Tag: #students

Microsoft Ireland Hosts Inaugural Microsoft Dream Space Showcase

Over 300 students from 13 schools and seven clubs in rural Ireland gathered in Microsoft Ireland’s campus in Leopardstown, Dublin, for the inaugural Microsoft Dream Space Showcase to demonstrate the many ways in which their digital skills can help to solve some of today’s sustainability challenges.

The first-of-its-kind event saw 320 students from across Counties Longford, Tipperary and Kildare travel to One Microsoft Place to showcase their STEM-based projects. The innovative projects presented by the students addressed various challenges related to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These include wearable tech for improving young people’s wellbeing, inclusive and accessible voting systems, initiatives to clean the ocean and prevent illegal dumping, as well as measures to reduce water wastage and so much more.

The collaboration between Microsoft Dream Space, Microsoft Ireland’s STEM innovation and education programme, OurKidsCode and the Department of Rural and Community Development, as well as the participating schools and clubs, began back in September 2022, when the Microsoft Dream Space education team visited Broadband Connection Points (BCPs) in Counties Longford and Tipperary to conduct hands-on STEM education sessions as part of the do your :bit challenge.

This engagement led to schools participating in a further 10-week Dream Space programme, which empowered the students to explore the world of STEM and computer science through various curriculum subjects like geography, P.E., visual arts, and more. They also harnessed the power of the micro:bit, a pocket-sized computer, to foster computational thinking, problem-solving skills, and critical thinking.

The Showcase event provided students with an opportunity to present their STEM-based projects with a number of schools/students being recognised on the day for the outstanding technology solutions they developed. This included Drum National School in Templemore, Co. Tipperary for the project ‘Weaving Wellbeing’ which uses technology to weave wellbeing in the lives of young people and Lackamore National School, Newport, Co. Tipperary which was recognised for its project on collecting plastic rubbish in the ocean.

James O’Connor, Microsoft Ireland Site Lead and Vice President for Microsoft Global Operations Service Center, said: “Today is a very exciting day for Microsoft Ireland as we hold the inaugural Microsoft Dream Space Showcase at One Microsoft Place. Last year, we announced our intention to invest a further €3m in the expansion of our immersive Microsoft Dream Space STEM experience to ensure that every student across the island of Ireland has the opportunity to develop the skills needed to succeed in a digital economy. Today’s showcase is an important step on the road towards making that ambition a reality as well as a step forward in helping to close the digital skills gap that often exists between rural and urban communities.

“It also marks the culmination of many months of hard work by primary school students and clubs from Counties Longford and Tipperary as they sought to create innovative solutions to today’s major sustainability challenges. I’d like to congratulate all the students who are showcasing their work at this inaugural event and hope they will continue to nurture an interest in technology and innovation as they further their education.”

Bella Ryan, 6th class student, Drom National School said: “I’m very excited to be here today as part of Microsoft’s Dream Space Showcase. Dream Space has really opened my eyes to the endless possibilities presented by technology and the ways in which it can be used to solve so many of today’s problems. It has been the best memory of my eight years at Drom National School. After months of working on our projects, it feels great to be able to show them off today and hear what people think about our solutions to today’s challenges.”

Amadean Moore Walsh, Principal of Drom National School, Templemore, Co. Tipperary said: “It is such an honour to be here at One Microsoft Place as we celebrate our students’ hard work and dedication to creating digital solutions for today’s sustainability challenges. We’re so grateful to Microsoft Ireland and the Dream Space team for not only sparking an interest in STEM among the students, who often have limited access to digital opportunities, and giving them an opportunity to showcase their efforts here today, but also for supporting us as teachers to develop the digital skills needed to continue to nurture this interest in the classroom.”

As evidence of the programme’s impact, in March, Longford County Council secured funding under the Public Service Innovation Fund 2023 to become the first county in Ireland with Computer Science as a Leaving Certificate option in all nine secondary schools. The grant recognised the contributions made by Microsoft Dream Space in Longford to date. Numerous locations in County Tipperary have also been nominated for the prestigious .IE Digital Town Awards 2023, further highlighting the project’s local success.

7 Best Kitchen Gadgets for Students

While a greasy slice of pizza is fantastic, we know there comes a time when a warm home-cooked meal is all you need. 

You probably won’t be able to recreate your family’s prized shepherd’s pie on your first go, so we’ve decided to lessen the load with seven essential kitchen gadgets that will help you create delicious meals. 

Blender

First on our list of essentials to take to uni is a blender. The beautiful thing about blenders is that they are versatile and can handle many things. From whipping up milkshakes to creating creamy soups, a blender can be a student’s best friend in the kitchen.

You should look for a compact, easy-to-clean blender like the Breville Blend Active. Thanks to the screw-top lid, you can take your blended creations on the go without having to change containers. 

Meat Thermometer

Getting your meats cooked to perfection can be challenging for even the best cooks. 

To ease your worry about undercooked chicken and potential illness, we recommend packing a meat thermometer before your move-in. 

Meat thermometers make the perfect kitchen tool as they take the guesswork out of cooking meat. They provide you with an accurate reading of the meat’s internal temperature, ensuring that your food is safe to eat!

Kitchen Scale

When you’re trying your hand at cooking, it can be demoralising seeing seasoned cooks casually throwing in ingredients and their dishes turning out perfect at the end. However, when it’s your turn, you ruin the whole meal, and it’s time to call the back-ups; takeaways! 

Accurate measurements are crucial in cooking and baking, which is why a kitchen scale is valuable. Instead of relying on guesswork or measuring cups, a scale allows you to measure ingredients by weight. This ensures consistency in your recipes and helps you achieve the desired results whenever you cook or bake or if you need more you could also check out the best outdoor refrigerator for your kitchen.

For the best and most accurate results, try the Salter Digital Scale. This scale allows you to weigh multiple ingredients in one bowl – hooray for fewer dishes!

Can Opener

Can openers are small but easily forgettable tools to pack, but best believe there will come a time when your recipe calls for a can of kidney beans. 

If you’ve been caught out without a can opener, you know the hassle of opening cans without an opener is a huge hassle. Opt for a sturdy and easy-to-use can opener that effortlessly opens cans of all sizes. This way, you’ll have quick access to your favourite canned ingredients: soup, beans, or vegetables.

If you want to take things up a notch, check out the JML Hands-Free Automatic Can Opener. 

Sandwich Toaster

It’s not every day that you want to come back to your flat and whip up a meal fit for a king. So, for those days, we suggest getting a sandwich toaster so you can turn basic sandwiches into warm gourmet delights. 

For a charming addition to your student kitchen, look no further than the user-friendly Cookworks Sandwich Toaster. This sandwich toaster fits snugly into your shared kitchen space and offers the convenience of quickly preparing delicious sandwiches. It also comes with a handy 1-year guarantee! 

Silicone Cooking Utensils

Your utensils are the foundation of any cooking, so getting the best type is important. For students, we highly recommend a set of silicone cooking utensils over metal. 

Silicon utensils are our go-to as they’re heat-resistant, easily cleaned and non-scratching. Also, thanks to their non-stick properties, they’re perfect for flipping pancakes, stirring, and sautéing. 

Our go-to recommendation for silicone utensils is Argos Home’s 8 Piece Utensil Set. This practical set comes with a caddy that provides a neat storage solution, ensuring that your utensils are always within reach.

Vegetable Chopper

Investing in a vegetable chopper is a surefire way to speed up your cooking process. Vegetable choppers make a super handy addition to your kitchen arsenal, as they can create perfectly diced carrots and thinly sliced onions. 

In addition to making things quick, vegetable choppers make it easier to have healthier meals. With vegetable prep becoming so easy, you can give yourself as many food options as your options for student accommodation in Birmingham. 

Whether you buy all 7 or 1 of our suggested gadgets, we know that you’ll be the best student chef around with these tools. Bon appetite! 

 

Students scoop national prizes at The Big Idea creative thinking awards

Powerful problem solvers and creative critical thinkers – students from across Ireland have learned one of the most in-demand skills in the world, as teams from Carlow, Offaly and Kilkenny have won the top prizes in Ireland’s national creative thinking programme The Big Idea.

Team Community Cara from Borris Vocational School won the overall award having journeyed through the 14-week problem-solving programme, exploring the issue of hidden poverty and developing a solution with potential for real social impact. They developed an idea for an app to support people living in poverty in Ireland to help connect them with local support.

The standard of projects submitted this year in the Youthreach and Community Training Centre (CTC) pilot programme was outstanding and in recognition of the innovation shown across this programme two additional Big Idea national prizes were awarded.

The Youthreach & CTC Climate Change winner was Team YR – Kilkenny Youthreach, who designed an app that would use augmented reality to educate primary school students about the impacts of climate change in their local environment.

The Youthreach & CTC Mental Health Award was won by Team HopOut from Tullamore Community Training Centre in Offaly, who proposed a community hub promoted by a drink’s coaster with a QR code to help support younger men with their mental health.

The Big Idea is delivered through the Leaving Cert Applied (LCA) and Transition Year (TY) programmes, as well as an expanded pilot Youthreach and Community Training Centre (CTC) programme. It was delivered across 22 counties this year, with a successful pilot programme trialled in Northern Ireland.

Students were tasked with working through the four Ds of the creative process – discover, define, develop and deliver – focusing on solutions for issues they identified as major stressors in their lives. These were mental health, climate change, hidden poverty, displaced people, and diversity and inclusion, all aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). With the help of hundreds of Big Idea mentors from a range of sectors, they develop a digital experience, product, service, space or place, or a tech solution to tackle that issue.

Winning ideas

The Climate Change Award went to the Eco Activists from Scoil Bernadette in Cork, who delivered the idea of a wildflower garden at the school, which is a safe space for students and their hero Brian The Bee. 

Sarah’s Strength won the Mental Health Award for St Patrick’s College Dungannon in Tyrone for the website ‘It Takes Strength’, which would support university students’ mental health and wellbeing by offering relevant information and peer-to-peer advice on topics such as financial worries or time management issues. 

Team Immoderate at Mercy Secondary School in Ballymahon in Longford won the Hidden Poverty Award for their development of an idea for an app ‘Incognation’, to build an online community and provide information, resources and support for people experiencing hidden poverty. 

Borris Vocational School in Carlow had a second winner as Team Cabhrú wanted to develop a comprehensive multi-lingual website for the Displaced People category to support refugees to Ireland and offer information on education, housing and employment, as well as a guide to help them settle in.         

Meanwhile, Team The Bois at Meánscoil San Nioclás in Waterford won the Diversity and Inclusion Award for an inclusive mental health journal called ‘Mind Bloggling’,  which supports the emotional wellbeing of young people from all backgrounds. 

Teachers and tutors were also celebrated, as teacher Patricia Dunphy of Mercy Secondary School in Waterford was crowned TY/LCA/NI Creativity Champion, with tutor at Tullamore Community Training Centre Lynsey McCabe winning the Youthreach and CTC Creativity Champion award.  

Elevating the national skill base

Founder and CEO of The Big Idea, Kim Mackenzie-Doyle says the winners were selected by judges based on the recognition and celebration of their journey through the creative Big Idea process, in addition to their innovative and inspiring ideas which have potential for real social impact.

“A massive congratulations to all of the students across the 22 counties who have journeyed through the 2023 programme. They have learned transformative creative skills and thanks to the help of our industry mentors, they can continue to think big and use creative thinking to solve problems and develop solutions – whether in life, college or work.”

The award-winning product designer who founded Ireland’s creative thinking programme, The Big Idea in 2021 says it is more than just an educational programme, “it’s a movement to elevate the national skill base and democratise the world’s most in-demand skill – creative thinking.”

Kim says the programme is brought to life by the Creativity Champions, teachers, staff, facilitators and coordinators who bring the Big Idea to life across classrooms and workshops across Ireland.

“They create a safe space for students and learners to experience creativity in action. They empower young people to find their voice and share their Big Ideas.”

EPAM Ireland is a partner of The B!G Idea and provided 13 mentors to work alongside the students, helping to bridge the gap between industry and education by providing practical advice on how to develop their innovative ideas and projects. Commenting on the programme, Martin Byrne, VP and Country Manager at EPAM Ireland, said: “Partnering with The B!G Idea was a no-brainer for us. Equipping the next generation of students with high-level problem-solving skills to tackle complex global issues like climate change and hidden poverty is exactly what Ireland and the technology industry needs right now. Highlighted by the fact that climate change was the #1 topic that these students wanted to address, sustainability is a huge issue in modern society and one that we are passionate about in EPAM. Our mentors and I are very excited to see how some of these Ideas progress, and we look forward to continuing the relationships we have built after the Showcase.”

Since the programme launched in 2021, it has already reached 6,500 learners, supported by over 750 industry mentors globally to help unlock valuable industry knowledge to help build the confidence and problem-solving skills of young people.

The winners, along with a selection of Big Ideas from the programme will go on to take part in a Big Idea accelerator in September. The Big Exhibition which includes every project submitted this year is now live at thebigidea.ie, where schools and mentors can also sign up for the next term.

SAS-sponsored students present bike data to Irish government officials

Six students from Larkin Community College Dublin, sponsored by analytics and AI leader SAS, have outlined to delegates from the Department of Education how cycling uptake can be increased in Dublin after analysing reams of publicly available data.

The students, participating in a global education initiative called P-TECH, performed analysis on 5.4GB of publicly available dublinbikes station data with the aim of identifying cycling patterns and trends that could be leveraged to improve the uptake of cycling in Dublin. They presented their findings at a showcase event on Wednesday 29 March 2023.

P-TECH, founded by IBM, operates in many countries globally and aims to reform education to prepare young people with the academic, technical and professional skills required for 21st century jobs and ongoing education.  In Ireland there are multiple industry partners as well as five schools and a college participating.

Recent research from SAS underlines the importance of tackling the shortage of data science skills, as  63 per cent of businesses don’t have access to people with the right AI and analytics skills.

Minister for Education, Norma Foley TD, said: “The aim of the P-TECH placement is to provide students with a real-world experience working on different types of projects. Developing new skills, knowledge and understanding how to meet these challenges is a key part of P-TECH. Working with different colleagues and learning in new environments based across the P-TECH Industry Partner sites, each and every student should be proud of the work they have achieved and their accomplishments over the last six weeks.”

As part of P-TECH the students joined the SAS team at its Irish headquarters in Dublin, participated in team building activities and were trained in the use of SAS Visual Analytics, SAS Visual Statistics and project management.

Alan McGlinn, Country Lead for SAS Ireland, says investing in the next generation of data professionals is critical for everyone’s future success. He said:

“We firmly believe that this is not only an investment in their future, but also in the future of our industry and the prosperity of the economy and our country. By sponsoring students to take part in P-TECH, we are not only helping to bring reforms to education and presenting them with real world examples to work on, but also giving young people the essential data skills they need to thrive in the workforce. We are proud to support this global initiative and to play our part in shaping the future of data analytics.”

Other P-TECH industry partners, alongside SAS, include IBM, Irish Life, Salesforce, Cisco, Virgin Media and Irish Water.

SAS supports a number of initiatives aimed at equipping people with the data skills they need to thrive in a modern economy. It founded the SAS STEP programme, a free reskilling and employment initiative to help jobseekers across Ireland and the UK, empowering the workforce and rebuilding for the future.

Why Soft Skills Are Critical for Students

Most workplaces around the world prioritize hiring individuals with soft skills. While most employers emphasized the importance of academic success in achieving goals, new research studies have shown that they are gradually changing their stance. As technology continues to dominate in the workplace, there is a need for technical and soft skills. Employers want to hire individuals who can communicate, think critically, and work with others. If you’ve been wondering why you need to develop your soft skills, this article is for you. We are going to share with you the importance of soft skills in our life. 

Defining soft skills

Also known as people skillset, these are character traits that determine how individuals handle themselves when working and interacting with people in their environment. They are skills that everyone needs to excel at work and in their private lives. As a college student, it can difficult to develop soft skills when you have to attend each class, prepare for university exam, read books at the library, study hard and submit your homework on time. If you are required to write a betrayal essay, you can find a list of titles for betrayal essays and essay example to get the inspiration you need and have ample time to develop important soft skills. Here is a list of soft skills for students:

  • Problem-solving
  • Negotiating
  • Communication
  • Positivity
  • Ability to work under pressure
  • Collaboration

Importance of soft skills for students

Soft skills for students play an important role when you are interacting with people in your environment. They act as the foundation of building strong relationships and are essential in promoting one’s personal and professional life. With these skills, you can build your social circle, create trust and lead a team. Here are some of the benefits of developing soft skills:

1. They improve employability

Various research studies in education have found that the aspects that employers value in employees such as dependability, communication, reliability, and adaptability. While your technical skills will help you get noticed by potential employers, soft skills will determine whether you get hired. Employees with soft skills will thrive in the workplace, lead effectively and get along with their peers.

2. They predict success

If you’ve been thinking that all you need is technical skills to stay a step ahead in tech companies, you need to think again. Studies conducted by Google found that there is a link between possessing soft skills and being successful in an organization. They analyzed the hiring, promotion, and firing. They found that an individual’s critical thinking, communication, and emotional intelligence were important in predicting their long-term success. Other skills that mattered were listening ability, coaching, and empathy skills.

3. They help in networking

Soft skills play an important role in building and growing your network. Building relationships with professionals in the industry can help you develop industry knowledge and get more opportunities to build your career. Every employer wants to hire people with strong professional networks to help their organizations achieve their goals. Your employer will likely value your ideas if your network is important to the organization.

4. They build your reputation

You can build your reputation both in college and at work by possessing these skills. How you interact with others will influence how people perceive you. And this will determine whether they work with you or not. By building social relationships and mediating conflicts skillfully, you’ll build your reputation and increase the chances of landing your dream job after school.

How can you develop your soft skills?

  • Listen before you speak – You need to take the time to listen to other people before you speak. Listening will help you understand how other people are feeling and figure out the best way to respond. Speaking before listening shows others that you don’t care about their thoughts or emotions.
  • Maintain eye contact – Eye contact plays an important role in building a positive connection with the person you are conversing with. It also assures them that they are being heard.
  • Get feedback – Skills are similar to muscles. The more you use them, the more they grow. In any area of life, feedback is important. To stay ahead of the crowd, you need to seek feedback continuously. Doing this will help you gain insight into your weaknesses, strengths, and what you can do to improve.
  • Identify challenges – While goal-setting is an important activity, you need to identify the obstacles that you’ll face along the way. Discovering what has prevented you from reaching your goals will help you perform better in the future. You’ll come up with solutions to tackle these problems strategically.

Conclusion

You need to develop and improve your skillset continuously if you want to achieve your biggest goals in life. As a college student, now is the best time to get started. You don’t have to invest in an expensive book, course, class lesson or interact with achievers to develop a soft skill. You have everything you need at the moment to start making progress. When things get hard, you should not hesitate to seek help from the campus teacher and experts. Having a student guide pays off in spades. What are you going to start improving on today? And why?

 

Dell Technologies supports Ulster University in developing a digital experience for students and staff

Dell Technologies has today announced that it is supporting Ulster University on its digital transformation journey by enabling the third-level institute to develop a consistent digital experience for its 34,000 students, research, teaching and professional services staff. The collaboration has supported the modernisation of Ulster University’s compute and storage infrastructure helping to remove data silos in its Northern Ireland campuses.

As a university stretching across four campuses in Belfast, Coleraine, Jordanstown and Magee, Ulster University needed to provide students with the digital infrastructure required by a modern learning environment while also continuing to deliver world-recognised research irrespective of location. However, with legacy data silos across campuses adding to the complexity and cost of its IT systems, the University faced many obstacles in providing one consistent experience for students and teaching staff across its sites.

Ulster University turned to Dell Technologies to overcome these challenges. Dell’s Hyper-Converged VxRail infrastructure, powered by Intel, enabled the university to consolidate its IT needs under one platform. This seamless, integrated and automated IT solution helped to break down data silos and provide a consistent experience for staff and students at the university. Additional benefits include zero downtime, reduced complexity, expanded scalability, and enhanced resilience within Ulster University’s IT systems.  

With the shift to hybrid learning and the rise in cyber threats, Ulster University also tapped into Dell’s expert team of experts to enhance its cyber resilience strategy. Through the guidance of Dell Technologies, Ulster University’s IT team can address any potential cyber threats and ensure robust recovery capability to restore operations in the case of an attack.  

George Maybury, Public Sector Director, Dell Technologies Ireland and Northern Ireland, said: “As a trusted partner of Ulster University for over 20 years, we have developed a strong relationship with this historic institution in Northern Ireland. From supporting the IT team as they modernise the University’s infrastructure to empowering researchers to use AI and Edge Computing as part of the Belfast Region City Deal, we’re making transformation real. Through our collaboration, Ulster University has also started its Cloud journey. Cloud is about transforming operations, and we are excited to have worked with the University to fuel that transformation well into the future.”  

Terence Nicholl, Head of Infrastructure and Operations, Ulster University, said: “As a single university with four unique sites, at Ulster University, we faced the challenge of ensuring a consistent teaching and learning experience for all of our staff and students. With the help of Dell Technologies, we were able to build a roadmap to rationalise and transform our existing infrastructure so that we could provide a seamless, single and consistent service provision while enhancing our cyber resilience.Thanks to strategic relationship we have with Dell, we are now confident that we can build on the achievements to date and strengthen the experience of Ulster University’s staff, students and visitors for many years to come.”

10 Best Free Educational Apps for Students

Mobile devices used to be considered a source of fun by school and college teachers. But every technology starts to develop quickly, so free educational apps for students have replaced fascinating games. You can use them to upgrade your language knowledge, improve your skills in your chosen subjects, and gain new experiences. You will forget the heavy books you need to bring to class. Best learning apps for students contain the information presented in the textbooks. It’s enough to download the software on your phone or tablet to take advantage of all the options. Check the list of the best apps for students and math for 2nd graders in our article.

Google Classroom

It is a popular education app that gives you access to a virtual classroom. The program is translated into many languages. Teachers post exercises for self-study or publish research paper requirements. “It makes it very easy for students to download the requirements and send them directly to your paper writing service. Thus, their workload is lighter, and it is more convenient to work this way. Consequently, no important details are lost and the writing is more efficient,” says Erin McLaren who is an education expert from papersowl.com. She also adds that such programs make the research process more effective. For their part, learners publish ready-made material for testing.

The student can also leave remarks, send comments, and join discussions in the mobile app for Android and iOS. In addition, sharing images and other resources is available. The simplicity of the interface and the introduction of extensive functionality dramatically improves the educational process. Whether you need assistance with understanding complex topics or prefer to buy an essay paper online, the app ensures you have all the tools necessary to enhance your learning experience.

edX

The learning app is suitable for those who want to enter Harvard and other ranked institutions. But because of high passing grades, not everyone manages to make their dream come true. More than 2,000 courses are available to users, where you can choose from philosophy, tech, math, and more. Upon completing all classes, you get certificates, indispensable for a successful career.

Khan Academy

It is a unique app aimed at providing free education anywhere in the world. Videos are offered to make learning exciting and effective. All information is explained here in detail, and it is impossible to miss the nuances. For convenience, it is offered to track your progress, for which a test is conducted.

Duolingo

English, French, Chinese, Latin, and Spanish – learning in an interactive form will bring tremendous results. An app for Android will be an absolute godsend for those who want to acquire basic linguistic rules and increase their vocabulary in a short time. If you also need apps for writing papers, it is not difficult to find one. Features of such programs are that they are as informative as possible, easy to use, and suitable for students of different levels.

Remind

It is a unique app that allows you to stay in touch with your school community at all times. Both students and teachers or parents can be included in the group. You need to know the unique class code to join, and then you will receive up-to-date information from the teacher, share content, and send the completed assignment.

Photomath

Accurate calculations can be challenging, but not for those with the Photomath app installed. Now you don’t have to worry about solving complex problems because the process will not cause trouble. Instead, learning is done as follows: you take a photo of the task, the program scans it and provides step-by-step instructions.

SoloLearn

This educational app is created for those who are attracted to the programming elements. It has free tutorials in PHP, JavaScript, HTML, python, c++, swift, CSS, and more. In addition, you can use the mobile code editor and read the latest tutorials in your chosen field. Everything in the program is provided for a comfortable immersion in the environment.

Quizlet

The app provides several ways to familiarize yourself with the selected area. You can choose learning, cards, writing, matching, etc. In addition, there are tasks here in the form of a game. Thanks to this approach, you can easily refresh the knowledge you have acquired before. It is a great idea from the developers; you can’t ignore it.

Kahoot

The free app provides you with quizzes covering many areas from real life. Here you can compete with other players online or challenge friends. The teacher can create quizzes on his own or use the available projects. Participants must enter a pin code to join the tasks. It is also possible to display quizzes on large screens in the classroom.

Udemy

It stands out among similar apps by the vast amount of information presented for review. More than 130 000 lessons in video format are available here: science, music, business, personal development, etc. You can get results in tandem with experienced instructors. If you get stuck at a particular stage, you can always ask clarifying questions and find ways to solve the problem.

Conclusion

Choose the best free educational apps to get the most information conveniently. The programs are adapted for smartphones and tablets from the company Apple. They are also suitable for Android gadgets. The software is distributed free and essential for students with low or no income. With the help of specialized programs, reaching educational information will become the core of forming a knowledge base for the future profession. The developers offer to memorize every word or thoroughly understand the rules and play games. Cards, quizzes, and other offers will bring variety to the process and avoid monotony.

TCS Launches Sustainathon Competition for University Students in Ireland to Tackle Environmental Issues with Digital Innovation

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has announced the launch of the 2022 UK and Ireland Sustainathon, a problem-solving competition that challenges university students to address corporate sustainability problems through innovative digital technology, creativity, and teamwork.

Registrations are now open for the 2022 Sustainathon, which invites university students to work alongside TCS and its partner network (via a virtual online portal) during a two-week sprint to devise digital solutions that can help businesses overcome their most urgent sustainability challenges.

“TCS is fully committed to addressing environmental challenges in the countries and communities we operate in, and to building a sustainable future through innovation and adoption of digital technologies,” said Andrea McBride, Head of TCS Global Delivery Centre, Letterkenny.

She added, “This is the first year that the TCS Sustainathon is available to students in Ireland. The competition has had great success in the UK and other regions over the last number of years and we are delighted to be able to offer Irish students the opportunity to be involved this year.”

TCS is engaging with universities across the UK and Ireland, including Atlantic Technological University (ATU) and North West Regional College (NWRC), Derry, to launch the competition, as part of its ongoing commitment to promote STEM skills, nurture young talent and support sustainable enterprise. TCS will work closely with its clients and supporting organisations as the challenge partners for 2022, including Phoenix Group, Lloyds Banking Group and Marks & Spencer.

Participating teams will be given a unique opportunity to join a series of interactive masterclasses, virtual mentoring sessions and online webinars with business and community leaders who will guide them through each stage of the ideation process and help to turn their concepts into a reality.

Irish academics partnering with TCS on this year’s competition, include Dr. Mark Kelly, Head of ATU Galway and Mayo Centre for Sustainability who will deliver an online ‘Sustainability Masterclass’ to all participating students from Ireland and UK and Francine Moran, Lecturer in Science and Sustainable Technologies at NWRC, participating as a guest panellist for a discussion session on ‘Sustainability and Career Paths’.

After presenting their solutions to the judges, the winning teams will be rewarded with sustainable prizes and an opportunity to showcase their ideas at the grand finale event on Tuesday 6th December. The judging panel will be comprised of representatives from UnifAI Technology, the Rail Delivery Group, a selection of not-for-profit organisations, and sustainability experts who are independent from the competition process. The members of the Grand Finale winning team will be offered one month paid internships with TCS.

Last year, the winning team ‘Biophilic’ from University College London was challenged to increase community engagement around sustainability by enhancing the digital functionality of Scotland’s National Entitlement Card (NEC) app. Biophilic was invited to present their winning concept to an audience of business leaders at TCS’ Innovation Forum in London, which resulted in the companies working with the students to develop their ideas into a real solution.

For more information and how to register, please visit:

https://www.sustainathon.tcsapps.com/events/ongoing/UKI2022

High earnings and job security top two career preferences for Gen Z students in Ireland today

New research published this week by global employer branding experts Universum, part of leading hiring platform IrishJobs.ie, has revealed that high future earnings and job security are the top two motivators for today’s third-level graduates across Ireland when considering their future career.

Indicating a growing concern amongst students around the impact of inflation and the associated rise in the cost of living, high earnings, and job security rank in first and second place. This is followed by a friendly work environment (3rd), good work-life balance (4th) and a clear path for advancement (5th).

The research, conducted as part of The Most Attractive Employers Index Ireland 2022, was conducted amongst 8,199 third-level students across Business/Economics, Engineering, IT, Natural Science, Humanities, Law, and Health/Medicine in Ireland, and provides a snapshot of the key attributes that today’s students are looking for in their future employer.

The lasting impact of the pandemic on ways of working is also evident in the ranking for flexible working conditions, which has risen by two places since 2021, now positioned at number eight.

Difference between the genders

The research also reveals key differences in workplace priorities between male and female students, with women more motivated by the social responsibility of an organisation and men more focused on advancement and innovation. For example, female students attach greater importance to employer ethics (5th) and a sense of purpose (10th) than their male counterparts, who list these at number 21 and 16 respectively.

Male students, meanwhile, attach greater importance to innovation (7th), as well as base salary (2nd). For female students, innovation comes in at number 15, while competitive base salary ranks much further down the scale at number 17.

Base salary expectations

Meanwhile, men and women have different expectations when it comes to what this base salary will be. While male students expect to earn €40,827 in their first full-time job after graduation, female students say they expect to earn €37,097, a pay gap of 9%.

Although a gap between men and women is evident within all the study fields included in the survey, it is highest amongst Natural Science students, with females in this field of study expecting to earn on average €4,344 less on an annual basis than their male counterparts.

Year-on-year growth in graduate jobs

According to IrishJobs.ie, the number of roles advertised for graduates grew by 94% in the second quarter of this year.

Quarter-on-quarter, the number of graduate roles grew by 13%, with jobs up 30% on pre-Covid (2019) levels. Companies posting the most jobs for graduates include food, engineering, financial services, and professional services firms.

Insights

Commenting on the results of the research, Steve Ward, UK and Ireland Business Director, Universum said:

“There is a whole new cohort of Gen Z and Millennial students who will be looking to enter the workplace from this month. Employers that want to attract and retain this latest generation of talent need to ensure their recruitment and attraction strategies reflect what graduates are looking for in their employer.

“With high earnings and job security the top two overall preferences, it’s clear that young people today are being impacted by the uncertainty that’s abounding in today’s economy, whether that’s inflation, the cost of living or house prices, and are looking for a job to provide them with the stability to ensure they can provide for themselves and their family into the future.

“Young people today are graduating into a very different working environment than many would have expected to when starting their degrees. After witnessing its evolution over the past two years, this year’s group of students are even more keen than last year’s graduation cohort to explore the benefits of flexible working. As the number of graduate roles increases, making this more of an employees’ market, employers will need to illustrate to potential recruits how they are competing with others in this regard.

“Finally, with the results showing different expectations amongst both men and women when it comes to competitive base salary, even within the same field of study, it’s clear that employers have a key role to play to ensure commitment and communication of parity of remuneration amongst the sexes for similar roles, notwithstanding employee negotiation skills at interview stage.

“Although men and women have different priorities when it comes to their preferred employer attributes, something which will help employers who are striving to improve the gender balance in their workforce, remuneration is a key indicator of how much a person is valued within an organisation in comparison to their peers. Unless and until women are actively reminded of their financial worth within the workplace, the gender pay gap is set to continue.”

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