Mapping out the right career course in 2022 is not easy, so ask for help – Siliconrepublic.com

SiliconRepublic.com spoke to one of the ETBs free guidance counsellors about how best to go about navigating the big career change this year.

While still on its Winter break, the Government began January 2022 with some words of encouragement for people looking to change careers or upskill.

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris advised people to visit Government website The Right Course. The online resource was launched last January as part of the Governments effort to gather all the disparate state-funded education and training options into one resource.

It groups together apprenticeships, training courses, third-level courses, upskilling resources for employers as well as supports for the unemployed.

Since its launch, The Right Course has been one of Gov.ies most viewed non-Covid related campaigns, suggesting that career paths are very much on peoples minds.

Harris claimed it offers people a clear picture of what is on offer, how they can access it and the supports available. SiliconRepublic.com decided to test this out. Perhaps it was just me, but the so-called one-stop-shop resource was still quite confusing to follow.

As Harris acknowledged, There are so many options out there for people but the system is complex and can overburden some people.

After some clicking, we stumbled upon the Adult Educational Guidance and Information Service (AEGI) under the Career Guidance and Information section on the Right Course web page.

The AEGI offers free, confidential career advice to anyone who needs it, however, it prioritises those who are not in employment.

SiliconRepublic.com spoke to Nuala Kilgannon, who works with the AEGI through Galway and Roscommon Education and Training Board (GRETB).

She is one of several counsellors employed by the 16 regional ETBs across the country. Kilgallon said that when she offers advice to people, her starting point is always them as an individual.

We look at your interests, your previous education, your current employment, or previous employment, your long term plans and goals, and then try to assist you to try and figure out what might suit you, she said, adding that based on what shes told, she then points people to whatever options that might be suitable for them anywhere in Ireland.

So, where has she pointed people to in the past? She mentioned the State subsidised third-level university Springboard courses, subsidised employee upskilling schemes, and even non-subsidised third-level courses, if whoever shes advising is in the financial position to take a career break.

A huge aspect of it is giving the client as much information as possible so that they can make an informed choice, Kilgannon explained. There are so many different things out there, its very confusing.

A lot of the time, Kilgannon said she finds herself giving advice to people with Level 8 honours degrees who are confused by the tangle of websites all doing slightly different things.

Theres also the added dimension of the colleges public and private wanting to recruit people to do courses which may not be in their best interests.

Sometimes their enthusiastic recruitment methods can lead to prospective students being subject to misinformation either through misreading or a lack of proper awareness on the students part. This can lead to disappointment. For example, Kilgallon said that not many people know it is possible to apply as a mature student to any Irish university after the age of 23.

Another resource to be aware of is Solas, which is the Government agency behind many of the free and subsidised programmes on offer as part of the Right Course campaign. The programmes include the online learning platform eCollege, apprenticeship programmes, upskilling programmes and traineeships.

Solas also runs Skills to Compete, which is focused on helping people who have lost jobs as a result of the pandemic to upskill and re-enter the labour market. The Skills to Advance programme, meanwhile, was launched in 2019 to provide subsidised training to SME employees.

A spokesperson for Solas said the organisation has focused a lot on connecting employers with talent in an effort to lessen some of the skills gaps blighting certain industries. Tech sectors, in particular, are suffering from quite severe skills shortages.

There are currently 23,000 apprentices registered on 62 national apprenticeship programmes in sectors ranging from biopharma, ICT, recruitment, financial services, as well as engineering, electrical and construction.

For the tech industry, the idea that apprenticeships can provide fast, practical training to people seems to be gaining traction. More than 8,500 employers in Ireland are now using Solas apprenticeship schemes as a talent pipeline, and Solas hopes to double this number over the coming years.

Apprenticeship options have been included on the CAO platform for the first time this year so school leavers can avail of them without needing to go to a university to study for a three-year degree. Most apprenticeships take about six to 20 months to complete.

As Kilgannon said, university isnt necessarily the right option for everybody. Just because little Johnny down the road goes to university, doesnt mean it will be a good fit for all of us.

SiliconRepublic.com asked Solas for its predictions on the jobs and trends that would be most in demand for 2022. The agencys spokesperson pointed to Solas National Skills Bulletin from 2021, which, unsurprisingly, called for more talent in the digital and ICT sectors.

The pandemic has driven demand up for workers with tech skills across all industries. It has also forced people to rethink their career paths overall.

As Harris said, the past few years have forced us to confront many things for ourselves and in the Irish economy Many people are seeking new careers and others realise they need new skills in their current roles.

Making a decision about your career can be daunting, especially with the amount of information out there. If this is the year you do decide to upskill, retrain or change career, contact your local guidance counsellor to chat through your options. They are happy to answer quick questions over email as well as arranging face to face sessions.

To do this, just visit the website of your regional ETB and contact the guidance information officer who will put you in touch with a counsellor.

Whether you just need a course name clarified or a little extra push to learn something new, there are people there to help and the help doesnt have to come at any extra cost. Best of luck for the year ahead.

Dont miss out on the knowledge you need to succeed. Sign up for the Daily Brief, Silicon Republics digest of need-to-know sci-tech news.

Excerpt from:

Mapping out the right career course in 2022 is not easy, so ask for help - Siliconrepublic.com