Developing your skills
The Atlantic University Alliance (AUA) has developed and delivers courses with a unique technology focus, aimed at addressing current and future requirements of the high-tech sector
The second and third level education institutions have to prepare the upcoming workforce for jobs that do not exist yet. The high-tech sector in Ireland is developing at such a pace that it is difficult to keep up with the new job titles, let alone the skills required for them. For those already in the sector, it is no longer enough to work in your job, you need to work to stay in your job.
Ongoing upskilling and learning has been shown to contribute to the chances of gaining promotion in the high-tech sector. Nuala McGuinn, Director of the Centre for Adult Learning and Professional Development at NUI Galway highlights that “while acknowledging that employability and market competitiveness is key for all employers, from a wider societal view, the positive effects of lifelong learning in terms of personal development and higher levels of job satisfaction and greater staff retention make economicsense”.
Some professional bodies mandate a specific number of CPD hours per year to retain accreditation. One example is Engineers Ireland, which in January this year introduced a requirement of 35 hours a year of CPD activities. These are defined as ‘the systematic maintenance, enhancement and development of knowledge and skill, and the development of personal qualities necessary for the execution of professional and technical duties throughout the practising engineering professional’s career’.
Those in the high-tech sector, interested in giving themselves an edge in employability and career development, should consider upskilling through courses with a strategic focus on science and technology. This is the remit of a collaborative initiative of three of Ireland’s leading Universities: NUI Galway, the University of Limerick and University College Cork. They have come together, under the auspices of the Atlantic University Alliance (AUA), to jointly develop and deliver courses with a unique technology focus, offered on a part-time blended learning basis suitable for working adults.
The Programme in Science and Technology Studies was developed by academic staff in consultation with industry, specifically to address current and future requirements of the high-tech sector. It offers a comprehensive range of over 50 science, technology and management modules so participants can focus on areas that are relevant to their career path. These include modules such as: Operations Engineering or Design of Engineering Systems at level 7, Automation and Control or Regulatory Compliance at level 8, and Product Design and Development or Managing Innovation at master’s level.
Conscious of the many demands placed on adult learners from a work and family perspective, all of the courses were developed on a modular basis to provide manageable, bite-sized chunks of learning, enabling participants to combine work and family commitments with the demands of studying. This is particularly useful for continuous professional development; for deepening niche understanding and refreshing skills; or for those wishing to break into new areas of employment.
Toyin Etti, who works in the medical device sector said following her studies with the AUA, “I am able to tackle problems at work and analyse issues constructively. It has built confidence in the skills and knowledge acquired so far.” Likewise Elena Starkova, who works in a multinational med-tech company said that “Going back to study was one of my personal development goals. With a full-time job ongoing at the same time, the structure of blended learning was perfect for me”. Blended learning combines face-to-face tuition with online learning and specifically commissioned course content to make the learning process as manageable as possible for those studying part-time.
According to Dr Brían Ó Donnchadha, coordinator of the Programme in Science and Technology Studies at NUI Galway, “gaining the qualification to get into a job used to be all that was required; however, in order to maintain one’s skills, employees have to see themselves on a learning path throughout their career, focused on their continuous professional development.”