Ireland – A Great Place to Study

Welcome to Ireland

Dublin's strength and success comes from its diversity and unique mix of cultures. The city is constantly changing - retaining a sense of tradition while also embracing the new. We are proud to reflect these aspects of Dublin at DBS; many of our students are from Ireland, but we also attract students from all over the world. This background gives you the outlook you need to succeed in an increasingly global and competitive job market.

While studying, you will benefit from our world-class teaching facilities. Student life in Dublin is not just about your study – it’s about the friends you make and the time you spend exploring one of the most fascinating cities in the world.
Education in Ireland is managed by Enterprise Ireland, the government organisation responsible for the development and growth of Irish enterprises in world markets.

Education in Ireland's goals and objectives include:

•To promote Ireland as a quality destination for students.

•To promote and support the international activities of Irish education institutions.

•To act as a national point of contact and referral to and from Irish suppliers of education services and the international market place.

•To promote Irish education expertise as a valuable resource for international institutions, development agencies and governments.

•To liaise with education interests and government to identify and remove barriers to the development of the international education sector.

Ireland at the heart of Europe

Ireland is a committed member of the European Union and provides companies with guaranteed access to the European market. As an English speaking country in the Eurozone, Ireland provides an ideal hub for organisations seeking a European base. The brightest talent from across Europe is attracted here, mixing with our own to offer a multinational and multilingual melting pot of skills with a positive attitude to match. 

Export Markets

Ireland’s exports grew by 6.1% year on year from 2015 to 2016. The country’s main export markets are the EU and US, and our primary export sectors are:

• Pharmaceuticals & Chemicals
• Computer Services
• Business Services
• Financial Services & Insurance
• Food & Beverages
• Medical Devices

Source: IDA Ireland website, April 2018

The Education system in Ireland

There are over one million people currently in full-time education in Ireland. These are engaged in three levels of education: primary education (up to 12 years); secondary education (12-18 years); and third-level education (18+ years).

• In 2015/2016 over 220,000 students enrolled in third-level courses across Ireland’s Universities and Colleges
• Over 30% of students enrolled in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) courses.
• 25% of students enrolled in social sciences, business and law courses

Ireland ranks in the top ten globally for:

• Quality of the education system
• Education that meets the needs of a competitive economy
• Knowledge transfer between education institutions and companies

Source: IDA Ireland website, April 2018

Increasing number of Technology Graduates

The Government’s technology skills action plan aims to make Ireland a global leader for technology talent and skills. The target is to meet 74% of forecast industry demand for high-level technology skills from the education system by 2018, up from the current level, estimated at over 60%. In line with industry norms, it is envisaged that remaining demand will be met by continuing to attract highly skilled people from abroad.
This will be achieved through a number of measures, one being the issuance of up to 2,000 employment permits per year to experienced technology professionals with skills in high demand. In addition to this through the Tech Life Initiative, the government plan to increase the number of people working in tech in Ireland by 3,000 per year.
Source: IDA Ireland website, April 2018

A young, well-educated and productive workforce

Ireland’s young workforce is capable, highly adaptable, educated and very committed to achievement. Ireland has the youngest population in Europe with a third of the population under 25 years old and almost half the population under the age of 34.
Source: IDA Ireland website, April 2018

Critical Skills

The Irish government offers a ‘green-card’ type employment permit; the Critical Skills Employment Permit. The website of the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation describes the main objective of the Critical Skills Employment Permit as having been designed to attract highly skilled people into the labour market with the aim of encouraging them to take up permanent residence in the State.
Occupations such as ICT professionals, professional engineers and technologists are catered for under this type of employment permit.
More detailed information on these critical skills can be found here
Source: Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation website, April 2018