Educasting from Ireland

Imperial Eureka Moment

TEN YEARS FROM now, a graduate of Tipperary Institute will recall some conversations that unfolded along the South Mall in Cork, Ireland. The conversations, sparked by a eureka moment inside the Imperial Hotel, happened unscripted and unexpectedly, as happens in some of the most inspirational events. We snapped some images in a Flickr photostream from Cork today that capture the time around the moment. And we pass around good karma to Rick Segal for sharing his time and ideas.

Media students most employable

FROM BBC: Media studies students--sometimes stereotyped as studying "Mickey Mouse" degrees--are among the most employable of any graduates, says a major survey.

Flight of jobs from Ireland

DUBLIN -- While reading Adventures in Code by John Sterne, I encountered a paragraph that I never expected to read when first settling down in Ireland in the mid-90s.

It is ironic that, at a time when the biggest talking point in the American software industry is the outsourcing of jobs to economies like India and China, Irish exporters say that they are saving money by creating additional employment at their offices in the US.

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John Serne -- Adventures in Code ISBN 190414859X
More on Irish Typepad -- "Grunt Life of Tom Murphy"
Karlin Lillington's take on the book and a promise to review.
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Entrepreneurship in the classroom

GLOBE AND MAIL -- Entrepreneurship education is proliferating at the postsecondary level. One group of students wants to pursue their passions or is looking for career alternatives as big companies downsize. But others are already successful entrepreneurs, looking for guidance or an edge. In response, colleges and universities are tweaking their executive-education programmes to target entrepreneurs that already run their own businesses. "It's definitely a growing phenomenon," says Eric Morse, executive director of the University of Western Ontario's Institute for Entrepreneurship. UWO's new "Quantum Shift" program, which was offered for the first time this year, targets existing entrepreneurs who want to take their businesses to the next level. Many students rave about the programme. Cameron Heaps, the 29-year-old CEO of an $8 million microbrewery, says the week-long programme taught him how to develop and finance a long-term expansion plan. Instead of making those decisions on the fly, he said, "It changed how I strategize."

Good Jobs for Students!

A great job for a student to have would be in a bar! There a loads of bar jobs available. The best thing is if you decide to take a year out and go travelling in America or Australia they are always on the lookout for an Irish bar person for the hundreads of Irish pubs!!

Media Jobs in Tiger Economy

CLONMEL -- I wonder if there is still good money in the media world, especially with the Celtic Tiger (Irish economic boom) slowing going downhill.

Crap Jobs

CLONMEL -- Everybody knows students need jobs to buy books and to pay for things associated with college. But what are the worst jobs they have to take? Multimedia degree students in Tipperary Institute offered up their comments on the worst jobs.

Moving up the jobs ladder

IRISH TIMES -- The government received its final Enterprise Strategy Report and it's interesting to note comments from the opposition. Reaction from TD Brendan Howlin was illuminating: "It is a striking fact that many of the new jobs which Ireland must seek to create will be filled by people who are already at work," which highlights the need for continuous training.

Tipperary Institute moves up the degree chain

IRISH TIMES -- The Irish Minister of State for Education has announced that Irish "higher education diplomas will no longer be awarded from this September and will be replaced by ordinary level degrees." This move is part of radical new plans designed to enhance uniformity for naming and valuing awards. Authorities hope the changes wil make it easier for students, employers and third-level institutions to judge the value of courses and awards. Don't expect these change to result in higher starting salaries. The sleight-of-hand naming directly addresses the oft-documented shortfall of IT graduates.

Making higher education more accessible

CLONMEL -- One of the most important facets of a CV is the level of qualification documented on it. University College Dublin is helping to widen access to non-traditional students, thus enhancing their ability to earn a college degree. The move deserves emulation by the rest of the Irish higher education system.