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News
BT opens new €1 million IT training centre in Dublin
BT Ireland, the largest IT training solutions provider, has recently announced the official opening of its new €1 million training facility. The new purpose built facility, located in Dublin, is BT’s largest in the UK and Ireland It will train and certify upwards of eight thousand IT professionals a year in new and existing technologies, with specific emphasis on areas experiencing high demand among employers. These areas include advanced networking, security, unified communications, knowledge management and best practice professional skills for the ICT sector. The new centre complements BT Ireland’s already highly successful facility at Airport Road West in Belfast.
BT Ireland has seen demand for specialist IT skills training surge in recent years. According to the Future Skill’s Strategy Group set-up by Forfas, the IT sector in particular is currently experiencing skills shortages, with demand for software engineers, computer analysts/programmers and computer systems managers all exceeding supply. It is also predicted that the economy will require 950,000 new workers between 2006 and 2020, more than half of which will require training, retraining and upskilling. BT’s new facility will enhance its ability to assist in meeting this demand.
Chris Clark, Chief Executive Officer, BT Ireland said; “Ireland faces a considerable challenge in sourcing the skills required to maintain economic growth levels and attract inward investment. Declining uptake in IT related courses at third level since 2000 is already placing a burden on Irish employers. As Ireland’s largest provider of IT training solutions, our annual output of trained IT professionals across Ireland demonstrates how the private sector has an important role in assisting government to bridge this skills gap.”
Mr. Micheál Martin, T.D., Minister for Enterprise Trade and Employment, said; “Developing and maintaining a pool of suitably skilled workers is critical to the future economic success of the country, particularly as we strive to develop a knowledge-based economy. Investments such as this, made by organisations operating in the private sector, play a key part in the delivery of Government policy in the area of future skills development. It is my view that this investment as well as others in this area will result in long term benefits in terms of providing the Irish economy with a pool of skilled labour that can attract inward investment as well as giving Irish owned enterprise an edge over their international competitors.”
Chris Clark added “The launch of the centre will enhance BT Ireland’s market proposition as the complete networked IT solutions partner to organisations of all sizes throughout the island. We see considerable scope for growing the training segment of our business through securing standalone training solutions for customers and also as an enhancement of the broader networked IT solutions being provided to existing clients."
BT Ireland directly employs more than 3,000 on the island and is headquartered in Belfast and Dublin.
Sponsored by Fast Lane Consulting and Education Services Limited, an authorized Cisco Learning Solutions Partner, BT delivers authorized Cisco training.
About BT
BT is one of the world’s leading providers of communications solutions and services operating in 170 countries. Its principal activities include networked IT services; local, national and international telecommunications services; higher-value broadband and internet products and services and converged fixed/mobile products and services. BT consists principally of four lines of business: BT Global Services, Openreach, BT Retail and BT Wholesale. In the year ended 31 March 2007, BT Group plc’s revenue was £20,223 million with profit before taxation of £2,484 million.
British Telecommunications plc (BT) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BT Group and encompasses virtually all businesses and assets of the BT Group. BT Group plc is listed on stock exchanges in London and New York.
For more information, visit  www.bt.com/aboutbt
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