'Do Ghairm le Gaeilge / Your Career with Irish' – the 'must have' guide for any graduate looking to use the 'cupla focal' as part of their work
7 May 2009

Dr Emer Ni Bhrádaigh, Fiontar, Pádhraic Ó Ciardha, Deputy Chief Executive of TG4, and Muireann Ni Dhuigneain, Head, Careers Service at the launch

Do Ghairm le Gaeilge / Your Career with Irish is a bilingual careers guide which provides an insight in to the myriad of careers opportunities using the Irish Language.  It was formally launched to an audience of 3rd level careers advisors and prominent graduate employers at the Graduate Recruiters Conference at the Burlington Hotel, 29th April 2009.  The publication’s editorial committee was co-chaired by Dr Emer Ní Bhrádaigh, Fiontar, and Muireann Ní Dhuigneáin, Head of the Careers Service, DCU.

Do Ghairm le Gaeilge / Your Career with Irish gives an overview of the various sectors in which fluency in Irish would be an advantage, and in many cases a distinct requirement. These include Arts and Heritage; the Media; Public and Private Sector employment; ICT; as well as the better known areas of teaching and translation. The guide’s user-friendly format comprises well-researched information, case studies, web resources, and valuable hints and tips for students and graduates.

Launching the guide, Deputy Chief Executive of TG4, Pádhraic Ó Ciardha pointed out that: ‘The Irish language television production sector reflects the wide variety of jobs available for Irish speaking graduates – not only as presenters and scriptwriters, but also as project managers, translators, camera staff, editors and graphic designers.

More than 600 public sector bodies are covered by the Official Languages Act (2003) which requires these bodies to provide certain services through the medium of Irish.  Public organisations in which Irish Language Officers are now employed include third level educational institutions; local authorities; and other semi-state bodies.  These officers often combine their Irish language responsibilities with marketing / public affairs responsibilities.  There are campaigns for a specific Irish language act to be also introduced in Northern Ireland.   

Private sector organisations, anxious to gain competitive advantage, sometimes target the Irish language market. Examples include Samsung, who developed the first ever texting service through Irish; Microsoft, who have developed Irish language software products; Accenture, an international consultancy firm, designed the bilingual revenue.ie website. Facebook recognised the demand for Irish-medium social networking by facilitating its translation to Irish by Irish-speaking clients. There is a demand in Irish language voluntary and public sectors for Irish speaking accountants; solicitors; marketeers and graphic designers etc to provide professional services through the medium of Irish.

Irish became an official working language of the EU in 2005 and is one of the minority languages being promoted, not just within the European Parliament but within higher education institutions in the EU and in colleges across the United States, through the support of the Fulbright Commission and in Canada through the support of the Ireland Canada University Foundation. 

The publication of Do Ghairm le Gaeilge is a response to these developments.  In addition to Dr Emer Ní Bhrádaigh and Muireann Ní Dhuigneáin from DCU, the editorial committee consisted of Orlaith Tunney, Careers Advisor, TCD; Cora Cregan, Careers Officer, St Patricks’s College, Drumcondra; and Catherine Lyster, Careers Officer, Letterkenny IT.  The committee would like to acknowledge the financial support given by the Higher Education Authority and the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs for the publication of Do Ghairm le Gaeilge / Your Career with Irish. They also acknowledge research assistance provided by Ben Shorten. 

A pdf version of the guide is available at:  http://gradireland.com/downloads/pdfs/SCG_irish_lang.pdf

'Do Ghairm le Gaeilge / Your Career with Irish' – an phríomhfhoinse eolais do chéimithe atá ag iarraidh an Ghaeilge a úsáid ina gcuid gairmeacha
Tugann an treoirleabhar eolais dátheangach Do Ghairm le Gaeilge / Your Career with Irish léargas cuimsitheach ar an réimse leathan deiseanna gairme atá ar fáil trí mheán na Gaeilge.  Seoladh an treoirleabhar seo i gcomhluadar fostóirí, céimithe agus gairmthreoraithe tríú leibhéal ag Comhdháil na nEarcaitheoirí Céimithe in Óstán Burlington, inniu 29 Aibreán 2009.  Rinne Muireann Ní Dhuigneáin, Seirbhís Gairme DCU agus An Dr Emer Ní Bhrádaigh, Fiontar DCU comhchathaoirleacht ar an togra seo

Tugann Do Ghairm le Gaeilge/ Your Career with Irish forbhreathnú ar na hearnálacha éagsúla ina bhfuil buntáiste ar leith ag céimithe atá líofa sa Ghaeilge, nó ina bhfuil líofacht sa Ghaeilge riachtanach.  San áireamh tá na healaíona agus oidhreacht; na meáin chumarsáide; fostaíocht san earnáil phríobháideach agus phoiblí; TCF (teicneolaíocht cumarsáide agus faisnéise), mar aon le réimsí na múinteoireachta agus an aistriúcháin.  Tá an treoirleabhar leagtha amach ar bhealach áisiúil don úsáideoir, le cás-staidéir, foinsí gréasáin, agus leideanna do mhic léinn agus do chéimithe. Rinneadh an-taighde leis an t-eolas is cuimsithí a chur ar fáil don léitheoir. 
Mar thoradh ar Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla (2003) tá éileamh níos mó anois ar chumas Gaeilge i measc na n-eagras poiblí agus tá Oifigigh Ghaeilge fostaithe anois i gcuid acu, institiúidí tríú leibhéal agus údaráis áitiúla ina measc.  Is minic a bhíonn dualgais mhargaíochta nó chaidrimh phoiblí mar chuid de dhualgais na nOifigeach Gaeilge.  Tá go leor in earnáil na Gaeilge ó thuaidh i mbun feachtais ar son stádas oifigiúil don Ghaeilge i dTuaisceart Éireann.

Is minic a dhíríonn eagrais Ghaeilge ar mhargadh na nGaeilgeoirí mar iarracht le buntáiste iomaíoch a chothú – mar shampla Samsung a d’fhorbair an chéad seirbhís téacsála trí Ghaeilge; Microsoft a d’fhorbair bogearraí i nGaeilge; Accenture, comhlacht idirnáisiúnta comhairleoireachta a d’fhorbair an ghné dhátheangach den suíomh www.revenue.ie.  D’aithin Facebook éileamh na nGaeilgeoirí trí ligean dá úsáideoirí a ngréasán sóisialta a aistriú go Gaeilge.  Tá éileamh in earnáil dheonach na Gaeilge agus san earnáil phoiblí ar sheirbhísí proifisiúnta trí mheán na Gaeilge – i gcuntasaíocht, i margaíocht agus i ndearadh grafach mar shampla.     

Tugadh stádas oifigiúil mar theanga oibre don Ghaeilge san Aontas Eorpach i 2005 agus anois cuirtear an teanga chun cinn ní amháin i bParlaimint na hEorpa ach freisin in institiúidí tríú leibhéal san Eoraip, sna Stáit Aontaithe trí thacaíocht Choimisiún Fulbright agus i gCeanada trí thacaíocht Fhondúireacht Ollscoil Éireann-Cheanada.

Ba mhaith le Choiste Ghairmeacha le Gaeilge buíochas a ghabháil leis an Roinn Gnóthaí Pobail Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta, agus leis an Údarás um Ard-Oideachas a chuir maoiniú ar fáil leis an leabhrán seo a fhoilsiú.  Ba mhaith leo buíochas a ghabháil freisin le Ben Shorten a chabhraigh leis an taighde.