Despite our small size Ireland punches well above its weight when it comes to software development. We are one of the world’s largest exporters of Computer software, often on a par with America despite it being the wealthiest country in the world and having a population almost eighty times that of ours. What this means is that there are always a huge number of employment opportunities for talented people with IT skills. With IT support training in Letterkenny available through BlueBrick you can be a part of that talented workforce.

It is also an industry in a state of substantial growth. You only have to look around you to see all of the computer devices we use all of the time are growing in their number and their complexity. Devices that previously only had one function such as phones now have multiple functions as in smart phones that can play and record music, access the inter net and do pretty much anything a desktop PC can do (plus a few more). All of these devices and applications need software for people to get the most functionality out of them.

The IT support training at Letterkenny IT is an Accelerated Technician Programme that gives students a Higher Certificate in 18 months. After an initial six months spent learning in college students spend the next six months on a work placement followed by a final six months back in college. This is ideal for those looking for a change of career or looking ot return to the work place. Integrated work experience gives a boost to confidence and is a great way to get back into the pace of working life if you have been away from work for a long time.

Upon completion of the It Support Training at Letterkenny IT the graduate will have developed the skills to work as a first line Information Technology Support person across a variety of different businesses and industries. The kind of operations a first line IT person would engage in would include desiging and commissioning computer networks.

If you think you might be interested in IT support training in Letterkenny IT, visit BlueBrick on their website at www.bluebrick.ie and start building yourself a better future today.

More and more parts of our lives are becoming digitised. People are finding ever more ways to use computers and computer software to make our lives easier. Software development companies are always in need of new employees to help create programmes to sell or support existing products. Because it is such a highly skilled profession and software developers are in such high demand, they can command reasonably high salaries. BlueBrick gives you access to software development courses in Tallaght and elsewhere to help get you on the road to a great job in software development.

One of the software development courses provided through BlueBrick is the Certificate in Fundamentals of Software Development from the Institute of Technology Tallaght. The course aims to give candidates the necessary abilities and knowledge for a strong grounding in computing.

Software Development courses can be a great way to beginning a career in IT. The Fundamentals of Software Development from Tallaght IT uses a problem based learning approach to teach its students about programming structures and concepts. Covering the fundamentals of programming language allows students to analyse problems then design and implement an appropriate solution. The course introduces students to the main stages of a programme’s development lifecycle: analysis, design, implementation and debugging to make sure the student understands the technical issues involved in computing.

Upon completion of their software development courses students will be able to go on to specialise in particular areas of software development such as networking and information systems or web development. The modules cover Java software, systems analysis and business and information systems.

In recent years there has been a significant decline in the number of students applying for undergraduate computing programs. The resulting effect has been to reduce the numbers of qualified software developers. This has created a huge demand for talented software developers. In particular small businesses can find it hard to employ and keep skilled IT graduates. Software developments courses can make you a valuable asset to any company.

To find out more about software development courses in Tallaght visit BlueBrick on their website at www.bluebrick.ie and take your first steps toward a future in software development.

Media is undergoing a significant change. Many of the traditional forms of media are being digitised. TV and radio are being broadcast on-line. Magazines are transforming into blogs and other internet based formats. Inn such a time of flux there are plenty of new career opportunities arising. Available through BlueBrick are numerous courses in media studies in Dun Laoghaire.

The Ma/Msc in Digital Media from the Dun Laoghaire Institiute of Art, Design and Technology aims to provide students with the ability to connect skills and assets from the three main areas of business, media and technology.

Digital media is any traditional media as presented through the digital environment. This could be visual, audio, text all presented in a digital format while using the properties of that digital format to best use, for example, interactivity.

Courses in media studies at Dun Laoghaire IADT provide students with practical skills that they can take out into the work place. On the Ma/Msc in Digital Media students work in collaborative groups to mimic the professional process of developing media content, making students confident about going out into the workplace. Some of the sectors students will be qualified to work in after finishing the digital Media course include advertising, business management and media communications. The course also teaches business development skill to place students in a position of becoming an entrepreneur.

One of the other courses in media studies Dun Laoghaire IADT provides is the MA in Broadcast Production for Television and Radio. The course teaches students editorial and production skills in radio and television broadcasting. It also teaches more specialized skills in production funding and programme research. Students will be equipped with the necessary production skills to follow a career in television and radio production.
This media course will also cover editorial and scriptwriting skills, camera operation, production management, production techniques and presentation. Students may go on to find work in radio and television, programme research, journalism and scriptwriting. With the right experience they may even follow a career path into directing or producing.

If you are interested in finding out more about courses in media in Dun Laoghaire visit BlueBrick on their website at www.bluebrick.ie

Students hoping to pursue a career in the legal profession have access to a wide range of courses through BlueBrick. Traditionally Bachelor of Arts law degrees have only been given in Irelands main cities. There is now an opportunity for those who prefer the bucolic settings of the Irish countryside to study law in Carlow. Carlow IT provides the BA (Hons) in Law. It is a three year honours degree course that gives students a comprehensive education in undergraduate law.

When students qualify from their study of law at Carlow IT there are a huge variety of career routes they can take. Typically students will continue on with further training to become either a barrister or a solicitor. Solicitor’s work is focused around taking instruction from clients and in turn advising them in a range of matters. Civil and criminal legal actions, writing up legally binding contracts, advising on conveyance and property dealings, wills and probate are just some of the roles a solicitor will take on.

A barrister represents a client in the courtroom whether in civil or criminal cases. Typically they will specialise in one particular area of law. They will then be consulted for their legal expertise by solicitors representing their clients. There are many other legal career routes that may be undertaken by students who study law at Carlow IT, as well as jobs outside the legal profession that can benefit from legal training like politics, banking, journalism, education, insurance. Also, a savvy entrepreneur will benefit greatly from having a sound legal knowledge.

Students who study law at Carlow IT will be eligible to apply to post-graduate study at Kings Inn in order to qualify as a barrister. If they wish to continue to study law in Carlow they will also be eligible to apply for a Masters by research at Carlow IT.

Certain modules of the BA (Hons) in Law are available as part time courses for those who wish to study law in Carlow to their own schedule or if they only want to cover particular aspects of law. The Certificate in Contract Law is available at Carlow IT as a part time evening course.

BlueBrick provides access to a large and varied range of IT courses, many of which are available online.

The Institute of Technology Blanchardstown hosts a Masters of Science in Computing (Business Intelligence & Data Mining). This online IT course provides graduates with a variety of skills that will allow them to select apply and evaluate business intelligence and data mining techniques directed towards finding information that can be used to enhance the value of a company. The course looks at the theoretical aspects of the skill as well as exploring practical experience, all while keeping abreast of new and emerging techniques along with the latest business intelligence related research.

The entire IT course is given online. Lectures are recorded by video and uploaded to the internet for students to watch online. Discussions between lecturing staff and students also happen online.

There are a number of large corporate and business parks in the Blanchardstown area that are home to many large international IT and data companies such as Paypal and Creative labs. The Institute of Technology Blanchardstown works closely with local technology and information industry members. This close relationship makes Blanchardstown IT keenly aware of the specialised skills required by the continually growing IT sector. Some of these skills include software development, computing, distributed computing, server management, web development and information security.


Another of BlueBrick’s IT courses online is the University of Limerick’s Specialist Diploma in Technology Commercialisation. One of the largest challenges faced by organisations of all sizes is the commercialisation of technology. Because so much of the technology being developed is so novel it is not always clear what its commercial applications are and how they should be both exploited and protected.

This online IT course aims to improve the Technology Commercialisation skills of Irelands next generation of entrepreneurs working in the high technology sector.

Taught in four separate modules the online IT course also includes industry seminars and a company based project. The diploma will enable managers, engineers and scientists to realise the potential of their innovations and broaden their understanding of the process of commercialising their technology.

Find out more about IT courses available in Ireland by logging on to www.bluebrick.ie today.

It can be a daunting task to set out on a new career whether you are taking your first steps on a career path, moving into a new profession or returning to education. The uncertain economic times we live in can make people hesitant about how to choose those first steps. They can seem very large when you aren’t sure if they will bring you somewhere you want to be. The huge range of computer courses available in Dublin can give you a sense of certainty about the future.

There’s a good reason for this. Two industries in particular seem to be utterly unaffected by the downturn in the global environment continuing to grow at astonishing rates. Video games and social media have gone from strength to strength over the past years and showed no signs of slowing down even when catastrophe struck other parts of the world economy. These two industries in particular are projected to sustain their rates of growth for the foreseeable future. Ireland is well positioned to benefit form this growth and the range of computer courses available in Dublin provide a great route to get on board.

In 2009 worldwide revenue for the video games industry was estimated at over 10 billion US dollars. As of 2011 the global video games industry is valued at $65 billion and by 2015 that figure is expected to be as high as $72 billion. Creating a modern video game requires a large production company with a broad array of different talents and skill sets. Programmers are required for building game engines and interfaces. Graphic designers create concept art, textures and overall game styles. 3D modellers and animators make the characters and props populating the digital worlds. Dublin’s computer courses provide training for all of these and more.

It’s not only people who work directly on the production of video games that are required to have a functioning games industry. There are hundreds of support jobs needed to see a video game production through. Digital sales of video games and other digital products are bypassing the large publishers and retailers to bring more of the revenue directly to the games developers. This means more of the support structure becomes locally based. Websites need to be designed, built and maintained. It professionals and networking specialists are needed to ensure the underlying systems operate smoothly. Digital marketers ensure online campaigns are as effective as possible. These are just a few examples of the career paths that can be accessed through computer courses in Dublin.

Everyone is familiar with social media and how much it has grown over the past few years. But the opportunities it presents are not always so obvious. More and more businesses are moving advertising and other budgets from traditional areas over to online and digital areas. Whole companies are moving their businesses online instead of having physical shops. Online ad campaigns, website and shop management, server maintenance and hundreds of other computer disciplines are needed to support this digital growth. Book a computer course in Dublin at www.bluebrick.ie today and take your first step towards a digital future.

In a previous post I commented on the question of mission diversity in respect of mature student entry in Irish higher education and drew attention to the differences between the institutes of technology and the universities.  The HEA has also prepared an analysis using access data of where students from different socio economic groups are going to college and the results are equally as persuasive that mission diversity is alive and well in Irish higher education institutions.  The report shows that

• In the University sector the largest socio-economic group is Employer & Manager with 20.0% of all undergraduate full-time new entrants. In the Institute of Technology sector the Employer and Manager and Skilled Manual groups are jointly, at 15.3%, the most represented socio-economic groups.
• Students from skilled-manual, semi-skilled-manual and unskilled backgrounds are better represented in the Institute of Technology sector with 24.7% compared to 15.7% in the University sector
• Students from non-manual backgrounds are marginally better represented in the Institute of Technology (9.8%) compared to the University sectors (9.6%).

A key component of the strategic dialogue process I commented on previously will be trying to ensure that mission diversity is a significant feature of the Irish higher education system.  I wonder if in other dimensions of Irish higher education is mission diversity as obvious?

While the recent budget announcements brought pain for pretty much everyone living in Ireland, from the perspective of part time learners there were some glimmers of hope.  Brendan Howlin in his speech noted

"The Government shortly will be publishing a policy statement on labour market activation: “Pathways to Work”. In it we set out our strategy to reform labour market activation policy to prevent the drift into, and help the reduction of, long-term unemployment.

During 2012 we will prioritise places, including in the further education and training sector, specifically for those on the Live Register for 12 months or more. We will also provide for a further roll-out of the “Springboard” initiative, to provide conversion courses to up-skill and re-skill unemployed people to meet skills shortages in new and emerging sectors.

I am also providing for an allocation of €20 million for a new Labour Market Activation Fund. This fund, which will be specifically targeted at the long-term unemployed, will deliver upward of 6,500 places next year."

No details have as yet emerged but this is a small piece of good news.

A key policy objective of many higher education systems is to have a diverse set of higher education institutions whose missions are distinctive and different but which combined result in a coherence that enables the system as a whole to meet all potential requirements.  In practice what does this mean and what would it look like if it were achieved?  Instead of every institution trying to do everything the system as a whole would be characterized by institutions that focus on a smaller number of key objectives.  In Ireland, there are some obvious high level policy objectives that have been articulated over recent years; more part time and flexible learning opportunities, more labour market upskilling and  more students from abroad are just three of the more obvious objectives that reference the type of students and the type of delivery.

Mission diversity can also refer to the range and emphasis of academic programmes being offered and not just to the origin of students and mode of delivery.  Where it is perceived that an institution is moving into academic areas that someone (usually from another part of the system) believes they should not be in it is referred to as ‘mission drift’; IoTs moving into the humanities or universities into labour market skills development, for example.  The National Strategy for Higher Education refers explicitly to ‘mission drift’ in the Irish higher education  system.

Lest one might think that ‘mission drift’ in Irish higher education is rampant and every institution is doing everything, a recent report by the HEA shows that, at least in the case of mature students entering higher education, this is not the case.   The report shows that  

·        11% (2,189) of full-time new entrants to the universities are mature students compared to 20% (3,755) in the institutes of technology.

·        The most popular area of study for full-time mature students in the universities is Health and Welfare (28%) followed by Social Science, Business and Law (18%). The latter is the most popular discipline for full-time mature students in the IoTs (20%), however this is followed by Health and Welfare and Engineering, Manufacturing and Construction (both 18%).

·        Part-time mature students in the universities are drawn to the Humanities and Arts (27%) while in the institutes of technology Health and Welfare and Social Science, Business and Law (both 34%) are most popular.

Mission diversity is alive and well in Ireland, at least as far as mature entrants to Irish higher education institutions is concerned.

Most people love to travel and for those that do, this may be a dream occupation.  To attract strong tourism to Ireland, you must understand the needs and wants of a tourist.  Tourism courses in the University of Limerick  professionally educate students to prepare themselves to be a part of one of the most energetic and fast moving industries.  Tourism is a huge global employer and one of the largest economic sectors in Ireland. It’s a key area for investment.  Tourism has always contributed significantly to our economy and it is being honed in on as one of the future driving forces.

With tourism courses in Limerick , our graduates are in a position to harness the necessary skills and knowledge in order to take immediate employment.  Here, you will learn to understand and appreciate all cultures so as to comprehend better the interaction of tourists from various cultural norms. Our courses in tourism train the students to nurture and develop all the required skills to succeed in the industry in order to build a lifelong and fruitful career. 

There are various different  roles in the industry, all with different sets of challenges and possibilities.  Because of the very nature of the industry, tourism allows employees to travel around the world.  Those employed in the industry also can work right across the hospitality sector, as the skills and knowledge gained are transferable throughout the sector.  The skills you will inherit will allow you to work from bespoke unique travel arrangements for individual clients, creating a worldwide, managing a restaurant or bar in a tourist and even indeed climbing the corporate ladder in a related company.  You are not limited with just a few choices!

Technology is constantly developing the industry as it facilitates the increased speed of local and international travelling.  Part of this increased usage of technology can be attributed to airline companies who are constantly looking at ways to decrease consumer booking time and to decrease their general travelling expenses like the use of online bookings or automatic check ins.
Graduates from the tourism courses at University of Limerick  are in high demand.  Our courses are of a deep and practical nature which in turn gives our graduates a competitive advantage for employment.  Employers are constantly on the search for graduates with fully developed knowledge and skills so that they can have in instant and strong impact upon entering the industry.  Our students are exposed to professionals with a strong experience in the industry and so benefit from networking opportunities as well. 

If you are the energetic type who loves other cultures and travelling in general, then this may well be the industry best suited to you. 

To find out more about tourism courses in Limerick or elsewhere in Ireland, then Click the Brick by visiting our website www.bluebrick.ie.  Here you can directly compare all courses from all IT’s nationwide in an easy to use, side-by-side comparative format.  Searching for courses has never been easier!