European Tech Cluster, an initiative spearheaded by it@cork, plans to spearhead a series of initiatives and ideas aimed at creating jobs and rebalancing Ireland’s economy.
On 26 June at County Hall Chambers in Cork city, IT industry employers will gather to present detailed proposals to create jobs in multiple industries and help eliminate the country’s budget deficit.
The forum will hear from Denis Collins of IBM and chairman it@cork, who will present details of research from PwC, which will outline the real opportunity that exists to allow Ireland to benefit from bringing the top technology talent in the world to its shores.
A win-win opportunity for Ireland’s economy
Collins said each experienced technology worker that joins companies in Ireland results in multiple jobs being created. “There are thousands of jobs in the technology sector in Ireland and if we fill them, further jobs for graduates and those unemployed can be created.”
Collins said that while the title of the forum is ambitious, the economic arguments behind this will be set out in detail by a panel of speakers, including representatives of the Irish Business Employers Federation (IBEC) and international leaders including Bob Savage, vice-president and general manager at EMC, and Sean O’Sullivan, managing director of Avego.
Speakers will give examples from their own company experience and how more jobs can be created by filling existing roles, and also about the wider impact this will have on Ireland’s local and national economies.
Paul Sweetman is a director of IBEC’s Technology Sector, whose members are acutely aware of the opportunities that exist within their sector to increase employment. The key elements are to ensure that Irish indigenous companies continue to grow and expand and multinational companies that are based in Ireland continue to have access to a readily available supply of technology workers.
Collins said: “If we do this right, we can help the Government to bridge the budget deficit, rebalance the economy, (and help) significant job creation and opportunities in multiple non-IT industries while also having an immediate and long-term impact on our sector and our economy. This is a win-win situation.”
