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10,000 young Irish people to get access to new Accenture online academy

17 May 2017

A new online training programme aims to equip 10,000 young people with the necessary skills for their future careers.

Accenture’s latest effort to encourage young people to bolster their skill sets as they begin their career hunt has come in the form of the Skills to Succeed Academy.

Launched in partnership with the Department of Social Protection, the academy is a free, interactive, online training programme developed to give those aged between 15 and 24 the skills and confidence needed for career development.

The new programme uses virtual coaches, gamification and simulations to help users navigate their career paths, aiming to provide training to help them find long-term employment.

One such example would be getting a young person to tailor their CV to specific job opportunities, honing interview techniques and understanding what is required to stay employed.

The programme is available on its own website, but it will also be delivered through partners including FIT (Fast track to IT), Eco-UNESCO, Jobcare, An Cosán, Junior Achievement Ireland, CareersPortal.ie and Business in the Community Ireland.

An almost identical online academy was launched by Accenture in the UK, where it claims its first programme exceeded its goals earlier than expected. It plans to expand to other countries in the future as well.

Peter Davitt, CEO of FIT and delivery partner for the Skills to Succeed Academy, said: “Highly interactive and rich content, supported by classroom-based tuition, allows young people to act out scenarios and learn practical hints and tips through computer-based training modules, thereby equipping participants to successfully navigate the challenges towards a job and career of their choosing.”

Adding to this, Accenture Ireland’s country managing director, Alastair Blair, said: “Digital technologies are fundamentally changing the way we work and the skills required to enter and succeed in the workplace.

“Those most likely to succeed in the workforce of the future will not only have a strong set of core skills, but will be responsive to the changing work environment.”

Colm Gorey
By Colm Gorey

Colm Gorey was a senior journalist with Silicon Republic. He joined in January 2014 and covered AI, IoT, science and anything that will get us to Mars quicker. When not trying to get his hands on the latest gaming release, he can be found lost in a sea of Wikipedia articles on obscure historic battles and countries that don't exist any more, or watching classic Simpsons episodes far too many times to count.

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