Some examples of jobs in the ICT sector are provided below:

You will have heard of some of the biggest ICT companies, such as Google, Yahoo, EA Games and Apple, offering employment opportunities in Ireland and beyond. But did you know there are over 700 ICT-based companies operating in Northern Ireland? These include:

At School

In years 8, 9 and 10, you have opportunities to develop your Using ICT skills. You can do this across a range of subjects, such as Science and Technology, Mathematics and Art and Design. Developing your Using ICT skills can lead to a career in the ICT sector.

You will have a great choice of courses to study at GCSE that will help to prepare you to study ICT further.

Further and Higher Education

Colleges and universities throughout Ireland and the United Kingdom offer a range of ICT-related courses. In Northern Ireland, the courses available include:

For more information on further and higher education courses visit: Further Education (FE) Colleges, Queens University, Belfast and/or Ulster University.

The ICT sector has a bright future. It has been targeted for growth and development. Experts have identified some key issues affecting the ICT sector.

These include a shortage of people in:

• software development;
• infrastructure management; and
• applications management.

In the future, Northern Ireland ICT organisations are likely to recruit for roles in:

• software development and engineering;
• technical and PC support; and
• systems design.

Global issues and trends

ICT is a growing sector worldwide. The Northern Ireland ICT sector is expected to provide 2,300 new jobs each year up to 2019.

Experts have predicted that transferring ICT processes to nearby countries, or nearshoring, will be important to the future of Northern Ireland, particularly in the health and finance sectors.

Packaged software development is a software application that operates in real-time (immediate response or without delay) and can be used across different sectors. Experts forecast that this will be important for the growth of the Northern Ireland economy.

Embedded systems are computer system embedded in larger systems that control specific functions. Digital watches and mobile phones are examples of embedded systems that you may be familiar with. Experts believe that Northern Ireland's economy will rely on innovative uses of embedded systems design in areas such as:

• healthcare;
• automotive and aerospace industries;
• financial services; and
• telecommunications.