A new national initiative to brand Ireland as a top destination to pursue a career in technology was launched today by the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Mary Mitchell O’Connor.

Tech/Life Ireland is funded by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and will be delivered in partnership with Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and the tech industry to help attract up to 3,000 top tech professionals to Ireland each year.

It aims to be a focused international marketing initiative with a dedicated website to attract talented and experienced tech experts to Ireland and to promote top tech career opportunities here.

The initiative uses digital and social media to showcase the unrivalled lifestyle, tech environment and job opportunities available in Ireland.

Initial target markets include countries in Central and Southern Europe. These have been identified based on detailed analysis of talent movement, local search activity and consultation with recruitment professionals from industry.

The Tech/Life Ireland brand was developed based on extensive interviews with international tech talent to understand their motivations for relocation – key themes of Job Challenge, World-Class Peer Group, Career Scope, and Diverse, Positive Workplaces were emphasized throughout.

The Government, through the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and Enterprise Ireland, is investing €1.9 million in the initiative over a three year period.

Ireland employs over 80,000 people in ICT companies and employment grew strongly over the period 2009 to 2015. In 2013, the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs identified significant demand for ICT skills in Ireland.

This demand for ICT talent relates not only to the software sector, but also to other sectors such as financial services, business services, retail and high-end manufacturing. Recent jobs figures suggest that ICT employment is growing faster than previously forecast.

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