NCI Blog

Calling all Leaving Certificate Students! You’ve completed your mocks, you’ve been studying hard, and you are now just a few weeks away from the main event. It can be a nerve-wracking time but just remember, you got this!

COVID-19 had a major impact on businesses worldwide, with employees facing several challenges as a result. Adapting to a hybrid working model, uncertainty around job security and an unsettled jobs market resulted in many employees staying in their existing roles throughout the pandemic as it was considered the safer option.

Navigating a career crossroads can be tricky for several reasons. You might ask yourself “how can I progress further in my current role? What industry do I want to work in? Do I have the right skills to switch roles? Can I afford to return to education if required?”. If you have asked yourself any of these questions, then a Springboard+ programme may be a suitable solution for you!

While technology continues to evolve and change the way we work for the better, so too do the challenges that come with it, most notably around protecting key information against cyberattacks. The threat of such attacks is at an all-time high, with Grant Thornton Ireland reporting the economic cost of cybercrime in Ireland to be €9.6 billion. These threats have increased the demand for cybersecurity specialists, with organisations now actively seeking out skilled professionals who can protect the privacy and confidentiality of their sensitive data.

Starting college is an exciting and significant milestone in any individual’s life but it can feel quite daunting. Meeting new people, possibly moving away from home for the first time, combined with assignments and study can all lead to a sense of being overwhelmed, which can affect your day-to-day life. Effectively managing your time can be a great way to deal with this anxiety as it will help bring clear structure and balance to your busy lifestyle, ensuring you can enjoy the fun, social activities of college life as well as successfully fulfilling your academic responsibilities.

Whether you are a recent graduate looking for your first permanent position, or a skilled worker seeking a new and exciting challenge, entering the jobs market can be a scary prospect. No matter your level of experience or area of expertise, you will be entering a fiercely competitive market full of skilled workers. Therefore, it is crucial that you stand out from the crowd and make a lasting impression on the hiring managers.

As you’ve surely heard by now, Artificial Intelligence is a big deal. Whether it’s in healthcare, where AI is being used to diagnose cancer risks 30 times faster and with 99% more accuracy than a human doctor, or in business, where companies are providing 24/7 customer service through the use of intelligent chatbots on their website, artificial intelligence is disrupting all industries and changing how we see the world.

Whether you recently completed your undergraduate studies or are mid-career and possess several years of working experience, returning to education and starting a postgraduate degree can be an excellent way to enhance your career, refine your skillset and give you a competitive edge in a busy jobs market.

At National College of Ireland, our mission is to ‘change lives through education’, through brilliant students, expert staff, our collective commitment to access and social justice, academic excellence, and sustainability. One way in which we strive to make education accessible to all is by delivering a wide range of scholarships to exceptional students from both NCI and other colleges, as well as providing discount offers for NCI alumni. Visit our Scholarships & Discounts page to learn more.

It is almost impossible to find an industry or business in our world today that has not been changed by technological advancement in recent times. Whether you are a farmer using agricultural technology to improve crop productivity, or an accountant using automation software to reduce paper usage, technology has streamlined important processes in businesses, allowing them to be more efficient, safer and profitable.