Fine Gael Cork East TD, Tom Barry, has said that the success in linking up businesses and colleges involved in the IT sector in Cork could be used as a model for other regions around the country. Deputy Barry was speaking after a meeting he organised in Leinster House between the Taoiseach, the Minister for Enterprise and Jobs, and leading figures from the IT sector in Cork.
“Cork is leading the way when it comes to linking up business and academia involved in the IT sector; the cohesive approach is helping to forge partnerships to address the IT skills shortage and create employment. Cork IT achieved a world first in creating an academic qualification in cloud computing, an initiative developed in a partnership between the Institute and industry leaders including IBM, EMC and VMware. The course has attracted students from all over the world.
“The success of the new BSc and MSc in Cloud Computing has led to the announcement of two new courses which will be funded by a new Government initiative aimed at creating jobs and filling skills gaps. The Higher Diploma in Science in Cloud Computing and the Higher Diploma in Science in Cloud and Mobile Software Development will allow graduates from non-computing disciplines to acquire the skills to match the needs of the IT industry.
“As Chairman of the Fine Gael Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, I was delighted to be able to invite Denis Collins of IBM and Michael Loftus of CIT to brief Minister for Enterprise and Jobs, Richard Bruton, on the innovative partnerships taking place in the IT field in Cork. The county is rapidly becoming an IT hub and I believe it could act as a model of best practice for other regions.
“The Taoiseach also met with Denis and Michael and gave an encouraging indication that significant progress has been made in delivering world class broadband in Cork. It is hoped a link to the Tier 1 Trans-Atlantic submarine broadband connector can become a reality, which would bring cheaper and faster internet access to Cork businesses.
“By taking a partnership approach, real results are already being realised in Cork. By working with enterprise we can ensure that we are providing our graduates with the right skills to take full advantage of the emerging opportunities in the IT sector. I will continue to work with IT leaders such as Denis and Michael to forge stronger links with the Government to help create employment in our region and turning Cork into a world-class IT hub.”
ENDS