Make IT in Cork:

While Cork has been very successful in attracting some of the world’s leading technology companies, the demand for skilled professionals with multi-lingual and IT skills continues to increase. With over 10,000 people already employed in over 40 overseas ICT/Technology companies in the city and county, Cork has a strong IT cluster and Make IT in Cork aims to attract additional skills to Cork to support the continued growth of the participating companies.  Skills shortages have a direct impact on the regional economy, as well as the Irish economy and Make IT in Cork is an innovation solution to attract skilled ICT and multi-lingual professionals to the region to ensure an adequate supply of workers to meet existing demand. 

Make IT in Cork provides job opportunities and listings at www.makeITinCork.com, as well as supporting information about relocating to Cork.  A social media campaign on Facebook and Twitter to promote the region also forms part of the initiative.   

Run by Cork-based software and social media company, AssemblyPoint Ltd, it is supported by Cork Chamber and other business support organisations and has direct input from many of Cork’s leading ICT companies. 

Q4 2012 Economic Trends Survey Winner:

Congratulations to Conor Mullane of Simply Suits who won the draw for the Q4 Economic Trends Survey prize.  Conor wins PR training designed specifically for start-ups and small businesses, worth nearly €1,500 from award winning communications company H+A Marketing + PR. 

We would like to thank all those who participated in the survey which is essential to our work representing members on key business issues.  The information provided in this survey supports the Chamber in prioritising its lobbying and representation activities with regional stakeholders, state agencies and local and national government. Further details and survey results will be outlined in the forthcoming Economic Bulletin. 

Networking for Success

Course Date: 16^th April, 2013

Member Rate: €130.00

Networking is a powerful tool often underestimated. This seminar will give participants the essential tools to develop and use core networking skills to develop core networking opportunities. Networking has an extensive rippling effect and it is important to understand how to harness opportunities to maximize your organizations opportunities.

The course will cover the following:

• Why networking
• Safe cross code to networking
• Networking script
• Adapting & Connectin
• Working the Room
• Before the event
• At the event
• After the event
• Getting a return on your investment
• Making networking fun

This workshop is critical to anyone keen on enhancing their business and financial strength. Whether utilizing skills to develop internal networking, conference networking or indeed looking for a job. The facilitator of this program will ensure you gain maximum return from this course and that you will enhance and understand the power of your own social capital.

This may be the best €130.00 you will ever spend!! BOOK NOW!

Digital Media for Business

Course Dates: 9^th, 16^th, 23^rd April & 13^th May, 2013

Member Rate: €400.00 (Days can also be booked individually @ €125.00 per day)

These four days provide an in-depth insight into the latest innovations in Online Marketing and Digital Media. It covers techniques for your own website such as copy writing and website structure, blogging and link building, using Twitter for business and the current technique for running campaigns on social networks such as Facebook. The course will also give an overview of social media use and look at LinkedIn for business generation.

The course outline is as follows:

Day One

• SEO and Website Structure
• Targeted Advertising

Day Two

• Blogging and Content Creation
• Facebook Intermediate

Day Three

• Twitter
• Linkedin

Day Four

•  Mobile Marketing, Mobile Applications
• Devising a Marketing Plan

This course is ideal for those who are marketing managers or who look after the marketing function in a company. It is also suited for all levels of Staff with a basic understanding of the World Wide Web. It is a non-technical course and is suitable for non-IT staff whose effectiveness would be enhanced by a greater awareness of the current state of the World Wide Web and techniques designed to attract more website visitors and convert them into customers.

This course is only €400 for all 4 days, so BOOK NOW!!

Train the Trainer (FETAC Level 6)  

Course Dates: 15^th, 22^nd & 29^th April

Member Rate: €400.00

This 3 day course, one of our more popular, is designed to equip learners with the knowledge and skills necessary to design, deliver, assess and evaluate training programmes. It is suitable for people who are working in the area of training and development or who will soon be assuming a training position within their organisation. Participants on this course will gain practical experience and recognised certification (FETAC Level 6) as trainers.

At the end of this programme successful participants will be able to:

• Understand different learning styles;
• Explain critical elements of a trainers' role;
• Understand the functions and processes of learning and training;
• Evaluate different approaches to training;
• Appreciate the importance of training on an individual, social and economic level;
• Work effectively with a range of learner groups;
• Explain the training needs analysis process and set appropriate training objectives;
• Apply the principles of training design in preparing lesson plans;
• Deliver training effectively in one-to-one and group situations, and select appropriate techniques for assessing trainee progress;
• Identify different levels of evaluation and evaluate the effectiveness of training programmes;
• Develop and implement appropriate assessment methods.

So if you wish to gain a professional, accredited qualification in the area of training, BOOK TODAY!

See our full range of courses at www.corkchamber.ie/training

Bookings can be completed through the website and enquiries should be directed to Aoife@corkchamber.ie  (Training Services Administrator)

BUSINESS SCHOOL CALENDAR

April

•  MS Excel Advanced                                                        5^th April
• Digital Media for Business                                           9^th April
• Certificate in Train the Trainer                                   15^th April
• MS Excel Intermediate                                                15^th April
• Networking for Success                                             16^th April
• MS PowerPoint ‘Beyond the Basics’                        26^th April
•  Present & Express with Confidence                        30^th April

May

• MS Word Intermediate                                                 3^rd May
• Train the Trainer                                                           14^th May
• Personal Productivity using MS Outlook                   20^th May

Cork Chamber is delighted to announce John Dolan, Vice President, Global Technical Support with VMware in Cork and winner of the Cork Chamber Company of the Year 2013. John was the first employee for VMware in Cork in 2005 and has seen the company grow to a 700 person operation since then (13,000+ employees and 50+ locations worldwide).

VMware’s people orientated culture, driving high performance in a collaborative environment, is what motivates John every day. To date, nearly 100 Work Placement Program candidates have been through the VMware program and help maintain the Cork centre’s outstanding performance levels. VMware is the leader in virtualization and cloud infrastructure solutions that enable more than 400,000 enterprise and SMB customers to thrive in the Cloud Era by simplifying, automating and transforming the way they build, deliver and consume IT.

John and his team have worked closely with CIT in developing a Cloud Degree and Masters programme and he is also a member of the BIS advisory board in UCC.

There is still time to purchase your ticket and readers of the Cork Chamber E-Bulletin can avail of a 20% discount on the €50 ticket change by entering the promotional code 'corkinnovates' [all small letters] when registering online at www.cork.startupweekend.org


Interest in this event has rapidly increased in the last week with national and international media coverage drawing attendees from the US and Europe.  There is no doubt that the weekend will be a highly stimulating and engaging experience, offering entrepreneurs an opportunity to come and share ideas, form teams and launch a startup in 54 memorable hours!  The dedicated and focused environment, with coaches on hand to offer support, is sure to shape or reshape the way you think about startups.  ‘We find that so many potential tech entrepreneurs have excellent ideas but lack one or two of the key skills or area of expertise to bring the idea to fruition. The idea of this weekend is to remove as many of the obstacles to concept development as possible. If we are serious about this Silicon Lee Valley hub we need hang on to our native entrepreneurs as well as attracting outside talent’ said Ernest Cantillon, President of the Cork Business Association. 

StartUp Weekend Cork is set to bring a judging panel who include judging panel Gareth Keane, Investment Manager at Qualcomm Ventures; Sean O' Sullivan, Managing Director at Avego; Pat Phelan, CEO @ Trustev and Eamon Leonard, VP Engineering at Engine Yard.  A full listing of mentors/coaches who will be on site throughout the weekend to share skills, experience and know-how can also be viewed at www.cork.startupweekend.org.

BOOK NOW! 

For more information on this weekend contact: Will Martin 087 274 6341 or Jayne Ronayne 087 229 6982

Visit and book: www.cork.startupweekend.org

Like us on Facebook: fb.com/SWCork

Follow us on Twitter: @SWCork           

LinkedIn Goup:  Startup Weekend Cork

European Data Forum 2013

The European Data Forum (EDF) 2013 will take place on April 9-10 in Croke Park. It is an annual meeting-point for data practitioners to discuss the opportunities and challenges of the emerging Big Data Economy in Europe. The event will comprise of keynote speakers from global experts, a series of submitted talks, as well as trends, showcase and live networking sessions. For further information, please contact eimear@corkchamber.ie

European Business Partnership Opportunities

A German company that produces Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software for the Pharmaceutical Industry is offering trade intermediary services, subcontracting and outsourcing activities and is interested in partnerships in Ireland. For further information about this profile, please contact Eimear@corkchamber.ie and quote Ref. 20120307025

The Children’s Leukaemia Unit currently based at the Mercy University Hospital, Cork will relocate to the Cork University Hospital in the near future.  This new Leukaemia Unit will be part of a new Paediatric Unit which will be a ‘Centre of Excellence’ for Paediatric medical care in the Munster Region.  Our charity has to raise funds for this new unit and our first fundraising event is a Monster Benefit Night at Curraheen Park Greyhound Stadium in Cork.  By placing an ad in our programme you can be assured that it will be viewed by a very large audience in the Munster Region.  We would really appreciate any support you can give us with our fundraising efforts.  Our fundraising committee members listed below are happy to answer any queries you have about the event.

Monster Benefit Night - Curraheen Park, Cork - Sat 20^th April 2013

• Sponsor a race  - €700 includes full page ad in programme and dinner for 4 people along with advertising at Curraheen Park on the night
• Sponsor a race - €500 includes full page ad in programme along with advertising at Curraheen Park on the night
• Race Card Advertising – Full page ad €120 – Half page €80
• Nominate a dog - €50 each

Our Fundraising Committee Members are ; Kathleen O’Leary Keating, Margaret and Maria O’Donoghue, Breda and Denis O’Brien, Pat Ahern, Matt Olden, Michael Minehan, Jim Mullins

For further information on the Children’s Leukaemia Association and the services we provide please contact Rose Scanlan at CLA Office on 021 4949801 mobile 087 9772498 or email info@cla.ie. website http://www.cla.ie/