Only a naif would try to deny that the Irish jobs market has suffered in the last few years. Sectors such as construction have been hard hit and young people finishing school or college – i.e. those with education but no experience – have found it difficult to find employment.

However, it’s not all doom and gloom. Amidst the troubles there have been silver linings too.
There were sighs of relief, for example, when Michael Noonan announced that he was retaining the 9 percent VAT rate for the food and tourism industries in the new budget. The lower VAT rate was due to expire at the end of the year. Observers have claimed that it has given the food and tourism industries a much needed boost and, more importantly, helped create and retain jobs.
There has been other good news too on the employment front recently. The security software firm Symantec announced it would create four hundred – that’s 400! – new jobs in Dublin; computer giant Dell is to add two hundred new jobs when it opens its banking service in Ireland and the number is expected to grow to three hundred; Tesco Ireland is to add two hundred new staff over the next year, as it expands its Irish operations; and Aztec Money is to establish its headquarters in Dublin and create one hundred new posts over the next two years.
As well as these big announcements, there has been a steady drip of new job creation initiatives around the country: eighty new jobs in Donegal from Randox Laboratories; twenty five new jobs for Carlow from Burnside Eurocyl; seventy jobs in Kells from Mafic, the basalt smelting plant; and 140 new Irish jobs from consulting giants Accenture.
Figures from Jobs.ie, the recruitment website, are similarly encouraging. Jobs.ie has recorded a 22 percent increase in the number of jobs advertised on the site between 2012 and 2013. That data represents more hirings – but also a greater number of companies advertising positions with the site. Gregory Owens, general manager with Jobs.ie, has noted that job creation is not exclusive to growth industries such as IT, science, pharmaceutical and the customer service sectors.
“Retail, hospitality, beauty and hair, financial services and construction are also resurgent,” he told Hot Press. “What is really encouraging is that many of the companies advertising on our site have already committed to advertising jobs with us well into next year. This indicates that a growing number of companies have an on-going hiring need. This is a really positive sign for the economy in 2014.”

Jameson Graduate Programme
While it is good to know that other sectors are recovering, Ireland’s IT sector in particular is thriving. Over four hundred software companies are currently active in Ireland, and during 2012 IT exports grew by a whopping 19 percent.
Irish IT and software firms generally employ relatively small workforces, which means that there is a chance to work at a wide range of tasks, develop new skills and rise through the ranks quickly. What’s more, because IT companies develop products aimed at international markets and employ a multicultural workforce, working in IT has a very attractive ‘global’ feel.
In order to ensure that Ireland stays on top of the IT game, over fifty Irish companies have joined forces under a new initiative called “IT’s Happening Here.” The aim is to attract the very best software and IT professionals to Ireland. IT companies with Irish operations such as Datahug, The Now Factory, Realex Payments, CR2, Ezetop, Celtino and many more are looking for software developers, engineers, testers, project managers and other staff. You can find out more at www.itshappeninghere.ie
While certain professionals – such as architects – are hard pressed to find employment, other industries are very keen to attract staff. This means that changing career direction, or upskilling, may be a very wise move to make.
The obvious route to changing careers is to return to college or university, or apply for a FETAC course. However, there are also other opportunities.
If you fancy working with a globally recognised Irish brand, for example, Jameson offers two different graduate programmes – the Jameson Brand Ambassador Programme for business, marketing and language graduates, and the Jameson Graduate Distiller Programme for science and engineering graduates.
The Jameson Brand Ambassador Programme (see panel) begins with a month’s training at the Irish Distillers head office in Dublin, after which graduates are based in one of Jameson’s international markets for a year. You could, in other words, find yourself in one of 42 international markets such as the US, Africa, India, Russia, or perhaps closer to home in the UK. Best of all, over eighty percent of graduates who finish the programme continue working with Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard afterwards.
The Jameson Graduate Distiller Programme is open to graduates with degrees in areas such as process and chemical engineering, food science and environmental studies. The programme offers graduates mentoring and practical on the job training. Applicants should log on to thevitalingredient.ie for more information. Closing date for applications is Monday 20th January 2014.

Creative Options
Back in Celtic Tiger Ireland, the ‘right’ job was all about money, money, money. One of the best things about the current Irish job market is that it has made people more open to following their creative dreams. There is no set path to a career in any artistic or creative field, but there are opportunities available in numerous different areas.
Block T, the sustainable arts organisation, has expanded its educational program to over a dozen ongoing courses. These include everything from one-day intensive courses to educational programmes that run over several weeks. There is a huge range of creative arts programmes, whether you are hoping to turn pro or learn a new skill. These include painting, drawing, screenwriting, electronics for musicians and projection mapping. There are also professional development workshops and exhibitions. Block T is also a creative resource centre, and now has one hundred studios. It has one of the only photographic darkrooms that is open to the public and will soon be opening a screen-printing studio. They are also opening a new facility, housing twenty ‘hot’ desks with a meeting room and support services.
The renowned Sound Training Centre, based in Temple Bar, has begun a new online education programme. The first course on offer online is Electronic Music Production, which is delivered by the award winning dance legends Full Tilt. The guys will provide comprehensive feedback weekly, suggestions on assignments and will help guide initial ideas into finished tracks. The course will be taught using the new Logic Pro X, and will cover a range of topics: Drums and Rhythm, Music Theory, Synthesis, Vocal Processing, Song Structure, Mixing and Mastering. The course is currently enrolling and starts on Monday 4 November.
Also for the musically-minded, BIMM Dublin, part of the Brighton Institute of Modern Music, is offering a BA (Hons) in Commercial Modern Music and a CPD diploma in Professional Musicianship. BIMM also offers course in guitar, bass, drums, vocals and songwriting. BIMM recently added new tutors, which include well-known names such as Mick Pyro from the Republic of Loose, Kieran McGuinness and Rónán Yourell from Delorentos and Conor Adams from The Cast Of Cheers.
Such has been the success of the course, BIMM has doubled the size of its Dublin campus and recently hosted a songwriting masterclass with Mercury-nominated UK band Everything Everything.
There are other routes worth considering as well. The Youth Guarantee Scheme got underway in Ballymun this October. The YGS is an EU initiative which comes into operation next year. A number of pilot projects, including Ballymun, are running a year ahead of schedule. The aim of the YGS is to guarantee young people a route out of unemployment. This includes assessment, guidance, education and training. Anyone aged between eighteen and twenty-four, who has been unemployed for more than four months, can apply. At the moment the scheme is limited to those signing on the live register in Ballymun, but the YGS should hopefully expand next year.
Meanwhile, if you have ever considered self-employment, now might be the perfect time to go for it. This October’s budget included a Start your Own Business tax incentive. Anyone who has been unemployed for over 15 months and starts a small business will not have to pay income tax for two years up to a max of €40,000 per year. The scheme is available for sole traders as well, so if you’ve a clever idea, a tax-free two years could really help you to get it off the ground.
For the past few years emigration has seemed like the only viable option for many people. Now, Ireland is beginning to show signs of growth. The opportunities are out there – but you need to grab them with both hands.
Happy hunting...