Work Ready Graduate Programme – supporting Data Analytics and Machine Learning graduates 

Now in its second year, CeADAR’s Work Ready Graduate Programme has 10 graduates placed with CeADAR and Enterprise member companies where they are getting to apply and finesse their skills as well as acquiring new ones.

The programme was first developed by CeADAR in 2018/19, and continues today, with funding from Enterprise Ireland. CeADAR was motivated to create the programme because of a gap in support for graduates, particularly in the fields of Data Analytics and Machine Learning, as they navigate the start of their careers.

“We felt that if CeADAR pinpointed talented graduates and supported them in their first year in the workplace, that would really boost the impact that those individuals could deliver to their host companies,” Sara Stevenson, Work Ready Graduate Programme Manager at CeADAR, says.

CeADAR’s belief that there was a need for such a programme was vindicated by the fact that 153 people applied for the 10 places available last year. All of the successful applicants have a Master’s in Computer Science with the majority also having a number of years’ experience in the workplace.

The programme carefully matches the 10 graduates identified by CeADAR, through open competition, with the host companies. Each participant gets one-to-one mentorship from a dedicated data scientist within CeADAR.

“It is very supportive,” Sara says. “Participants have ongoing input, advice and support from CeADAR both technically and professionally whilst on placement with their host company. They also receive additional valuable and relevant training, for example, they can achieve project management certification (QQI L6) and qualify as a scrum master (PSM1).”

The host companies also get the benefit of having CeADAR’s AI and analytics expertise available on projects. “It’s very much about delivering impact to Irish businesses and supporting them in delivering their data-driven agenda,” Sara says.

“Quite often this programme gives companies the impetus to kickstart their data agenda or to give it that extra focus they have been meaning to do but haven’t had time.”

Over the coming weeks, we will be profiling a number of the participants and outlining the work they are doing with their host companies.