IT recruiter Grainne Bagnall is relocating from the Netherlands to capitalise on a growing demand for talent in Cork
Gráinne Bagnall an IT Recruiter with over 15 years’ experience has relocated to Cork with a vested interest in tackling the shortage of STEM talent for now and future.
After relocating back from the Netherlands – where she had worked since 2007 – gaining valuable experience in recruiting IT staff contract and perm all levels from Developer to CIO, she has decided that Cork is definitely emerging as the Silicon Valley of Ireland.
Joining the ever-expanding team at technical recruitment agency- Claran Consultants, Bagnall has, like many other IT Companies and HR department have recognised the evident lack of candidates, especially women, to fill high-tech jobs in Ireland. “In Holland I was doing all I could to snap up Irish graduates for companies in Holland, flying them in their busloads into Schiphol airport. A lot of companies out there and further afield are still doing that.” Gradually, however Bagnall realised that she could be doing the reverse and actually bringing back home the Irish and in particular to Cork where some major IT companies are expanding daily such as EMC, TrendMicro, Apple, Amazon, PFH, McAffee, VMWare, to name but a few.
While researching the market and working closely with Mike Halpin CEO, Claran’s team of expert Recruiters, a selection of Clarans’ long term clients and Denis Collins and his team at it@Cork, it was decided that it was time to action the shortage of stemming graduates especially young women.. In line with Silicon Republics campaign ‘Women Invent Technology’ Claran hosted day long events with interactive tech workshops in national and secondary schools in Cork city. This culminated in UCC with panel guest speakers including government, academia, and business on Women in ICT International Day 28th April.
Grainne says “Astonishing to learn that girls are still being pushed in the more traditional career-paths to become teachers, nurses and doctors from a young age, by parents who simply don’t know enough about other career paths. I thought we had moved on from that in 2013”.
Gráinne, backed by Claran, is striving to change this outlook, by sparking children’s interest in STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Maths) subjects, especially Maths, from an early age. After hearing reviews of ‘Maths Circles’, a developing Maths Initiative in Cork, aimed at first years in secondary schools, Gráinne was excited to get involved. The program aims at encouraging an interest in maths among students. This takes the form of free weekly interactive workshops, during which the students experience a fun, practical, hands-on approach to problem solving and maths. Gráinne and her team at Claran, in conjunction with concerned business and industry leaders, have gotten together to help develop and expand this program in Cork, reaching more secondary schools.
In addition, funding a program to begin in September, which will aim at 5th and 6th class pupils, tackling the negative stigma surrounding Maths in pupils at a younger age, Bagnall hopes that this increased interest in maths will drive some pupils on a path to STEM related careers, where vacancies today– especially in the I.T. sector remain unfilled due to the lack of strong Irish candidates in this area.
Claran Consultants hope to be able to run this program in all Cork schools and even moving nationwide in the coming years. .,. By getting 15-20 companies to cover a few schools each, this will be an achievable task. If just a handful of children find a new-found love for Maths, then all involved will consider this initiative a job well done.
For more information on our IT Resourcing solutions call Gráinne Bagnall on 021 4701100, email grainne.bagnall@claran.ie or visit www.claran.ie.
