Ninth Level Ireland

“IFUT is author to one of the chapters in a new essay collection ‘Ensuring Good Future Jobs’, launched on 28th November 2019 at the National University of Ireland offices. Edited by TASC and the Carnegie UK Trust, the collection sets out how everyday challenges facing workers in Ireland need to be addressed as the essential foundation for enabling Better Future Jobs …” (more)

[IFUT, 12 December]

“If there really is a funding crisis in higher education, you wouldn’t know it to look around UCD’s sprawling campus at Belfield, south Dublin. Cranes on the skyline are a sign that thousands of new student beds are under construction on campus …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 11 December]

“Universities serve many different purposes depending on who one asks. Some of these are obvious; they analyse societal problems and offer solutions to them, they train people to be better, more critical citizens. Some are more disputable such as whether they should explicitly prepare people for careers …” (more)

[Garrett Kennedy, University Observer, 26 November]

“Tony McLoughlin (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the measures his Department takes to ensure that courses undertaken at universities and institutes of technology remain relevant to the changing workforce trends here; if there is data available which identifies the number of students that gained full-time employment directly as a result of their institute qualification; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 21 November]

“Job applications can be stressful. First there’s the pressure of making sure the CV has highlighted all the right skills, and there are no spelling mistakes. Then there’s the first and second round of interviews and, often, a long wait to hear back …” (more)

[Peter McGuire, Irish Times, 12 November]

“An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar TD today (Thursday 7th November) joined Minister for Education and Skills Joe McHugh TD, Minister for Business, Enterprise, and Innovation Heather Humphreys TD, Minister of State for Higher Education Mary Mitchell O’Connor TD, and Minister of State for Training, Skills, Innovation, Research and Development John Halligan TD. to launch the €300 million Human Capital Initiative and the Skills and Talent pillar of Future Jobs Ireland …” (more)

[Department of Education and Skills, 7 November]

“Ireland ranks 13th out of 23 European countries when it comes to pay levels for graduates with a bachelor’s degree. Those leaving college here can expect to earn around €31,075, just over a quarter more than the average salary of someone who finishes their education after secondary school. The figures come in a report from insurance and consulting group Willis Towers Watson …” (more)

[Ellie Donnelly, Independent, 25 October]

“Agus mé níos mó ná leathbhealach tríd mo chúrsa fochéime, éiríonn an cheist faoin bplean atá agam i ndiaidh an choláiste níos práinní gach lá. Táim cráite ag na comhráite a bhíonn agam faoin todhchaí atá romham ar bhonn rialta. Comhráite ainniseacha atá iontu – pléitear intéirneachtaí, taithí oibre, cúrsaí iarchéime agus an saol oibre go minic …” (more)

[Malachi Ó Marcaigh, University Times, 4 October]

“The president, Michael D Higgins, has criticised ‘many universities’ who he says now produce graduates who are ‘professionals’ rather than ‘critically engaged citizens’. In a speech at Fordham University in New York Mr Higgins accused universities of abandoning their ‘traditional role’ of preparing students to be ‘thoughtful, conscientious, active citizens’ …” (more)

[Emma O Kelly, RTÉ News, 30 September]

“Some graduates can’t get out of college fast enough. They run out through the gates and into the independent adult world of rent, bills, responsibility – but it’s worth it, they think, for the freedom. Others have to be dragged, kicking and screaming, away from what may have been the best years of their life, and stitched into a desk for the daily grind of work …” (more)

[Peter McGuire, Irish Times, 27 September]

“The first programme of its kind in Ireland to help students choose the right degree and get through the challenges of higher education is to be launched today. The Graduate Attributes Programme at University College Cork (UCC) is aiming to support students through their life cycle of study at university while also developing their skills …” (more)

[Jess Casey, Irish Examiner, 24 September]

“The average graduate salary has topped €30,000 for the first time, according to a nationwide survey of new graduates. The survey also shows that Ireland’s young job-seekers increasingly want to work for multinational tech companies and consultancies, not Irish brands or the public sector …” (more)

[Shawn Pogatchnik, Independent, 24 September]

“Sir, – The inequalities in our educational outcomes are stark. A soon-to-be released report from the Higher Education Authority indicates the strong connection between the more affluent members of our society and high results in the Leaving Cert and access to third level, particularly the future high-income courses such as medicine, business, and finance …” (more)

[Denise Burns and others, Irish Times, 19 September]

“Trinity has risen into the top 100 in the QS Graduate Employability Rankings, sitting at 92nd place for 2020. The rankings mean College remains the second-best Irish university for employability, after sitting in the 101st-110th bracket last year. University College Dublin was the best college in Ireland for employability both this year and last, now sitting at 78th …” (more)

[Orla Murnaghan, University Times, 19 September]

“Concerns are being raised that job-hunters don’t have a second language. Jobs.ie says it is proving a challenge for recruiters and it is warning of a potential skill shortage. It says companies are looking for workers who speak German, French, Dutch, Spanish, and Italian …” (more)

[Irish Examiner, 16 September]

“Global university rankings matter. Real or not, perceptions matter. In a globalised world, they matter when it comes to competing for research funding from multinational corporations, or other sources that want to believe they are investing in the best talent and infrastructure to optimise the outcomes. Irish graduates have also found they matter to prospective employers, in the US and elsewhere around the world …” (more)

[Katherine Donnelly, Independent, 12 September]

“In her recent article for the Sunday Independent, former education minister Mary O’Rourke makes a passionate plea for adequate funding of Ireland’s institutions of higher learning. Much as anyone working in higher education in this country will welcome the former minister’s public support, her reasoning is profoundly flawed …” (more)

[Philipp W Rosemann, Independent, 1 September]

“The averge graduate starting salary has now exceeded €30,000, according to a new report. The average starting salary is now €30,409, up from €29,060 last year, figures in the latest GradIreland salary and recruitment trends survey show …” (more)

[Órla Ryan, TheJournal.ie, 28 August]

“Irish companies need to do more to attract top home-grown talent, a new survey has found. According to research carried out by Universum on behalf of IrishJobs.ie, graduates are overlooking Irish companies in favour of large-scale multinationals based here. The survey of 11,000 graduates found Irish businesses are lagging behind their international counterparts when it comes to who they would choose to work for …” (more)

[Irish Examiner, 22 August]

“Universities handed out a record number of CAO round one offers to meet the growing demand from school-leavers chasing jobs in the economy. They opened more places in courses leading to careers in areas such as Stem and second-level teaching where employers are crying out for graduates …” (more)

[Katherine Donnelly, Independent, 16 August]