Springboard Your Career into Digital with the WebElevate Programme

Wednesday, 1^st August, 2012: A new digital technology and game development programme, WebElevate, was launched today by Digital Skills Academy, as part of the Higher Education Authority’s Springboard programme. WebElevate leads to a Special Purpose Award at Level 8 on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) which develops talent for employment roles in the digital technology and digital gaming sectors, where there is strong jobs growth; over 4,500 jobs have been announced in these sectors since the start of the year. The programme is free-of-charge for participants, who are eligible for the Springboard programme.

200 jobseekers, who aspire to work in the digital technology and digital gaming sectors, will secure places on this free programme. The programme, which includes a new stream to develop talent for the digital games industry, retrains participants in in-demand digital technology skills for employment in areas including mobile application development, web commerce, digital marketing, web video production, online publishing and the online and mobile game development sectors. The programme is delivered by Digital Skills Academy, based at the Digital Hub, with Dublin Institute of Technology as the awarding body.

Paul Dunne, CEO of Digital Skills Academy said “Today’s announcement is a significant boost for the technology and digital games sectors where digital skills are high in demand and for the 200 job seekers whose talents will be developed through our WebElevate programme. Our focus is on moving people from sectors that have been worst hit by the recession; building on their existing skills and layering on new knowledge and skills for employment in the digital sectors, where there will be continued jobs growth. Already a third of our current WebElevate participants who will graduate this October have secured employment.”

Welcoming the launch of WebElevate, Jamie McCormick of online gaming company Gala Networks Europe said “With major international and home grown online games companies located in Ireland, there is a real potential for a major jobs growth in digital game development in Ireland. Having people with the right skills to fill these roles is crucial for Ireland’s success in this arena. The WebElevate programme can deliver training very relevant to the kind of companies here in Ireland today, and over the coming years.”

Designed to reflect a real working environment, WebElevate participants work in multi-disciplinary teams, developing digital products and services such as web and mobile applications and e-commerce websites for many leading Irish and multi-national companies. To date the WebElevate programme has partnered with leading companies including Telefonica Ireland, Oracle, BT Ireland, Pigsback.com, Allianz, The Educational Company of Ireland and Gill & MacMillan. A recent survey of the industry partner companies found that over 90% of their projects being developed through the programme have the potential to lead to future gainful employment for WebElevate participants.

This will be the third WebElevate programme that Digital Skills Academy will deliver this year through the Springboard initiative, retraining 520 jobseekers. This new programme, which will begin in October 2012, will be adding a new stream to develop talent for the digital games industry. The closing date to apply is Sunday, 19^th August 2012.

For more information and to apply to the WebElevate programme, applicants should visit www.webelevate.ie

Check out the YouTube video of the graffiti mural created for the launch of WebElevate. The video can be downloaded from YouTube for use on news websites. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHNgHnJsI5M&feature=youtu.be

An honours-degree level programme, delivered by Digital Skills Academy with the Dublin Institute of Technology as the awarding body, WebElevate is part of the Government’s Springboard initiative and is free-of-charge to participants. The next WebElevate programme begins in April 2012. For a place on the programme, apply here (link to http://www.digitalskillsacademy.com/courses/webelevate/) by Monday, 19th March 2012. Helping to create direct employment opportunities for participants, the programme has partnered with many leading Irish and multi-national companies, including Telefónica Ireland, Oracle Ireland, Digiweb and BT Ireland.

Digital Skills Academy today hosted the launch of the Government’s Pathways to Work plan.

This new initiative to get unemployed people back to work was launched by the Taosieach Enda Kenny T.D., Tánaiste, Eamon Gilmore T.D., Minister for Social Protection, Joan Burton T.D. and Minister for Training and Skills, Ciaran Cannon T.D.

Speaking at Digital Skills Academy, the Taoiseach said “Pathways to Work is all about people and making sure that when economic recovery comes, those who lost their jobs in the recession are not left behind. Today marks another step in the Government’s drive to create job opportunities for our people.”

Commending Digital Skills Academy, the Taoiseach said “I’m very impressed to hear that 57% of the people who completed Digital Skills Academy’s last programme are now in full time employment.”

Minister for Training and Skills, Ciaran Cannon T.D. added “Future training in this country needs to be demand lead with strong links with industry.  Some excellent work has been done here by Digital Skills Academy in taking people in and in one year of intervention allowing them to forge a new career and opportunities for themselves.”

Earlier this week, Digital Skills Academy launched a second WebElevate programme through the Higher Education Authority’s Springboard initiative.

WebElevate is an honours-degree level programme delivered by Digital Skills Academy at the Digital Hub, with Dublin Institute of Technology as the awarding body. The programme aims to help plug the digital skills gap while supporting job seekers to re-enter the labour market by equipping them with the skills that are now currently in demand, and which are the skills for the jobs of tomorrow. The progamme is FREE to participants as part of the HEA’s Springboard initiative, which encourages people with workplace experience who need additional skills to take up a job in sectors where vacancies are arising.

Designed to reflect a real working environment and develop the talent for the 21st Century digital workplace, the WebElevate programme is delivered by industry professionals. In addition, twenty companies including Telefonica Ireland, BT Ireland, Pigsback.com, Digiweb, Oracle Ireland and Gill & Macmillan have partnered with the programme to develop a range of digital products and services such as mobile and web applications.

Speaking at the launch of WebElevate, Paul Dunne, CEO of Digital Skills Academy said “We are delighted to be in a position to offer a second WebElevate programme, almost doubling the places on offer for participants. It also means we can increase our intake of industry partners and thus increase the number of employment opportunities for our participants. WebElevate has attracted high calibre companies, with interesting and innovative projects being developed through the programme. It’s a huge opportunity for the participants to be involved in the development process of so many cutting-edge projects.”

The new WebElevate programme will begin in April 2012 with 140 places on offer through this second programme. To apply please visit www.webelevate.ie and apply by Monday, 19th March 2012.

Part funded by the European Social Fund, Digital Skills Academy is focused on eliminating Ireland’s digital skills shortage by providing job seekers with a range of industry-specific digital education and training programmes.