We’re scarcely a week into 2016, and already it’s proving to be a stellar year for the Irish tech jobs market.
This year has already seen a raft of big announcements from big companies – not about jobs, but about the frankly sterling jobs market that’s already out there.
This week saw IDA Ireland trumpeting Ireland’s ‘record-breaking’ 2015 for jobs created by foreign direct investment (FDI), and tech mega-power Apple announcing that their app economy had created more than 4m jobs globally.
Not that 2016 has been a year without jobs announcements, even this early. New openings on the jobs market have already come from telematics company Transpoco and medtech start-up Surgacoll.
Of course, however, we’ll need candidates to fill these jobs market vacancies, and people like Maria Guinane – who left Ireland for the opportunities Australia presented, but came back when the Irish economy started to improve – may fit the bill.
For future positions in the jobs market, we may have access to many more candidates, if teens Harry McCann and Jack Cullen have anything to say about it. This week, they launched Let’s Teach Code, a new group that aims to make coding part of every child’s education around the world.
And speaking of children’s education, this week also saw the launch of a Lego STEM robotics kit, which the Danish toy manufacturers hope will become part of global curricula.
Also hoping to inspire younger generations to pursue careers in the STEM industries is Vanessa Greene, a STEM and music enthusiast who has just started a YouTube channel that marries the two disciplines, and shows how closely they are now connected.
Through interviews with musicians, bands and people who work in tech, Greene aims to encourage young people – particularly women – to consider STEM as a career option.
Finally, we brought you a few laughs early in the week as a means to get through these first, hellish days back in the office after the holidays. If you’re anything like us, you may need them now more than ever.
Long week.
For more information on any of these stories, follow the links below.
1. IDA lauds record-breaking FDI employment
The IDA is lauding a record-breaking year, after 2015 saw a 66pc rise in foreign direct investment (FDI) job creation, with total employment from this area topping out at 187,056.
2. Apple’s iOS app economy has generated 4.2m jobs globally
An economic study has revealed that Apple’s iOS app economy has created 1.2m jobs in Europe, 1.6m in the US and 1.4m jobs in China.
3. 20 telematics jobs announced for Dublin-based Transpoco
Dublin-based telematics company Transpoco has announced it’s to create 20 jobs, doubling its workforce, following the launch of its latest software product, SynX.
4. No bones about it, Surgacoll plans to create 25 jobs by 2019
Surgacoll’s bone regeneration product has received the CE mark, certifying it for sale throughout the EU and leading to plans to create 25 new jobs in the next three years.
5. Australia was never home for Irish TA leader
Maria Guinane, head of talent acquisition at LinkedIn’s EMEA headquarters in Dublin, left Ireland in 2003 for the opportunities Australia presented, but always kept an eye on the situation at home. When the Irish economy began to pick back up, Guinane saw her chance.
6. Irish students aim to bring coding to schools worldwide
Kildare school pals and members of the Digital Youth Council Harry McCann and Jack Cullen have established a new coding group, Let’s Teach Code, which aims to have coding established on the curricula of schools in 196 countries worldwide.
7. Lego launching STEM robotics kit WeDo 2.0 at CES 2016
Lego Education is about to release the second version of its STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) robotics kit, WeDo 2.0, with the aim of it becoming part of schools’ curricula.
8. STEM lover’s new YouTube channel is music to our ears
We’re all ears for the new Echoing STEM YouTube channel, which aims to encourage young people to learn more about technology and music.
9. 20 memes to get you through the first Monday of 2016
Back to work? Feeling the Fear? Can’t remember how to hold a pen? It’s okay. We’re all in this together.
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