NCI Blog

Maurice Murphy took the time to research education programmes that would allow him to pivot to a career in the tech space. After discovering the range of Springboard+ courses at National College of Ireland, the artificial intelligence and machine learning specialisation stood out to him as the course information available to him showed that it would be an ideal way to gain the skills needed to make the transition to a career in technology, marking the start of his educational journey at NCI.

This is a guest blog post written by Jana Haver who recently visited National College of Ireland as part of the Erasmus+ programme which provides staff working in higher education institutions in the EU with the opportunity to train in another participating institutions.

The work placement programme is proven to help NCI graduates stand out from the crowd during the recruitment process. Our Career Development and Employability Team run classes and events such as mock interviews, career planning workshops and networking sessions to prepare students to succeed when applying for roles with companies such as Accenture, EY, BDO, Ryanair, Arthur Cox, Lidl, Allianz, Zurich, Eir, State Street and many more.

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!

Having worked in hospitality for a number of years and having recently moved into a new role training and support role for an international hotel group, Stephen McCusker decided to return to education to gain a relevant qualification accredited by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, CIPD. Stephen shares insights into studying the (CIPD) Diploma in Professional Learning and Organisational Development at National College of Ireland, including how he has applied what he has learned in his current role and his advice for anyone considering this programme, in the Q&A interview below.

Dawn Perrott moved into a career in the technology space by completing a conversion course in Web Development through Springboard+ at National College of Ireland. She shares her details of experience on the course, insights into her career and education background, why she decided to study a Springboard+ course as well as some key advice for anyone considering following in her footsteps below.

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.

Marius Petraitis set himself a goal of becoming a tech startup founder, but always wanted to expand his knowledge and skills before doing so. His first step was to join an undergraduate degree that included both business and technology subjects. After gaining a postgraduate qualification in the e-commerce space, the Springboard+ initiative gave him the opportunity to build on his existing skills in specialised areas such as Data Analytics and Cybersecurity.

Like many who are getting ready to leave secondary school, final year BA (Honours) in Human Resource Management student, Chloe Baxter, didn't know what she wanted to do next. None of the courses she seen jumped out to her so she decided to gain experience in industry first which gave her the opportunity to learn about the different functions of a business and lead to her interest in HRM.

There is a big deciding factor for students who wish to pursue degrees in accounting and finance which is exam exemptions from professional accountancy bodies. When researching her CAO options, Denisa Mihalute found that graduates of the BA (Honours) in Accounting and Finance at NCI could apply for generous exemptions from the examinations of professional accountancy bodies, such as Chartered Accountants Ireland, upon completion of the course.