ICS endorses ICT Professional Entry Route to DCU

The Irish Computer Society has announced details of a new partnership with Dublin City University, which will enable experienced ICT professionals without formal third level qualifications to apply for direct entry to postgraduate study at the university.

From September 2007, ICT professionals with a minimum of four years’ industrial experience in the ICT sector, and who demonstrate continuous career development, can apply for entry to DCU’s Graduate Diploma in Information Technology programme. In addition, graduates of the Irish Computer Society’s European Certification for Informatics Professionals (EUCIP) programme, who hold a minimum of three years’ relevant industry experience, may be eligible to apply. The Graduate Diploma in Information Technology is a one-year full-time or two-year part-time course funded by the Higher Education Authority. Graduates who achieve an overall distinction may progress to DCU’s M.Sc. in Information Technology programme.

Jim Friars, CEO of the Irish Computer Society, is delighted to partner with DCU on the new ICT Professional Entry route: “The ICS believes that this direct entry path will be highly attractive to EUCIP graduates. It will facilitate those with significant industry experience in gaining accelerated entry to postgraduate study at Dublin City University.”

For details of DCU’s Graduate Diploma in I.T., visit www.dcu.ie/computing Information on the ICS’s one-year part-time EUCIP certification is available at www.ics.ie/eucip

IT Tallaght Students first Irish Citizens to gain EUCIP Certification

Students from IT Tallaght recently attended an awards ceremony at the Irish Computer Society (ICS), where they were presented with certificates for completion of the new European Certification for Informatics Professionals (EUCIP) course at IT Tallaght. The six students (Aiden O’Brien, Declan Foley, Jim O’Connor, Neil Farren, Teresa Proudfoot and Tony Hopkins) became the first Irish citizens to gain the EUCIP certification.

At the presentation ceremony in ICS SKILLS headquarters on 19th December 2006, Mary Sharp, President of the Irish Computer Society, congratulated the students on their achievements and particularly commended Mary Proudfoot on becoming the first woman in Ireland to gain the EUCIP certification.

The fact that EUCIP is standardised across Europe gives holders an attractive certification, which will allow them to apply for IT jobs all across the continent. The course is recognised as a Level 6 qualification (Advanced Certificate) on the National Framework for Qualifications, meaning that graduates can progress to further study at Ordinary Degree level onwards. Funding is available for the course through the FÁS People in Employment initiative.

For further information on the EUCIP courses available in Ireland see http://www.ics.ie/eucip/

July 2006

First International EUCIP candidates from College of Computer Training

ICS Skills together with the College of Computer Training (CCT), were delighted to host a Presentation Ceremony for its first five EUCIP graduates on Wednesday 5th July, at CCT’s campus.

CCT Chairman, Noel Gallagher, and ICS Professional Development Manager, Mary Cleary, made the presentations and led the congratulations for each of the five international graduates representing India, China, and Pakistan. Syed Asif Jaffer, Zhou Xindong, Mohammed Bilal, Syed Abdul Muqeet and Muzumal Hussain successfully completed the EUCIP programme and passed their final exams on the first attempt. This is the first group at CCT to sit the final EUCIP exams. The graduates are using the skills and knowledge obtained throughout the course to continue with further studies in Ireland, on various I.T. Bachelors and Masters programmes at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth, Dublin City University, and CCT. The College of Computer Training (CCT) is a specialised I.T. institution, providing full-time academic programmes, and part-time training courses.

April 2006

ICS SKILLS, the training and certification body of the Irish Computer Society.

The Institute of Technology Tallaght was the first third level institution in Ireland to offer EUCIP - its first programme launched early this year and another will begin next September.

EUCIPs success in IT Tallaght has prompted more colleges to introduce the course. Today CCT (College of Computer Training), Griffith College Dublin, Griffith College Cork, HIS College Limerick and MoreSoft IT have announced their intention to offer the EUCIP programme to students from September.

The objective of EUCIP is to offer certification of IT competence at an intermediate educational level to ensure a common standard which is accepted by industry, government and public organisations. EUCIP will increase the labour market value of certified IT practitioners, and thus can contribute to the closing of the skills gap, which is threatening the continued development of the IT industry.

The popularity of EUCIP has been boosted by FÁS Competency Development Programme (CDP) funding which amounts to up to 70% of the total cost of the programme for eligible candidates in private employment or self-employed. Recently FETAC, the government Further Education and Training Awards Council, have announced that EUCIP is equivalent to Level 6 on the Irish National Framework for Qualifications.

ICS SKILLS invite any 3rd level institutions or students who are interested in EUCIP to register for news and updates on the programme at www.ics-skills.net/eucip The Irish Computer Society was founded in 1967 as the national body for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Professionals in Ireland. ICS is a not for profit organisation which promotes the continuous development of professional ICT knowledge and skills and acts as an independent representative voice for the technology profession.

In 1997 the ICS founded ECDL Ireland, now known as ICS SKILLS, to provide and promote a recognised international standard of computer literacy certification for the Irish people. A wide range of ICT courses have been developed. The success of ECDL is reflected in its uptake; over 6% of the population has received an ECDL award, internationally the highest per capita rating.

Press Contact: Justine Emoe, Marketing & Communications Officer, Irish Computer Society Ph: 01 6447820 / 087 6437386 email: Justine@ics.ie web: www.ics.ie

January 2006

New entry level certification to address skills shortage

A new pan-European professional certification in IT competence has been developed by CEPIS, the Council of European Professional Informatics Societies. The European Certification for Informatics Professionals (EUCIP) will be administered in Ireland by ICS SKILLS, the training and certification body of the Irish Computer Society. The programme will offer certification of IT competence at an intermediate educational level and will be aimed at undergraduates and IT workers who do not hold official qualifications.

ICS SKILLS already administers a number of Europe-wide IT qualifications including ECDL, the widely recognised applications skills certification which also originated from CEPIS. Mary Cleary, ICS SKILLS Professional Development Manager is keen to stress the relevance of EUCIP, particularly in light of the serious shortage of IT specialists which is threatening the growth and competitiveness of the Irish IT industry. Commenting on the programme she said “EUCIP will function to increase the labour market value of certified IT practitioners, and can contribute to the closing of the skills gap. As EUCIP is standardised across Europe it provides holders with a widely recognised qualification and enables employers to more easily recruit both at home and from the wider continent.”

The programme is an entry-level professional certification. Qualification offers candidates a first step to further study as well as a certification in its own right. For industry, government and public organisations EUCIP provides a common standard of intermediate education in the IT profession, a valuable means of gauging skill and ability in today's climate of skills shortages.

EUCIP is flexible in delivery and examination terms. Tuition will normally take the form of classroom and computer lab based instruction and workshops. Pilot schemes for tuition of students for EUCIP certification will be launched during 2006. The first partner institution to implement such a programme is IT Tallaght (ITT), where EUCIP training will commence on 30th January. The programme will be run over two semesters, with two three-hour evening sessions per week. EUCIP covers a broad range of IT knowledge, consisting of all relevant topics which are necessary to perform well as an IT professional. The initial thrust of EUCIP is a solid core level certification which is compulsory, after which students can be facilitated to specialise in their field of interest. The full syllabus is available to download at www.ics-skills.ie The good news is that FÁS has included EUCIP in its Competency Development Programme and those in private employment may be eligible for 60% funding of costs. Funded candidates pay €2,000 (the full cost of the programme would normally be €5,000). IT Tallaght is also offering additional benefits to their EUCIP students by allowing them to submit assessments and undertake examinations from their BSc in IT Management programme. Students successfully completing these extra elements will obtain single subject certification for those modules. More EUCIP pilot schemes will be rolled-out nationally throughout 2006. For more information on EUCIP contact Mary Cleary, mary@ics.ie or visit www.ics-skills.ie