GIRLS and computing don't mix. Or so it would seem. Prof Michael Ryan, head of computing at DCU, is so concerned about the declining number of Leaving Cert girls opting for computing at third level that he rang Countdown to College.
In the past, the sexes were fairly evenly represented on DCU's computing courses - now fewer than one in five students are female. It's the same story at Cork RTC, where women now account for between 25 and 30 per cent of computing students. This is fairly typical of the situation throughout the State.
Why are girls studying for the Leaving Cert so sublimely uninterested in one of Ireland's largest growth areas? It has been suggested that the huge number of macho computer games is turning girls off computing. Equally, many students associate computing with difficult, tedious mathematical calculations.
You don't need to be a mathematical genius to succeed at computing, Prof Ryan says reassuringly. He says that far from being left behind, women do disproportionately well at computing in college and beyond.
Many students confuse using computers with programming computers. Computing is not about office systems such as Word and Windows. It is concerned with getting behind these systems to the management of the computer. Mr Jim O'Dwyer, acting head of computing at Cork RTC, explains that it is an analytical kind of job. You will need problem solving skills. He warns that the extremely good job prospects are not a sufficient reason to choose computing as a career - you must understand what you are getting into.
Employment prospects
No areas of skills in the State are in greater demand than computing and software, according to Prof Ryan. The software industry is growing at a rate of about 15 per cent a year in terms of employment. Upwards of 8,000 new jobs will be created in the sector by 2000, according to the IDA. Ireland is the second largest soft exporter in the world after the US.
Graduates are being snapped up by employers and starting salaries are increasing, with many graduates earning £14,000 to £16,000 in their first year out of college. And it gets better as they acquire more experience.
Eighty four per cent of 1995 computing graduates with primary degrees were employed last April, when the Higher Education Authority conducted its annual survey of graduate destinations. About 12 per cent opted for further study and training.
Variety of courses
There is a wide variety of computing courses on offer within the CAO system, from certificates to diplomas to degrees. Some courses are more specialised than others. For instance, the computer systems degree in UL is suitable for those who see themselves working as computer programmers, systems analysts, consultants or researchers.
Students opting for languages and computing may well end up in software localisation and technical writing. They also have the option of going abroad but there is plenty of work available in Ireland.
It can be difficult for Leaving Cert students to picture the sort of employment they may end up in. Software companies in Ireland include the large multinationals such as Microsoft, Lotus and Corel but there is also a thriving indigenous sector. Indigenous companies tend to be smaller, typically employing fewer than 10 people. But jobs are not just in software - computing professionals work in a variety of areas, from banking and insurance to manufacturing to large retail outlets.
Work placement
Some courses, such as those offered by DCU, UL and the RTCs, include a work placement element which is very attractive to employers. These courses tend to be more applied than those offered by the older universities. UCG's B.Sc in information technology also includes an industrial placement. As well as being attractive to employers, these placements afford the students a glimpse of the real world and allow them to gain some experience before they graduate. Many will return to the companies in which they did their placements.
Increasingly, the degree is the qualification most sought after by employers. In a recent survey by Computer Staff Recruitment, 80 per cent of software development companies required new recruits to hold a third level qualification. Of these, 73 per cent expected candidates to have a degree.
Points
The points required for entry to degree courses in computing last year were reasonable - around the late 300s and early 400s. Students only needed 325 points to secure a place on Waterford RTC's highly regarded, degree in applied computing. So, if you're listing computing degrees, don't forget to look at the options in the regional technical colleges.
Omnibus entry
Students thumbing through their CAO handbooks may be unaware that as well as direct entry degree programmes, computer science is offered within a number of omnibus entry programmes. For instance, computer science in UCD and Maynooth University is not listed as a separate option in the CAO hand book but is one of the science options. In DIT, computer science and software engineering options are offered in the applied science degree. In their final year, students can take maths and computer science or physics and computer science or computer, science and software engineering.
You will not find this type of information out by reading the CAO handbook - you must read through all of the college prospectuses and consult your guidance counsellor before you start listing courses on your application form.
The advantage of omnibus entry is that it allows students a little time to make up their minds before they specialise. If you opt for a direct entry degree, you will probably end up repeating first year if you change your mind. If you're very sure what you want, direct entry probably makes the most sense as you begin to specialise in your chosen area almost immediately.
Certs and diplomas
If you do not think you will get the points for a degree course in computing, you should pay serious attention to the list of certificate and diploma courses on offer in the RTCs and the Dublin Institute of Technology. The points required for these courses are considerably lower than those needed for degrees. For instance, the cut off points for the certificate in computer applications and commercial programming ink Carlow RTC were only 200 last year. The average Leaving Cert points score is about 240.
Students with a merit or distinction in their certificate or a pass and one year's work experience can progress to the college's, national diploma in computing. From there, they may transfer on to the add on degree in software engineering. This type of progression via add on diplomas and degrees is available throughout the RTC sector - students may transfer between colleges as well as courses, provided they achieve the necessary grades.
Add on degrees in the RTCS
Athlone RTC: software engineering; Carlow RTC: software engineering; Dundalk RTC: commercial computing; Galway RTC: software development; digital and software systems engineering; Limerick RTC: information systems; Sligo RTC: computing; Tallaght RTC: computing (information technology); Tralee RTC: computing; information systems management; Waterford RTC: computing (commercial software development).
Although many employers would prefer third level graduates to have a degree, the scarcity of available graduates means that certificate and diploma holders are also much in demand. Indeed, Dr Dermot Douglas, registrar at Tallaght RTC, says that in areas such as engineering and computing, it can be difficult to retain people to diploma and degree. The college provides part time programmes to facilitate people who want to continue their studies but who don't want to pass up on a job offer.
New courses
Waterford RTC is offering two new certificate courses: computer applications (course code WD066; course details: CAPP) and multimedia applications development (course code: WD0067; course details: MMD). These courses are not listed in the CAO handbook but you can apply for them using the CAO form.
The aim of the multimedia applications development course is to provide skilled technicians and developers in the area of multimedia applications and multimedia project development.
Graduates of the certificate in computer applications should find work in commercial and professional concerns where a knowledge of modern office computer system and applications software is required.
Galway RTC's computing entry level courses have changed since last year, in that instead of two streams on one national cert there are now two separate courses: the national diploma in computing (software development), and the national cert in computing (business applications).
At Castlebar campus there is single entry to a cert which later splits into computing (business applications) and computing (PC programming).