ICT degree

Targeted At Meeting Teaching And Global Skills Shortage

There is currently a shortage of accredited computer science teachers in Ireland and a worldwide shortage of ICT skills.

A 2023 report highlighted that there were just 34 accredited computer science teachers in Ireland before the start of the school year in August 2022. The report, which was commissioned with the support of Google, highlighted that in 2022, only 15.6% of postprimary schools offered computer science as a Leaving Certificate subject. The Leaving Certificate computer science curriculum was designed and published in 2017. This teacher shortage is accompanied by an abundance of jobs in the ICT sector that are not being filled because of a graduate shortage. Businesses today are finding it difficult to see how they can use the opportunities presented by digital technologies to transform their businesses.

The Department of Skills and Education, alongside the Higher & Further Education and Training Sector, are working with industry to meet Ireland's high-level ICT skill needs. As set out in the ‘Technology Skills 2022: Ireland's Third ICT Skills Action Plan’, to further expand provision from the education and training system to deliver an additional 3,200 high-level ICT graduates per annum over and above the existing planned increase in provision to 2022.

The BA (Hons) in Business and ICT degree at ATU Sligo offers students a pathway to becoming secondary school teachers of both computer science and business. The threeyear honours degree also equips graduates with unique skills, as not only will they have the knowledge and practical capabilities of IT infrastructure and information systems, but they will also have the business acumen to understand and appreciate the business. Graduates have the skills to identify business challenges, find technological solutions, manage technology projects, and analyse business data to lead businesses through this digital transformation. For more information, visit atu.ie/au901.

National award and recognition for Accounting degree

ATU Sligo’s accounting degree received two pieces of excellent news recently. First year student Gary McClintock placed third in a National

Accounting Competition run jointly by CPA Ireland and Quitch. The Donegal native was competing against accounting students from all

Tourism and Event Management students get broad experience

A degree in business opens a wide range of dynamic and exciting career opportunities. In ATU Sligo, we offer several programmes in this area at Level’s 8, 7 and 6. In Year 4 of our BBs (Hons) in Business, students can specialise in HRM, Marketing or Finance. Work placements, Erasmus+ opportunities, professional accreditation, real-life projects, and guest speakers are a big part of all our business programmes. This ensures graduates have the necessary skills to start their own business, take up a management position in a multinational company, become a marketing executive, and so much more.

Trips, talks and debates for Law with Business students

LinkedIn researchers have highlighted the current and future opportunities for marketing graduates. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated a shift to a digital world of business. Skilled marketers with business acumen are in high demand in Ireland and across the globe. With business taking place online, now more than ever, graduates in marketing are highly employable.

The LinkedIn report found there was a staggering 374% growth in marketing jobs in 2021, with 1.3 million marketing jobs posted to LinkedIn worldwide. The total number of marketing jobs is expected to grow by 10% before 2030.

Marketing professionals are also securing roles in attractive locations. Cities like New York, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Singapore, and Sydney have all seen an influx of fresh marketing talent. A LinkedIn survey found a shortage of about 230,000 marketing professionals in major metro areas in the U.S. The report also lists some of the most soughtafter skills globally in marketing. These include social media marketing, digital marketing, merchandising, data analytics, teamwork, and creativity.

years of their programmes across Ireland, which makes this achievement even more impressive.

Next up was the news that lecturer John Gaynor has been appointed as the head judge for the Irish Accountancy Awards in Dublin. The annual event serves as a platform to honour excellence in the accountancy profession in Ireland, foster growth and set benchmarks for the industry.

John Gaynor stated, "I am honoured to be chosen as the head judge for the 2023 awards. The Irish Accountancy Awards play a vital role in recognising and celebrating the outstanding contributions made by professionals in our field. It is a personal privilege to contribute to the education and development of the next generation of accountants, who will undoubtedly shape the future of our dynamic and ever-evolving world."

No university in Ireland offers more exemptions from the professional accountancy exams than ATU Sligo’s BA (Hons) in Accounting degree. Learn more at atu.ie/au902.

BA (Hons) in Law with Business students recently enjoyed a guided tour of the Central Criminal Courts, which was facilitated by a practising barrister. Students also sat in on a murder trial and experienced first-hand the role played by the judge, jury, solicitors, barristers, court clerk, gardaí, and witnesses.

Next up was a visit to Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann. Students received a tour of Leinster House and viewed the Leader’s Questions where a draft law (Bill) featured prominently, giving them a strong sense of the role of the Dáil in Irish democratic life.

ATU Sligo student Alyx Cassidy participated in the Bar of Ireland Intervarsity Debate. The judging panel included a Judge of the High Court and Vice Chair of the Council of The Bar of Ireland. Alyx and her classmates received a tour of the Four Courts and reception afterwards in the Distillery Building, meeting members of the Bar and discussing a career as a barrister. Guest lecturers this year included Damien Tansey SC, who recounted his career to date in the legal profession and discussed some of his more high-profile cases.

According to LinkedIn, the “Digital Marketing Specialist” role is among the top 10 most in-demand jobs, with 860,000 job openings. The most requested experience in digital marketing includes social media, content strategy, SEO, analytics, and more. The digital marketing market is expected to scale to a value of USD 24.1 billion, and there will be close to 6 billion internet users by 2027.

All of these key digital skills are incorporated into ATU Sligo’s marketing degrees, which are packed with the most up-to-date modules anywhere in the country. Work placements, group projects, business trips, Erasmus+ opportunities and lots more, ensure graduates have all the skills employers want. For more information on these marketing degrees, please go to atu.ie/au904 (Level 8) and atu.ie/au802 (Level 7).

NEW degree in Business and Irish

ATU Sligo and St. Angela’s have developed an exciting new joint CAO programme, which will have its first intake of students in September 2023. The three-year honours degree offers graduates a wide range of career and further study options, including a pathway to becoming a secondary school teacher of business and Irish. For more information, go to page 41 of this newspaper or visit atu.ie/au906.

Ihas been a busy year for ATU Sligo’s Business in Tourism and Event Management students. Throughout their studies, students are exposed to aspects of business, tourism, and events; and this year was no different. Business insight trips included a visit to The Shed Distillery in Drumshanbo to learn how the company hasd to become an internationally recognisable brand, and a visit to the Hive Technology Enterprise Centre in Carrick on Shannon. Tourism visits included Drumhierney Woodland Hideaway in Leitrim Village, a memorable experience at Kylemore Abbey, and meeting the 'world's smartest dogs' in action at Atlantic Sheepdogs. Students also successfully organised an event as part of the Year 3 Event Project Management module. The Hazelwood 5km Fun Run was professionally planned and managed from start to finish with event design, health and safety, insurance, marketing, and procurement just some of the aspects of event organisation that students successfully navigated.

The Business in Tourism and Event Management degrees in ATU Sligo provide graduates with a broad and exciting platform to build a successful career. As the basis of the degree is in business, this will always open huge job opportunities. Tourism is Ireland’s largest indigenous industry and the world’s fastest growing sector, accounting for 1 in 10 jobs globally. More than 7 million people visited Ireland in 2022, with that figure forecast to substantially increase in the coming years.

Finally, the most recent Event Industry of Ireland report stated this is an industry that annually generates more than €3.5bn towards the Irish economy, €850m towards the Irish export market and employs an estimated 45,000 workers.

For more information on ATU Sligo’s tourism degrees visit atu.ie/au905 (Level 8) and atu.ie/au803 (Level 7)

Sport with Business students highlight the positives of variety

Following research with current students, an increase in applications to study Sport with Business (Level 8) and Applied Sport with Business (Level 7) at ATU Sligo has been attributed to the range of options available upon graduation. Graduates can secure careers as PE teachers, high level sports coaches, health professionals, take up marketing and management roles in a wide variety of businesses and sectors, or become entrepreneurs.

This variety of options was evident in the range of work placements students secured this year. Work placements included sports journalism with the Sligo Weekender, working with Connacht GAA as a Development Officer, teaching placements, coaching with Sligo Rovers, and business roles in a variety of organisations.

Students remarked on how they loved the mixture of classroom and practical teaching, from digital media and sports marketing to athletics and disability sports inclusion. Outdoor modules take place in settings such as Benbulben and

Strandhill, whilst professional coaches regularly work with students as they obtain their coaching badges, including GAA, IRFU and Basketball Ireland.

Students can also obtain sports industry qualifications, including fitness instruction and swim teaching. The research proved to be very positive. It highlighted the importance of giving students varied modules and options upon graduation, two key ingredients in these Sport with Business degrees.