Accenture and An Cosán Virtual Community College are set to roll out the virtual Skills to Succeed Academy throughout Ireland this summer.
As part of a €170m commitment to its Skills to Succeed initiative, Accenture is collaborating with An Cosán Virtual Community College (VCC) to roll out a free interactive online training programme.
The Skills to Succeed Academy is designed to give people throughout Ireland the skills and confidence to choose the right career as well as advance employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for individuals.
The programme will be rolled out throughout the summer to community organisations and local employment services in Clare, Dublin, Galway, Kerry, Limerick, Mayo, Meath, Sligo and Tipperary.
It uses virtual coaches, gamification and simulations to help users navigate their career paths while equipping them with skills they need to find long-term employment.
A broad range of employment support bodies – including the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection – have come together as delivery partners to roll out the Skills to Succeed Academy across Ireland, with a goal of training 10,000 young people around the country over the next few years.
Accenture’s country managing director for Ireland, Alastair Blair, said he was “absolutely delighted” that local employment support organisations are rolling out the programme via An Cosán VCC.
“Digital technologies are fundamentally changing the way we work and the skills required to enter and succeed in the workplace,” he said. “By bringing together the best of technology and training from across Accenture and our partners, we have built an online system to help people get a job and sustain long-term employment.”
‘Flight simulator for the world of work’
To date, more than 3,000 people have completed training on the programme, with three in four reporting improved self-confidence and competence in interview skills and job applications.
Users can tailor their CVs to job opportunities, hone interview techniques and learn what is required to stay employed, from setting goals to keeping motivated in work.
An Cosán VCC CEO Liz Waters compared the programme to a flight simulator for the world of work.
“The Skills to Succeed Academy is an innovative digital learning solution that gives jobseekers an opportunity to ‘learn by doing’ and try out real-world scenarios for themselves while learning key employability skills as well as having ongoing support in the local community along the way,” she said.
“The training modules are flexible and bite-sized, which means learners can choose specific modules to focus on, or complete a combination of modules that cover specific skills. Users can also return to the academy to revisit learning or redo modules as and when they wish.”
Those interested in registering for the Skills to Succeed Academy can be applied for through local community-based employment support organisations that are working with An Cosán VCC.
