Irish industry, and the electronics industry in particular, need more technicians. There was a time when technician jobs were regarded as dead-end jobs, options for students who didn't make the grade for a degree. There were dire predictions that in a generation technicians would be redundant. Nothing could have been further from the truth - on any count.
As is demonstrated by a number of interviews in a special feature in this supplement today, technician training is in itself a valuable education for work. It is also the first step on a ladder of professional and personal development that may lead to a degree or even further qualification.
And with the development of Ireland as the world's second largest producer of computer software - after the United States - the demand for technicians has never been greater.
It does take time for the message to get through to school-leavers, their parents and probably even some of the guidance counsellors that Irish industry needs more technically qualified people to fuel the progress of this Celtic Tiger.
The Technicians' Shortages Task Force, chaired by Dundalk RTC director Sean McDonagh, has done trojan work in bringing this message to the fore. The new national certificate in technology, which is now training 300 people as an immediate measure to meet the short-term needs of industry, can only go a little way towards meeting the overall needs.
Already in our RTCs and institutes of technology, there is a range of technician courses available in the areas of electronics, mechanical engineering, production engineering, manufacturing engineering, instrumentation, applied physics, applied sciences, computing and electromechanical engineering.
However, the startling figures from last year's CAO acceptances show that while some 50,000 offers of places on certificate and diploma courses were made, only 15,658 places were accepted. And this figure last year was 2,000 down on the previous year's level of acceptances.
More than 3,000 extra places are available this year in RTCs and PLC colleges on languages/teleservices courses, technician and conversion courses and software degrees - all designed to meet the ever-increasing needs of industry. While the language courses are fully subscribed, there is still a shortfall in the technician area.
For students filling out the CAO form this month, there are great opportunities, if they read beyond the yellow pages of the CAO handbook to the college prospectuses to see where the real opportunities lie.
There is nothing more upsetting than to staff a student helpline in August each year and hear the harrowing stories of students who narrowed their choices to degrees only and missed their chance of a college place when there were RTC and institute of technology courses that had more to offer than their face value - and were well within their grasp. Every day, in The Irish Times , careers and guidance correspondent Anne Byrne is advising students just how to make use of the system. Read her. As the Minister for Education and Science, Micheal Martin, says, there is a need for very significant awareness programmes and much more practical guidance. The opportunities to progress from technician to higher technician to degree level are fantastic. Academic snobbery must be put aside in favour of common sense once and for all.
Education & Living
Editor: Ella Shanahan
Production: Hugh Lambert and Harry Browne Main cover illustration: Kevin McSherry
Small cover illustrations: Cathy Dineen
Email: education@irish-times.ie
