NCI Blog

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.

Apprenticeships are a popular choice among students who seek to advance their careers while simultaneously achieving a professional qualification. These programmes give people from all backgrounds the opportunity to enter various industries without prior knowledge or experience. Students can apply their classroom learning to their daily tasks on the job, and conversely, their work experience to classroom learning. National College of Ireland offers apprenticeships in both recruitment and financial services, to learn more, please visit Apprenticeships at NCI.

Studying abroad can be both exciting and daunting. However, the International Welcome Programme is an excellent way to settle into student life at National College of Ireland as it will help you find your feet as you begin your academic studies in a new country. The programme provides valuable information, advice, and support to help new international students transition into life in Ireland.

Jimmy Ahmed (pictured far left) at the Finbarr Flood Scholarship Ceremony For many students who are making their CAO choices, one factor that helps rank college courses is the positive impact you could have on society as a graduate. Working in areas such as healthcare, sustainability, non-profit or education can be incredibly rewarding and it starts with the choices you make as you prepare to leave secondary school.

Eve Gibney, far right, is pictured at our CAO Open Day in November 2023 Studying computing or computer science at college means you have the opportunity to develop skills which are highly in-demand in the workforce. These include software development, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and data analytics. Currently studying the BSc (Honours) in Computing at National College of Ireland, Eve Gibney shares her reasons for choosing the course, what she has learned from her studies so far as well as advice for anyone considering their CAO options at the moment. Read Eve’s story below to get an insight into studying this course.

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.