The Irish Computer Society welcomes Governments plans to develop the games sector in Ireland

The Irish Computer Society (ICS) has welcomed the announcement from the government of the implementation of a working group which will consider ways to implement the Forfás report findings which show that 2500 jobs could potentially be created in the games sector by 2014.

The ICS view this as a key opportunity to further expand and develop a sector that has proven to be of particular growing interest to students in Ireland in recent years. The Inspire initiatives run by the ICS encourages students to learn about, and develop an interest in, the world of science and technology.

Under the ICS Inspire umbrella, ICS have two initiatives to help promote IT to students. Scratch is an introduction to software development, for students of all ages. Interest in this area has seen a dramatic increase in recent months with 186 entries in this year’s National Scratch Competition, from both primary and secondary students. Choose IT is an initiative to highlight the positive aspects of a career in IT.

“The computing field has weathered the economic storm better than most and there continues to be strong demand for graduates. Therefore, continuing to promote awareness of initiatives like the Inspire range is crucial as these programmes give students practical experience of the skills required in this interesting, well-rewarded and growing profession. The implementation of this working group will also encourage more participation amongst students knowing they can direct these skills towards a viable career path” said Jim Friars, CEO of the Irish Computer Society.

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