GMIT Mayo joins influential EU-led Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition
GMIT Mayo has been accepted onto an influential EU-led Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition which aims to tackle the lack of digital skills in Europe’s labour force and develop a talent pool to equip people with adequate digital skills.
The multi-stakeholder coalition is made up of member states, companies, social partners, NGOs and educational establishments, whose aim is to help meet the high demand for digital skills in Europe which are essential in today's digital society and economy.
Lecturer Sharon Boyle applied for membership on behalf of the Mayo campus, outlining the highly innovative course, the B.Sc. Hons in Digital Media & Society, which was developed and validated in 2013 by the GMIT Mayo Campus to address a specific skills shortage of graduates that were suitably prepared for the ever changing landscape in new technologies.
“We are delighted to be accepted onto this influential coalition and are working on making our contribution to boost digital skills in Europe,” says Sharon Boyle.”The core ethos of our honours degree in Digital Media & Society is to encourage students to explore emerging technologies and work on organisational projects as part of the curriculum requirements. The societal aspect of the degree helps students evaluate the impact that these technologies are having on society” she explains.
“Our graduates will be digital strategists who can tailor solutions to the technological requirements of a project. They are also curators of digital media and develop e-portfolios during their entire time in college. We believe in collaborative learning and using assessment to encourage creativity and innovation. Our graduates have many job opportunities and can tailor their college experience to suit the type of job they might like on graduation.”
Noreen Henry, Chair of the B.Sc. (Hons) in Digital Media & Society, says membership of this new EU group will be beneficial to the students and graduates of GMIT Mayo. “Our involvement will ensure that they will have the necessary practical skills to maximize the growth potential of the digital economy. The coalition was established in recognition of the current digital skills shortage not only in Ireland but across Europe. The B.Sc. (Hons) in Digital Media & Society here in GMIT Mayo will develop digital media professionals who are in demand for job roles that did not exist only a few years ago. We also plan to run Digital Skills Workshops on campus over the coming year so keep an eye on our facebook page for more information: https://www.facebook.com/DigMeS/”
Michael Gill, Acting Head of GMIT Mayo, says “Our academic and technical staff on this course will now liaise with various national coalitions that are being set up across each member State to roll out the actions of the Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition at a country, regional and local level."
For further information about the national coalitions see:
https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/digital-skills-jobs-coali…
The coalition will also has forums on Linked, Facebook and Twitter.
