Online retail in the shop window at conference

THIS WEEK:Retail is tough right now, not just because of the economic climate but because retail fundamentals have changed. Shops are closing down on a weekly basis, and even the larger retail chains such as HMV are not safe from the recession.

Businesses must embrace and adopt an online strategy if they want to improve their chances of success and survival, according to Monaghan IT Forum, which is holding a “Retail is e-Tail” conference to revitalise businesses and enable economic recovery through IT.

The ecommerce conference will host business professionals from PayPal, Screen Pages, Brix Workwear and Mick’s Garage, who will provide practical examples and tips on limitless opportunities offered through selling online. The conference, which is taking place on Wednesday in Carrickmacross, is being undertaken by Monaghan County Enterprise Board, Monaghan County Council and the Irish Internet Association to support businesses in the region.

Employment summit

Also taking place on Wednesday, albeit in Dublin, is the National Employment Week Summit.

The summit will see some of Ireland's leading business owners share their stories of job creation and entrepreneurship. Speakers include Colm Lyon of Realex Payments and Fidelma McGuirk of Taxback.com.

CoderDojo goes on recruitment drive with Hays

CoderDojo has teamed up with recruitment firm Hays to recruit volunteers, mentors and companies to support the rapid expansion of the coding movement.

Hays and CoderDojo have set an island-wide target of finding 1,000 new mentors and 100 companies to provide facilities for children to learn.

To this end, the recruitment firm is holding a “Become a Mentor” workshop on Friday and a “Host a Dojo” workshop on Saturday in Belfast Metropolitan College’s Titanic Quarter campus.

Next generation IT talent

“This is a great opportunity for the local community to make their contribution to future-proofing the economy against emerging skills gaps in the labour market of tomorrow,” said Róisín Byrne, business director of Hays in Northern Ireland.

Dojos are a fantastic vehicle to help build the next generation of IT talent, she added.

Launched in 2011, CoderDojo now operates in 24 countries, with more than 10,000 children turning out each week to learn about coding and game development.