Bring IT On Event Arrives at St.Mary’s College, Derry/ Londonderry


Bring IT On Event Arrives at St.Mary's College, Derry/ Londonderry Last Wednesday, 10th April, saw pupils from St.Mary’s College, St.Joseph’s Boy’s School, Thornhill College, Oakgrove Intergrated School and St Cecilia’s College attend the Bring IT On road show when it arrived at the St.Mary’s College for the fifth of the current series of regional events for pupils aged 14 to 16 years. These events are organised by Momentum, the Voice of the Digital Sector in Northern Ireland, in collaboration with e-skills UK, the Sector Skills Council for Business and Information Technology and supported by The Department for Employment and Learning. The event provided information about the skills requirements and career opportunities with the IT sector in Northern Ireland which continues to create new jobs despite the current economic climate.  It also demonstrated the variety and attractiveness of a career in IT and offered guidance on the selection of appropriate subjects. Pupils from a number of schools participated at this event which was hosted by St.Mary's College.  Momentum including the Digital Circle put together and presented a lively session that included videos and interactive ICT related activities which encouraged the pupils and students to work in teams to compete for prizes.  . Local company ICT Ambassadors Jim Murray, Troll Inc ; Sinead McGinty, 8over8 Ltd ; Stephen William, injixo Ltd ; Neil Struthers, injixo Ltd ; Niall Deighan, injixo Ltd ; Caroline Grant, injixo Ltd ; Columb Duffy, Allstate Technologies Belfast ; Alison Ballard, Allstate Technologies Belfast ; Karen McClean, Seagate ; Daniel McDowell, Magee College (final year games development student)  and Martin Doherty, University of Ulster interacted with the pupils during the event and provided information about their companies, their career paths and the job roles and opportunities available within their organisations and the ICT industry in general. The content for all the Bring IT On events is being delivered in conjunction with employers, local universities and colleges.  Future events are taking place all over Northern Ireland and are being promoted through the Bring IT On website www.bringitonni.info. Welcoming the success of the Event, Ian Graham, CEO of Momentum said, ‘These fun and interactive events help to highlight the importance of maths and science and how these subjects underpin a successful and rewarding career in IT.’  Dispelling the myth that the profession is just for geeks, Ian went on to explain that IT companies are looking for intelligent, focused, team players. ‘They need to understand the technical element involved within the IT industry,’ he said, ‘but also have the softer skills to secure and promote business development.’ Mark Feeney, Northern Ireland Manager for e-skills UK pointed out that ‘Research shows that demand for IT & Telecoms professionals in Northern Ireland has doubled over the last year. It forecasts that the industry in Northern Ireland needs over 9,200 new entrants over the next 5 years to fulfil planned growth. The action we are taking today will help realise this growth by inspiring young people to join this fast-moving and rewarding sector.’ For more information on the Bring IT On programme and to get involved with this exciting initiative please see www.bringitonni.info or email bringiton@momentumni..org END This entry was Articleed in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.