Citrix and ICT Ireland Offer Free Cloud and Virtualisation Training to Unemployed Graduates

Citrix has partnered with ICT Ireland Skillnet to offer unemployed Computer Science graduates a unique fourteen week high-level Cloud Computing and Virtualisation training programme to equip them for fast-track entry to a job as a technical support engineer. There are fifteen places on the training programme. Citrix plans to offer up to half of the participants a job and will endeavour to secure employment for the remainder within its broader base of partners. The course is free to participants who may also retain their full social welfare benefits whilst attending the programme.

The training programme is aimed at unemployed Computer Science graduates or those from a similar discipline with a Bachelor’s Degree and is scheduled to begin on 1st September 2014. Its aim is to provide recent graduates with the necessary knowledge and experience to thrive in the workplace, via an intensive training course that will provide them with industry certification across emerging technologies such as virtualisation and cloud computing. As part of the programme Citrix will also provide a three week work placement at its EMEA Technical Support headquarters in East Point Business Park, Dublin.

Francisco Alves, Senior Manager, Technical Support, Citrix, said: “As a large IT employer in Dublin, Citrix is constantly on the lookout for new talent as our business continues to grow both in Ireland and abroad. We are delighted to be in a position to partner with ICT Ireland and Skillnets to give graduates the opportunity to obtain valued Citrix, Microsoft and Cisco internationally recognised certifications, as well as the practical experience to put them on a path towards a rewarding technology career.”

Paul Sweetman, director of ICT Ireland, added, “This initiative is a good example of how industry with State support can help graduates obtain the skills and experience they need to succeed in the IT sector. Citrix is playing a vital role in helping to develop a talented workforce in Ireland that benefits the whole economy as the Irish technology sector continues to go from strength to strength.”

Last year, 12 participants secured full time employment including Derek Cooke, who is now an Associate Technical Support Engineer at Citrix. Commenting on his experience, Derek Cooke said: “The Cloud and Virtualisation programme with Citrix and ICT Ireland Skillnet benefitted me greatly. I had completed a BSc. in Computer Science in 2012, and after completing a short Internship with a Dublin based company, I was still finding it difficult to secure employment. I had a number of interviews, but the primary reason I was unsuccessful was because I still needed the tangible skills required for success in the IT industry. The ICT Ireland Skillnet Citrix course was a great experience, covering a broad range of topics and scenarios you are faced with on a daily basis in a support role. The skills I acquired during the training programme made me more attractive to employers, and would have helped me with any position in the IT sector.”

Interested graduates are asked to submit their CV detailing qualifications and experience to date to susan.kelly@ictirelandskillnet.org. Selected applicants may be asked to complete an online Application Form and may be invited for an assessment and interview process. Further information is available at: www.ictirelandskillnet.org.