In response tothese findings a working group, led by Department ofEducation and Skills and including HEA and Forfás setin train a process to identify more precisely what thehigh-level skills needs were and to develop short,medium and longer term responses to meeting thoseneeds.7

In May 2011, the HEA hosted an ICT Skills Summitbringing together representatives from highereducation institutions to consider the analysisundertaken by the EGFSN - Forfás and to discusspractical ways to address skills gaps and realise thesignificant emerging employment growthopportunities. They identified challenges andopportunities pertaining to the attraction and retentionof students, programme development, proliferation ofcourses, conversion and up-skilling and other longerterm and underlying competence issues wereconsidered and possible responses identified.

In June 2011 the Minister of Education and Skills, RuairiQuinn, TD and the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise andInnovation, Richard Bruton, TD jointly met with the ICTIreland Clearing House Group. Proposals for thedevelopment of a coherent plan of action with crossgovernment and industry collaboration and a multi-level approach across the education system receivedstrong support. Since then there has been furtherconsultation on the development of the Plan with theeducation sector, the enterprise development agencies,ICT Ireland and American Chamber of Commerce. Thishas taken place in tandem with the roll out of anumber of the key actions in the Plan.

4. The Action Plan As previously stated a mobile workforce is a particularfeature of the ICT sector, and at a time when there issuch high global demand for ICT professionals thisposes inevitable recruitment challenges. Inwardmigration, valuable for the cross -fertilisation of ideasand practices which underpin innovation, will alwayshave a key role to play in meeting the demand for highlevel ICT skills in Ireland, including the demand fornative foreign language fluency. However, it isestimated that approximately 55% of the high levelICT skills needs are currently being met through inwardmigration. A continued reliance on inward migration ofthis scale is not sustainable if Ireland is to fully realisethe expansion and development opportunities thatexist for the evolving ICT sector while also meeting thehigh-level ICT skills needs of other enterprise sectors.

The domestic skills supply needs to be built up overtime by boosting graduate level output and bycompanies upskilling existing staff to fill positions forexperienced professionals. State supported measuresto assist companies to provide training for employeesinclude the Skillnets ICT training networks which alsoprovide opportunities for jobseekers to acquire ICTskills. The key focus of this Plan, however, is on whatcan be done to ensure an adequate and sustainedsupply of high-quality graduates from the educationsystem.

6 Addressing high level ICT recruitment needs-Research findings, EGFSN 20117 Skills Recruitment difficulties identified were for Software Engineers; Network Specialists & Engineers; Security Experts: Internet security

and Network security; Telecomms: Mobile telephony, s/w applications dev. & programming; ICT Project managers with technical background;Foreign language fluency, cultural awareness & technical competency for tech support, sales/marketing French, German, Spanish, Dutch,Swedish


ICT Action Plan

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Key Target

The Plan establishes an overarching target ofdoubling the annual output from honours degreeICT undergraduate programmes to 2,000graduates by 2018. Projected output in 2011 isapproximately 1,000 graduates.

Fig 1 below shows how the recent increases in thenumbers of acceptances onto ICT relatedundergraduate programmes will translate intoincreased graduate output over the period to 2014.The gap between the projected growth in output andthe target of 2,000 is highlighted.

Fig 1: ICT L8 Graduate Projections and Graduate Gap 2010-20148

ICT L8 Projected Grad Demand vs Projected GradGap 2010-2014

The measures in the Action Plan include short termand medium term responses.

Upskilling and conversion responsesPart 1 of the Plan outlines actions to increase thedomestic supply of honours degree graduates in theshort term through expansion of conversion andreskilling opportunities.

Because the stock of students which will be graduatingup to 2014 is already in the higher education system,the only way in which domestic supply can beincreased in the short term is through the provision ofreskilling and conversion programmes for graduateswith qualifications and skills in other cognatedisciplines. The two key actions contained in the Planthat aim to bridge the gap and increase the domesticsupply in the short term are maximising the uptake ofSpringboard9 ICT programmes and the introduction ofa range of new honours degree level graduateconversion programmes from early 2012.

Part 2 of the Plan sets out actions that aim to boostthe longer term supply and quality of graduates fromthe higher education system.

Attracting more students to ICT While recent increases in enrolments on undergraduateICT related programmes are encouraging, it isestimated a further annual increase of 10% on thecurrent rate of acceptances onto these programmesover the next 4 years, allied to improved retentionrates, will be required if a target domestic output of2,000 graduates is to be achieved by 2018.Participation by female students, in particular, needs tobe increased and a target of increasing femaleacceptances onto ICT related programmes from 15%to 25% is being established.

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8 Based on the following assumptions: 4 year degrees; 60/40% split between universities and institutes of technology; Base numbers – CAOacceptances ICT 2006-2010; Universities – 16% non progression into 2nd Year; 3% into 3rd Year; 3% into 4th Year; Institutes of Technology – 25%non progression into 2nd Year; 7% into 3rd Year; 8% into 4th Year; Non progression estimate uses 2009 rates from HEA Report on Progression –specific rates for 1st year into 2nd year; general rates L8 4 year degree for 3rd and 4th Year estimate; Demand taken as 2036 (from Forfás paper) –currently 1400 or 55% demand met by inward migration.

9 Springboard provides opportunities for unemployed people to gain new higher education qualifications in areas of identified skills needs. Theseinclude the provision of 1,400 places on ICT programmes under the first phase of Springboard, from which 550 people are due to graduate withawards at honours degree or masters level by June 2012. A new call for proposals for a further phase of Springboard will issue in early 2012.


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If these targets are to be met it will be essential tocommunicate to students, parents and teachers, therange of attractive career opportunities available forICT professionals – both in multinational and Irishowned companies. The Action Plan includes somemeasures that will be taken by the Discover, Scienceand Engineering programme and other Governmentand industry sponsored initiatives to promote a greaterinterest amongst students in STEM (science,technology, engineering and maths) disciplines. The ICTsector itself has the key role to play in promotingawareness and interest in ICT related careers amongstyoung people and further responses which areidentified will be reflected in the Plan.

It is also of key importance that adequate capacity andinfrastructure in schools to facilitate the promotionand learning of technology related activities isprovided. In this regard the process to roll out 100mbpbroadband to all post primary schools in Ireland is wellunderway and should be completed by 2014.

Improving retention and qualityRetention levels on ICT and electronic engineeringprogrammes are of particular concern with drop outrates on honours degree level programmes rangingfrom 16% to 25% before the end of 2nd year10 . This isnot unique to Ireland; there are higher non-progressionrates in ICT related programmes in comparison toother disciplines in other EU/OECD countries, includingUK and Australia. 11 The Plan establishes a target ofimproving retention rates by 7% in the Universitysector and 9% in the Institute of Technology sector by2014.

One of the key factors identified in the high drop outrates is an inadequate level of maths proficiency. TheAction Plan reflects the key measures that are beingtaken to improve the mathematical proficiency ofstudents entering higher education. These include theimplementation of the National Strategy on Literacyand Numeracy, the ongoing process of curriculumreform and development at second level and thecontinuing professional development of mathsteachers. Specific targets for increasing the ranking ofIrish students in the OCED Programme for InternationalStudent Assessment (PISA) and the proportion ofstudents taking higher level maths in the Junior cycleand Leaving Certificate examinations are included inthe Plan.

Actions aimed at providing more opportunities forstudents to gain a greater understanding of computerprogramming before entering higher education and areview of the existing retention supports for third levelstudents are also included.

Alignment of higher education programmes tochanging needs The pace of development in technology and ICT is suchthat effective enterprise/academic interface is criticalto ensuring that the range of higher educationprogrammes are continuously aligned and adapted tothe changing enterprise needs. A new high level ICTForesight group is being established to advise on ICTprogramme development and the broader issues ofenhancing the quality and retention of students onthose programmes.

10 A Study of Progression in Irish Higher Education, HEA, October 201011 Christian van Stolk, Jan Tiessen, Jack Clift, Ruth Levitt, Student Retention in Higher Education Courses, International Comparison,

Prepared for the National Audit Office UK, 2007 and Staying the course: the retention of students in higher education. 26 July 2007,National Audit Office UK


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Meeting the TargetsIf the targets for increasing attraction into ICTprogrammes by 10% year on year and for improvingthe progression rates of those who have entered theprogrammes to the average progression rates forhonours degree level programmes, then the estimatedgraduate outflow to 2018 will be boosted, allowing theoverall target of doubling graduate output to beachieved. This is illustrated in figure 2 below.

Fig 2: ICT L8 Graduate Projections 2014-2018 withincreased Acceptances on 2010 (+10% perannum) with Improved 1st Year ProgressionRate to average Progression Rate12

ConclusionEnsuring the sustainable supply of highly skilled ICTgraduates into the future will require closecollaboration and interaction between the educationsystem at all levels, the HEA, the enterprisedevelopment agencies and the enterprise sector. TheAction Plan will be published on the websites of theDepartment of Education and Skills, the HEA, IDAIreland and Enterprise Ireland. The process ofengagement between all of the stakeholders willcontinue and progress in relation to the Action Plan willbe reviewed on an ongoing basis by the Expert Groupon Future Skills Needs, the Enterprise EngagementForum chaired by the Secretary General of theDepartment of Education and Skills and by an annualmeeting between the Minister for Education and Skills,the HEA, Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland andrepresentatives of the enterprise sector.

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12 Based on the following assumptions: 4 year degrees; 60/40% split between universities and institutes of technology; Base numbers – CAO acceptancesICT 2010 with 10% increase on 2010 acceptances cumulatively to 2014; Universities – 9% non progression into 2nd Year; 3% into 3rd Year; 3% into 4thYear; Institutes of Technology – 16% non progression into 2nd Year; 7% into 3rd Year; 8% into 4th Year; Non progression estimate uses 2009 rates fromHEA Report on Progression with ICT progression rate improving to average progression rate for L8; general rates L8 4 year degree for 3rd and 4th Yearestimate

ICT Action Plan


Part 1: Up-skilling andConversion Actions that willbe taken in the short term toincrease the domestic supplyof high level ICT skills overthe period 2012-2014

Key Target

The Plan establishes an overarching target of doubling theannual output from honours degree ICT undergraduateprogrammes to 2,000 graduates by 2018. Projected output in2011 is approximately 1,000 graduates.

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Actions/Tasks

1. Springboard

Maximise uptake of 1400available places onSpringboard 2011 ICTprogrammes providingqualifications from L6 toL9 NFQ.

Launch Springboard 2012

2. Jobbridge NationalInternship Programme

Maximise number ofinternship places to bemade available forunemployed graduatesincluding Springboardparticipants

3. Level 8 ConversionProgramme

Launch 1 year full timeHDip L8 ConversionProgramme in corecomputing/programmingskills

4. Review of GraduateSkills ConversionProgramme

1,700 places annually onMasters Degree levelProgrammes directed atneeds of ICT/Biopharmasector

5. Skillnets

Provide Core TrainingNetwork Programme(TNP), new Job SeekerSupport Programme(JSSP) with workplacements.

Introduce 3 ICT trainingcourses under new FutureSkills Needs Programme(FSNP)

Responsibility

HEA/SpringboardProviders/Industry

DES/HEA

Industry

HEA

HEA

Skillnets

SuccessCriteria/Output

Timeframe

Majority ofprogrammes tocommence by Oct 11and will be completedby June 2012

Call for proposals endFeb 2012 –Programmes tocommence Apr 2012

Commencingimmediately

From March 2012

Review to becompleted by endMarch 2012

TNP courses areunderway. JSSP &FSNP deliveredbetween Sept 2011and June 2012.

Participants willcomplete JSSP andFSNP June 2012.

Resource/OtherIssues

ICT Ireland/ISA /EngineersIreland working with HEAto promote uptake

ICT companies toconsider placementopportunities forSpringboard ICT Grads

For NFQ Level 8 job-seekers with cognate/numerical skills andunderlying aptitude forprogramming

€4m

Current annual allocation

of €3.6m - to bereviewed and re-prioritised

Estimated Graduateoutput – Level 8/9June 2012 – 415graduates

No of Internshipsprovided toSpringboard and othergraduates

768 places to beoffered countrywide

Review to informcontinueddelivery/refocus fromthe 2012/13 academicyear re conversion ofnon ICT sectorpersons


PART 2: Actions to ensure anincreased output ofappropriately skilledgraduates in the mediumterm 2015-2018

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Actions/Tasks

1. Introduction of bonuspoints for studentstaking higher levelmaths

2. Promotion of careeropportunities to parents,second and third levelstudents including ICTand Foreign Languages

Rollout Smart FuturesCampaign:

Smart Futures OnlineCareers FairSmart Futures ChampionsProgramme Smart Futures e-skillsweekSmart Futures TYprogramme

Engage early second levelstudents through DiscoverSensors programme whichsupports inquiry basedlearning in JuniorCertificate Science.

Highlight the careerspotential arising from aSTEM education inScience week 2012

Strongly focusprogrammes to more fullyengage young people withthe physical sciences.

Responsibility

HEIs

Industry/ ICTIreland/ IrishSoftwareAssociation/Discover Scienceand Engineering(DSE)/ EngineersIreland/HEIs/Careers Guidance

Discover Scienceand Engineering

DSE

DSE


Increase take-up of HLMaths to 30% duringlifetime of NationalLiteracy and NumeracyStrategy

Increase in the numberschoosing higher levelmaths and sciencesubjects at secondlevel.

An increase in thenumbers choosing ICTrelated programmes inhigher education

An increased awarenessamongst guidancecounsellors andteachers on theopportunities in the ICTsector.

12,000 students to betargeted

120,000 participants

Discover PrimaryScience and Maths totarget 2,960 schoolsand 4,800 teachers

Timeframe

Bonus points will beavailable fromSeptember 2012

Smart Futures OnlineCareers Fair – takingplace from Jan 23-272012.Smart FuturesChampions – ongoingvisits to schools by‘champions’ fromindustry

During 2012

November 2012

During 2012


ICT Ireland and the ISAand their members havefinancially supported theseoutreach activities.

Discover Science &Engineering spend onSTEM career relatedactivity for 2012 will be€600,000

Actions to increase the number of students with good maths skills into ICTundergraduate programmes


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Actions to increase the levels of mathematical proficiency of studentsleaving the second level system

Actions/Tasks

3. Transition Year:

ICT Ireland and ISA inassociation withcareersportal transitionyear internshipprogramme launch

Support awareness raisingin schools of TYopportunities in internshipprogramme

4. Scratch Programme

Seek opportunities topromote and extendScratch Programme inschools in TY and juniorcycle:

Support awareness raisingby LERO in UL throughcommunication withschools

5. Awareness Raising

The HEA to review theimpact of highereducation awarenessmeasures by HEIs

Responsibility

ICT Ireland/ISA

DES

LERO – IrishSoftwareEngineeringResearch Centre

DES

HEA/HEIs


100 places to be madeavailable in ICTcompanies aroundIreland for TY yearstudents. Thisprogramme aims topromote the sector as acareer of choice andshowcase the diversityof opportunitiesavailable in the ICTsector.

155 schools currentlyregistered and 50 haveScratch fully in place.Target is to increase to350 schools

Continue teachereducation programmesin support

Report available toinform deliberations ofhigh-level forum (2.10below).

Timeframe

March 2012 Start

2012

By September 2013

For 2012 school year

By March 2012


Based on free resourcefrom MIT, NCCA moduleand materials for studentsand teachers developed byUL and available free toschools on www.scratch.ieare training programmesrun by UL (4 in Oct 11)LERO Ed.OutreachProgramme funded by SFIand Scratch is co-sponsored by IrishComputer SocietyAnd supported by NCTE


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Actions/Tasks

6. ImplementProject Maths

7. Improve CPDOpportunitiesfor 2nd LevelTeachers

New PostgraduateQualification formaths teachers

8. Implement NewNationalNumeracy andLiteracy Strategy

Responsibility

DESProject Maths ImpSupport Group –Industry/HE/2ndLevel

DES

DES

DES


Improve take-up of HLMaths at LC level to30% by 2020

Improve take-up of HLMaths at JC level from40% to 60%

Better Maths skills for2nd level Grads

Programme rolled out

Improve % of Mathsqualified teachers

Introduce standardisedassessments ofreading and maths atsecond level;

Increase proportion of15-year olds at Level 4or above in PISA by 5percentage points;

Halve percentage ofstudents at 15 yearsold scoring at orbelow L1;

Increase proportiontaking higher levelmathematics inLeaving certificate to30%;

Increase proportiontaking higher levelMaths in JC from 40%to 60%

Timeframe

Modules rolled out toall schools from Sept2010 All strandsimplemented by LC Exam 2014JC Exam 2015

Ongoing

Tender issued Dec2011 – Programme tostart Sept 2012

Strategy published July2011

Over lifetime ofstrategy to 2020


€2.3m CPD

€2m Substitution coststo 2013

CPD for Maths Teachersto support Project Mathsrollout

€6m in 2012 rising to

€19m in 2017

Actions to increase the levels of mathematical proficiency of studentsleaving the second level system


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Actions to ensure higher education programmes are aligned to changingneeds of ICT enterprise sector

Actions/Tasks

9. Seek proposals/response fromHEIs forstreamlining ofprogrammeofferings withinindividualinstitutions

10. High level ICTForesight Group

Establish andengage on ICT andElectronicEngineeringprogrammedevelopment withrepresentationfrom key Industryand HEI decisionmakers.

11.UndergraduateWork Placements

Commission studyon best practice inincorporating workplacements intoundergraduateprogrammes –written requestissued to HE expertin this field

Responsibility

HEA/HEIs

HEA to lead onestablishing forum

HEA


Streamlined coursesfor 2013.High-level forum(2.10 below) to offerguidance on thestreamlining ofprogramme offerings.

High-level forum will,in the first instance,consider and act onstreamlining (2.9),retention report(2.12), workplacement (2.11) andattraction measures(2.1 to 2.8).

Report available toinform deliberationsof high-level ICTForesight Group (2.10above).

Timeframe

2012

First meeting ofForesight GroupJanuary 2012

Report available June2012


Within existing resources

Forum will be supportedwithin existing resources.John Hennessy (HEA) tochair.

Cost of report to be metfrom within existingresources


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Actions to improve Retention Levels on undergraduate ICT Programmes

Actions/Tasks

12.RetentionMeasures

Commission reportto identify themost effectiveretention supportmeasures in highereducationinstitutions

Report to beconsidered by ICTForesight Group

13.Explore feasibilityof providingalternative ICTrelatedprogressionpathways forstudents enrolledon ICTprogrammeslikely to drop outeach year.

Responsibility

HEA

HEIs


Improve retention(non-progression)rates for ICT andElectronic Engineeringhonours degreeprogrammes by 7% inthe University sectorand by 9% in theInstitutes ofTechnology by 2014.

% of these studentswill progress to otherICT relatedprogrammes

Timeframe

Research Reportavailable February2012

Recommendations June2012

By 2014


Annual funding of €1.5mfor measures to supportretention provided byHEA to higher educationinstitutions


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Glossary

CAO Central Applications OfficeCPD Continuous Professional DevelopmentDES Department of Education and SkillsDSE Discover Science and EngineeringEGSFN Expert Group on Future Skills NeedsEU European UnionForfás Ireland's Policy Advisory Board for Enterprise and ScienceFSNP Future Skills Needs ProgrammeHDip Higher DiplomaHE Higher EducationHEA Higher Education AuthorityHEI Higher Education InstitutionHL Higher LevelICT Information and Communications TechnologyIDA Industrial Development AgencyISA Irish Software AssociationIT Information TechnologyJC Junior CertificateJSSP Job Seeker Support ProgrammeLC Leaving CertificateLERO The Irish Software Engineering Research CentreMIT Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyNCCA National Council for Curriculum and AssessmentNCTE National Centre for Technology in EducationNFQ National Framework of QualificationsOECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and DevelopmentPISA Programme for International Student AssessmentScratch Scratch is a visual programming languageSFI Science Foundation IrelandSTEM Science Technology Engineering and MathsTD Teachta Dála (Member of Parliament)TNP Training Network ProgrammeTY Transition YearUK United KingdomUL University of Limerick


ICT Action Plan

Meeting the high-levelskills needs of enterprise in Ireland


action plan ict (s) · enhancements and greater customer and market reach. following a slowdown...

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