THERE is no doubt about where the best job opportunities for graduates lie at the moment. College after college, contacted by this column, had the same answer computing and electronics. The statistics of the jobs boom in the electronics and computer industry are so impressive that at first it is hard to believe them 1,000 jobs coming on stream here, another 600 there ever more multinational computer companies announcing new plants or expansion of existing operations in Ireland.
There is a chronic shortage of computer science/computer applications graduates, a shortage of electronic technicians, a huge demand for electronic engineers and for telecommunications personnel. In computing, Frank Murphy, of the National Software Directorate, estimates a shortage of 700-00 computer graduates. So keen are employers to snap up the available graduates that there are reports of computer graduates interviewing employers rather than vice versa.
The shortage of graduates is, in turn, pushing salaries up, as employers vie with each other to capture what's available. In the RTCs, employers offer incentives to electronics certificate and diploma holders to take jobs as the students opt to stay at college and do follow on degrees.
DIGITAL FACTOR Despite the jobs boom in electronics and computing, the demand for college places in these areas has not been as high as might be expected over the past three years. The IDA feels that the blip in the electronics industry in 1993, when Digital closed its manufacturing plant in Galway and Amdahl let many of its staff go in Dublin, had a profound effect on students and led to a false impression of an insecure industry.
But these operations were involved in manufacturing for old, big mainframe computers and their technology had become dated. In the meantime, Ireland has become a main European centre for manufacture, assembly and servicing of personal computers (PCs) and telecommunications products and there has been a matching huge growth in software computer programmes and packages.
Digital itself is a good example of the change which has taken place 780 people were laid off from the old plant, but it now employs 730 and is still recruiting for its new operation, which is entirely software based. And the proportion of graduates in the present labour force is dramatically higher than in the previous one.
HARDWARE/SOFTWARE It is difficult sometimes to distinguish between electronics and computing jobs, as in many eases there is an overlap. It is true that much of the demand for computer science graduates stems from the growth of the electronics industry here but it is also, true that banks, insurance companies, businesses, semi state bodies and just about all other industries are also hiring computer personnel.
Basically, electronics is the hardware side of the business, and we are talking about companies making PCs such as Gateway, Dell, AST and Apple we're also talking about chip and wafer manufacture, as in the case of Intel disk drive manufacture by Seagate circuit boards in the case of Analog in Limerick and mobile phone, pager and other telecommunications products by, companies such as Motorola. When we talk about hardware we are talking about engineering based skills.
All of the above companies, employ electronics engineers and technicians. But they also employ mechanical and other engineering disciplines as well as people with financial and personnel backgrounds and the like.
Software is the stuff you put into the computer to make it do what you want it to do it's your floppy disc or your CD Rom or the instructions you give the computer. Getting a computer to operate the system a particular industry or business needs is a very complex and skilled job, and this is where the software specialist comes in. Here we are talking about people with computer science, computer applications or computer systems qualifications.
Sometimes this is called information technology, sometimes software engineering in the latter case, there can be somewhat more of an element of technology involved.
Companies such as Microsoft, Digital, IBM, Corel and 3Comm research, develop and produce software programs here and there are literally hundreds of other software companies. These companies employ computer science graduates, but so also do the PC manufacturing companies mentioned above.
There is also a huge demand for people with software qualifications to work in business, industry and finance generally.
ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY It is important for CAO applicants to realise the extent to which Ireland has become a centre for both the electronics industry, (manufacturing) and the software, development industry. Intel which makes pentium chips in Leixlip, Co Kildare, employs 2,800 people.
These are high skilled jobs and 1,700 of the employees have third level qualifications. Intel expects to employ 4,000-5,000 people in Ireland by 1998 Seagate, in Clonmel, recruited 800 people last year, many off them with electronics qualifications.
APC, another big new electronics employer to come to Ireland, will be recruiting 1,100 people, while Apple plans to take on another 600.
The concentration of manufacture of computers and computer components, combined with the important developments in the software industry, have made Ireland a significant European centre of the whole computer/ electronics/telecommunications business.
This is not just a flash in the pan", says Colm Donlon, of the IDA. "This is an area in which Ireland has painstakingly developed a real expertise and concentration the jobs are there and they will be there over the foreseeable future."
The IDA is emphatic that there are extraordinarily good opportunities for young people in the electronics/computer industry.
There are better prospects, choices and pay in many cases than in traditional professions", says Mr Donlon. Nobody really has to worry about job security since the industry is expanding worldwide.
Electronics and computer qualifications travel well, too. There is a shortfall of skilled personnel in virtually all of these areas worldwide, according to the IDA. "There is a huge shortfall in the US", according to Mr Donlon. Thus, a student acquiring such qualifications in three or four years time has plenty of opportunity to travel and obtain work abroad.
QUALIFICATIONS Tomorrow's column will deal in greater detail with the software side of the industry. To enter the industry on the hardware side we are talking about either a degree in electronic engineering or an electronics certificate/diploma. There is a big demand fir electronics technicians with diploma qualifications at the moment.
Yet, if you look back at last year's points, electronic engineering certificate courses were taking in applicants at 140-150 points in Carlow, Sligo, Dundalk and Letterkenny RTCs. Dundalk, for example, reports quite a boom in demand for electronics graduates. Indeed, electronic engineering courses registered among the lowest entry points of all courses in the RTCs last year. Surprisingly, some of the courses did not manage to fill.
Could it be that students are unaware of the booming jobs market and the long term potential of the industry?
Even at degree level, the points were relatively modest. In UCG for example, entry could be gained to electronic engineering a, full 55 points below the level for civil engineering (365 as against 420). In the DIT, it took 405 points to get into the Bolton Street structural engineering degree course, but only 354 for the electronic engineering degree course in Kevin Street. This is all a bit bemusing to the IDA, which is working hard to attract all these high tech electronics industries to Ireland.
Kieran McGowan, head of the IDA, has in the past few weeks spoken out urging Leaving Cert students to seriously consider the electronics and computer industries as career options.
Of course, it is not only the electronics industry which employs electronics engineers and technicians. Practically every industry nowadays has its complement of electronic equipment in many cases, entire production processes are electronic. Most industries food companies, chemical plants, pharmaceutical and health care industries, manufacturers of household equipment need their complement of electronics engineers and technicians.
COURSE CHOICE Picking an electronic engineering degree or cert/diploma course can be a difficult business. UL and UCC are quite highly specialised in the area and DCU is now offering a selection of four courses electronic engineering, telecommunications engineering, mechatronics and electronics systems.
UL has electronic manufacturing, computer engineering and electronic engineering. It's important to read the college brochures carefully and examine the content of the different courses.
At RTC level, the specialisations which a college offers at diploma and follow n degree level are a good indicator of the merit of the qualifications. Students require a higher C in Maths (B for UCD) for the degree course but not for the certificate/diploma course.