2000 additional ICT graduate professionals to come online

Ministers Quinn & Bruton: Announce ICT Action Plan in 2012

 A total of  2,000 additional ICT graduate-level professionals will be provided in the coming year as part of a series of reforms aimed at making Ireland the Internet capital of Europe.

These are expected to be provided through the education system and the employment permits system.

The announcement was made today in a a joint speech by Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton and Education Minister Ruairi Quinn.

Speaking during a visit to leading Dublin based  ICT company, Version 1, the Ministers emphasised that the changes are part of  the Action Plan for Jobs 2013, and have an ultimate aim of providing Ireland with the highest proportion of ICT graduates as a share of third level graduates by the year 2018.

“The first 400 graduates from the ICT conversion programmes are now available.  The decision by Version 1 to recruit 10 of these graduates demonstrates the potential that exists to significantly expand the pool of talent available to the ICT sector, “ Minister Quinn said.

Under the ICT Skills Action Plan published by Ministers Quinn and Bruton last year, an additional 1,300 ICT graduates will be supplied in 2013 by the education system, including 700 additional graduates from ICT skills conversion Programmes and a further 600 graduates from Springboard ICT courses.


Employment permits
The series of reforms will also look to increase by 50 per cent the number of employment permits granted over the coming year in the ICT sector and aims to reduce the processing time for employment permits by 33 per cent. It will also see the broadening of highly-skilled eligible occupations available on the list.

The employment permit system is demand-led and there is a global demand for high-tech skills. The changes being made to the system seek to increase Ireland’s attractiveness as a location for international mobile talent according to the two Ministers.


Version 1
Version 1 is a leading Irish ICT company. Based in Dublin, it employs over 350 people and has hired several people in senior technology positions through the employment permits system in recent years. This has allowed the company to win new business and ultimately create new jobs. 

Version 1 is also announcing today that it is hiring ten people, who have all graduated from the new ICT conversion courses and are soon finishing work placements within the company.

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