INFORMATION Technology (IT) is the driving force of a globally competitive economy, underpinning innovation, competitiveness and long-term prosperity.
It is of critical importance to the growth of the Northern Ireland economy and to achieving long-term prosperity and economic security across all sectors. Research by e-Skills UK shows that one in every 33 people working in Northern Ireland is employed in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) industry.
Employment in the IT industry in Northern Ireland is forecast to grow at more than eight times the national average over the next decade.
This is already reflected in the steady growth of local software companies and the rising number of global organisations choosing to locate to NI.
It has been suggested that exploiting the full potential of this sector could boost NI’s economy by £0.8bn over the next five to seven years.
Last month saw the launch of a new initiative designed to address the skills issues faced by the ICT sector.
ALIGN IT, the Automation, Learning, Innovation & Growth Network for IT, has been established, with funding from Invest Northern Ireland, to outline strategies that will encourage close cooperation and growth throughout the sector.
As the chair of the ICT working group, the Minister for Employment and Learning, Stephen Farry, has worked closely with other departments, employers and local colleges and universities to develop and implement an ICT Skills Action Plan. ALIGN IT was highlighted in the plan as being an essential driver of the growth of the ICT sector in Northern Ireland.
Speaking on the importance of developing and supporting the skills of the ICT sector, Mr Farry said: “Developing the skills of our current and future workforce will be essential if we are to continue to grow the ICT sector and ultimately achieve our economic aspirations.
“This sector is vitally important to the Northern Ireland economy as it continues to provide an increasing contribution to our gross value added and offering wages which are significantly above the private sector average.”
Made up of representatives from industry, academia and the public sector, the overall goal of the ALIGN IT network is to develop Northern Ireland’s reputation as a world-class centre of excellence for IT and help to build a skilled workforce of 50,000 IT professionals by 2018.
Careers in ICT range from IT support and service technician roles in software and systems development, web design, consultancy and management, business analysis and network engineering roles.
ICT opportunities exist across retail, financial services, telecommunications, broadcast media, digital media, manufacturing, transport and the public sector with companies offering attractive recruitment packages and competitive salaries.
Commenting on the Executive’s commitment to Northern Ireland’s IT sector, Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster said: “ICT is globally recognised as a key driving force for developed economies. It enables companies to create new products, exploit new distribution channels and deliver differentiated services to customers.
“Our digital sector now forms the ‘backbone’ of numerous industries in Northern Ireland, including financial service, ICT and the creative industries. That is why my department, through Invest NI, continues to work closely with the Department of Employment and Learning and industry in particular, on needs driven skills solutions such as the software testers, capital markets and cloud academies. This is helping to place Northern Ireland firmly on the map as an investment location of choice for ICT and digital businesses.”
Today’s NIjobfinder presents a selection of NI companies with opportunities in the IT profession across a wide variety of skill sets.