A decade ago, micro credentials, stackable qualifications and portmanteau skills were unfamiliar terms to most employers. Today, they’re becoming mainstream as companies look for new ways to hire, train, develop and retain talent in a radically altered working environment.
A key factor driving acceptance of these new types of qualifications is the speed of change, particularly in technology where things learned in year one of a traditional degree course may be irrelevant by the end of it. A second is the acknowledgment that not everyone is suited to (or can afford) full-time post-secondary school education while a third reflects the fact that employers are no longer as hung up on traditional career development paths as they once were.
Apprenticeships have made a comeback with well more than 70 options now available across a wide range of sectors from fintech and agriculture to logistics and horticulture. And they have turned up in some unlikely places. For example, Accenture started its apprenticeship programme in 2016 with an initial intake of seven. Since then, more than 1,200 people have been through the process with most of them offered employment by the company afterwards.
Another large employer doing its bit to equip workers for roles in the digital economy is Microsoft, which has developed a fully-funded Cloud traineeship programme in conjunction with Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim Education and Training Board. The programme was launched at the end of 2021 and is open to anyone looking to start a new career in cloud technology or IT, or to retrain to participate more fully in the digital economy.
Microsoft has also moved to provide a pathway for those interested in getting into the burgeoning area of cybersecurity. Skills in this field are in high demand, with more jobs available than there are people qualified to fill them, and the nine-week, full-time but free IT Support with Cybersecurity course is designed to help those with no background in the area to get their foot on the ladder.
The course is remote with live online instruction and is aimed at those over the age of 18 not currently in education, employment or training. The estimated starting salary for those who make it through is about €30,000.
Working hand-in-hand with Microsoft to deliver the course is Generation, a global not-for-profit that believes in the power of jobs to change lives. It specifically helps prepare adults without degrees for jobs in the tech sector.
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Other examples of its courses currently available in Ireland include an introduction to data analytics for those with no previous tech education or experience and a 12-week course run in collaboration with Amazon Web Services and the Drogheda Chamber M1 Skillnet to help people kick-start a career in the technology sector. Again, no prior experience or qualifications required.
One big attraction of these courses is that the focus is on fast-tracking people into jobs, not on tying them down to long academic commitments. And the jobs are there for suitably qualified applicants, with one estimate for Ireland suggesting there could be up to 17,000 high-value cybersecurity jobs available here by 2030.
“In addition to mapping out a new career pathway into these in-demand sectors, there is a strong focus on mentoring the participants,” says James O’Connor, Microsoft Ireland site leader and vice-president for global operations service.
“Those on the course are provided with one-to-one support both on the programme and for six months afterwards to support them into employment as many of them may never have interviewed for a job before and might struggle to get through it,” he said.
“We’re also helping to connect hiring companies with course participants. The programme is definitely hitting the spot with seven in 10 graduates employed within the first six months and 84 per cent of employers telling us that they outperform their peers in the workplace.
“This initiative is part of our Skill Up Ireland programme which is focused on how we can help everyone, regardless of their age or background, to take advantage of the digital economy,” O’Connor adds. “This is critical as we know from the research that we have significant skills gaps across all ages. In particular, there’s a huge shortage of cyberskills at all levels but particularly within small and medium businesses where companies need to protect themselves and increase their cybersecurity capabilities. The last time I looked, 48 per cent of roles were open and taking a very long time to fill.
“We don’t believe it’s up to the Government alone to fill this gap. We believe it has to be done as a partnership between education providers, NGOs and companies like Microsoft,” O’Connor says.
When Gabriel Chifa signed up for the cybersecurity course, he was at a low point in his career. He had dropped out of an arts degree at UCD and started working in a cafe where he trained as a barista. But then Covid hit and Chifa found himself out of a job.
“I was quite demoralised at the time and then I came across the Microsoft/Generation programme,” he says. “It gave me hope and I started to feel much better about myself as I went through the course. The tutors were great. They hold your hand and walk you through everything, which builds your confidence.
“I’m now working in IT support in financial services. I have recently completed a cybersecurity certificate which was quite tough, but I really want to progress my career in this area.”
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