DCU News
News at DCU

Graduates in high demand in Ireland's 16,000-job localisation sector - Minister Sherlock calls for more skilled graduates in language and technology

News

Graduates in high demand in Ireland's 16,000-job localisation sector - Minister Sherlock calls for more skilled graduates in language and technology

CGNL
Mr Sean Sherlock T.D., Minister for Research and Innovation with Professor Josef Van Genabith, Director of the Centre for Next Generation Localisation (CNGL)

Seán Sherlock T.D., Minister for Research and Innovation today launched a guide which urges secondary students to consider language and technology at third level for a potential career in the localisation sector.

The Guide, produced by the Centre for Next Generation Localisation, a DCU-led academia-industry consortium, supported by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation through Science Foundation Ireland, says that Ireland needs to significantly increase its supply of language and technology graduates if the country is to maintain its leadership position in the multi-million euro localisation and global services sector.

Speaking at today’s launch, Minister Sherlock said that localisation, the process of adapting and personalising digital products, services and content to the needs of global users was an area of growth in Ireland and that opportunities exist for future graduates to build a career in this rapidly growing field.

Minister Sherlock stated “Many of the world’s largest software and web companies co-ordinate their localisation activities in Ireland and the sector contributes an estimated €680 million annually to the Irish economy.”

The Minister added “It is imperative that we highlight the opportunities available to our young people in this sector. We need to encourage and foster their development to ensure that we are teaching the right skills at third-level so employers who are already here, or who are considering a presence here, have a strong supply of high-calibre graduates to help them grow their businesses.”

The CNGL consortium comprises four Irish universities and includes Irish-based multinationals Microsoft, IBM and Symantec, as well as SMEs such as Alchemy Software Development, VistaTEC, Welocalize, and Applied Language Solutions.

The guide highlights the range of career opportunities available in this sector. The guide includes profiles of individuals who have graduated from Irish universities in a range of disciplines who now hold leading roles across the Localisation industry and also lists the University courses across computing, languages, and business that would provide a foundation for a career in this high-growth area.

“At present there are approximately 16,000 people working directly in the localisation sector in Ireland”, explains Dr Páraic Sheridan, Associate Director at CNGL. “Localisation is critical to so many industries, including software, games, financial services and medical devices, in bringing their products to foreign markets, so it really is vital to Ireland’s export-led recovery. It is also an area where Ireland is widely recognised as a world leader in innovation and sees continued growth in jobs, not just in traditional product and service localisation but also in the areas of global multilingual customer care and support.”

By launching a localisation careers guide, CNGL hopes to put localisation firmly on the radars of students, guidance counsellors and parents and to help ensure an adequate number of language, technology and linguistics graduates to support the sector’s continued success.

Dr Fred Hollowood, Research Director at Symantec Corporation’s Shared Engineering Services group in Blanchardstown supports CNGL’s call for students to consider studies in localisation-related fields. “Localisation enables Symantec to deliver products and offer customer support to customers in 40 countries in 22 languages out of our Dublin offices”, says Hollowood. “Although still a relatively young industry, localisation is expanding at a rapid pace. It is ideal for students who have an interest in language and technology, who are interested in the difference between the cultures of the world, and who are seeking a career in a fast growing sector.”

Director-General of Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), Professor Mark Ferguson, welcomed the publication of the guide. “A key goal of Science Foundation Ireland is to ensure that Ireland has a pipeline of skilled graduates who can pursue next generation science careers. This guide to careers in the localisation industry reinforces the fact that science offers a diverse range of roles that are rewarding, in strong supply and central to our economic growth”, says Professor Ferguson.

CNGL’s new localisation careers guide is being distributed to all secondary schools in Ireland this week. It features profiles from industry professionals, insights into the variety of job roles on offer, and details of relevant third level courses. The guide can also be downloaded at www.cngl.ie/careers.