Cloud computing firm says Ireland’s skills gap not an obstacle to expansion

Cloud computing company salesforce.com said that Ireland's skills gap won't prevent it getting the "right talent" for the 100 jobs it announced in Dublin yesterday.

Senior vice president for salesforce’s Europe, Middle-East and Africa (EMEA) division, Chris Ciauri, said its company’s brand is strong enough to attract the right people to fill the sales, marketing, IT and customer support positions available at the new EMEA operations centre in Sandyford.

Last month Ireland’s policy advisory board for enterprise and science, Forfás, noted a significant skills shortage in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector.

A Fastrack to IT (FIT) study in May also found that there were more than 4,500 immediate vacancies in the ICT sector.

“We think that’s other people’s problem, not ours,” Mr Ciauri said.

Senior vice president for salesforce Ireland, David Dempsey, agreed saying that while there were vacancies around, companies like theirs are very attractive.

“We find it reasonably easy to get [really good calibre staff],” he said.

“A lot of people aspire to work for a company like ours”.

Speaking at the event the Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, said that the Government’s aim is for Ireland “to become the most attractive location in the world for ICT skills availability”.