Today the first automation school launches in Ireland to educate the next generation of the country’s workforce on automation. Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board has partnered with the ABP School of Automation and UiPath on the delivery of this training through the funding of a pilot traineeship.
Based in the Limerick and Clare region, the new initiative will teach the skills required to develop software robots—popular virtual assistants built using robotic process automation (RPA) to automate repetitive tasks and allow people to work strategically and creatively. The project is supported by UiPath via its Academic Alliance program and replicates a successful initiative implemented last year in Scotland.
Automation will define the post-pandemic world of work, according to a report commissioned by UiPath from Forrester Consulting in June 2020, in which nearly half (48 percent) of businesses said they would increase investment in RPA in the next yeari. Companies are rapidly adopting software robots to improve workflows and create better employee and customer experiences. In Ireland, UiPath enterprise automation is used extensively in the HSE and Mater Hospital in Dublin.
New generation of RPA developers
“The school will create a new generation of RPA developers with vocational and life skills that are highly sought after,” said Marc Cooper, CEO of ABP School of Automation. “Automation is going to change the way we work forever, for the better, and we need people with the expertise to support that. We’re excited to open new possibilities for workers in Ireland in partnership with UiPath.”
This pilot will see 30 learners undertake an 18-month traineeship offered by Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board. Unlike other software, RPA development does not require coding expertise because it uses low-code platforms, in which a user operates an intuitive interface to automate processes rather than working within complex coding languages.
Democratizing skills
“We’re supporting the launch of the School of Automation in Ireland to help fill a genuine need for democratizing the skills of the future of work. This is a unique, growing initiative to train and upskill students to create software robots that are becoming ubiquitous in the workplace,” said Mark O’Connor, Public Sector Director, Ireland at UiPath. “UiPath is committed to providing greater access to automation technology that is fundamentally shifting how innovation occurs. This initiative empowers Ireland’s workforce to compete in the global technology sector.”
“We are delighted to partner with School of Automation to deliver robotic process automation training,” said Paul Patton, Director of Further Education and Training at Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board. “This traineeship is responding to changes in the way we work, learn and do business and will prepare employees for the future as the world of work is transformed by megatrends such as globalisation and digitalisation.”
