Do you want to know more about the benefits of micro-credentials for business?

The first Collaborative Talent Development Community of Practice webinar this term will take place online with guest speakers John Kilroy, Founder & CPO, Digital Learning Institute; Tina Maree, National Executive Officer, Irish Hospitality Institute; and Dr Philip Owende, Assistant Head of Academic Affairs, TU Dublin.

Join us for a compelling panel discussion on the growing significance of micro-credentials to enterprise. Micro-credentials help close skills gaps, boost productivity, and align workforce development with emerging industry needs. Our expert panel, featuring representatives from both enterprise and academia, will discuss how micro-credentials can address critical training needs and foster innovation in an ever-evolving economy. 

Download the presentation here: Skills for the Future - Exploring the benefits of micro-credentials for individuals & businesses

Watch the webinar here:

Guest Speakers

John Kilroy is the founder of the Digital Learning Institute which provides digital learning education and certification. The DLI’s mission is to elevate the standards of digital learning across education and work-based learning. Kilroy is a digital learning specialist with more than 25 years of experience supporting organisations with their digital learning strategy and policy. Through DLI, he has been driving the standard in the use of technology to support personalised and adaptive learning. Since the acceleration in the use of generative AI, he has been working with a wide range of organisations to help them build their understanding of the application of AI.

Tina Maree MIHI is the National Executive Officer of the Irish Hospitality Institute. Tina has extensive experience in the areas of Business Development and Project Management. She was worked with international companies, including Adecco, Hewlett Packard and Xerox Europe. Tina has extensive experience within the hospitality Industry. 

Dr Philip Owende is Assistant Head of Academic Affairs at TU Dublin. He is assigned to the development and implementation of Academic Quality Assurance and Quality Enhancement processes in partnership with faculties and academic schools across the University. He also leads, in partnership with Academic Affairs staff, the development, implementation and evaluation of assessment regulations across the University, to ensure coherence and alignment with the University’s strategic plan. His role has specific focus on the enhancement of quality of the overall Student Learning Experience.

Do you want to know more about the Learning and Development Landscape in 2024?

Hear from our next Community of Practice guest speaker Maura O'Toole, Principal Trainer at Facilitrain who will deep dive into: Future work trends and impacts; key skills shortages in Ireland v the rest of the world and help us understand skills first recruitment and management strategies.

Download the presentation here:

The Learning and Development Landscape 2024 - Maura O'Toole Community of Practice Presentation 29.05.24

Watch the full presentation here.

Guest Speaker

Maura O'Toole is Principal Trainer at Facilitrain. She began her training career in 1998, travelling the world as a banking software trainer. Since 2003, Maura has been working as a self-employed professional and management skills trainer across Ireland and the UK. She has worked on talent development projects with companies such as Pfizer, Meta, AIB & most recently BDO Ireland and CR2 Group.

Maura also lectured in TU Dublin on the Masters in Supply Chain, delivering the HR, Managerial Behaviour and IT Systems modules. In addition, she is a member of the Judging Panel for the Irish Logistics & Transport Awards.

Do you want to know more about educational solutions to employer challenges when it comes to AI and the talent pipeline?

Hear from our next Community of Practice guest speaker Stephanie Prenderville who will deep dive into: Why organisations need to ditch the current HR / People playbook, and what the alternatives are; what skills we need to focus on in the immediate term - human ‘power’ skills; eg empathy, curiosity, authenticity, collaboration, awareness; and how to accelerate learning in education and industry on the safe use of AI.

Download the presentation TU Dublin Enterprise Academy Community of Practice April 2024 Stephanie Prenderville Presentation here.

Watch the full presentation here:

Guest Speaker

Stephanie Prenderville is a highly seasoned People and Development leader with over 25 years’ experience in developing and aligning the strategy, processes, procedures and talent imperative to growth. Throughout her career, Stephanie has played a pivotal role in evolving HR from a support function to a strategic partner across various industries, including pharmaceuticals, financial services, and technology.

Do you want to know more about recruitment, retention and skill evolution?

Hear from our Community of Practice guest speaker Robert Mac Giolla Phadraig on how the future of work will play out against the background of the Generative AI revolution; understand more about the importance of soft skills, including communications and story telling, as well as critical thinking, good decision-making processes and having clear guidelines for making judgements.

Watch the full presentation here: 

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Guest Speaker

Robert Mac Giolla Phadraig

Robert is a serial entrepreneur and community creator, widely recognised as a global thought leader on the evolving world of work and talent development. Robert is the founder & CEO of Skill Stack, the human skills and leadership development platform. Prior to that, he co-led the MBO of Sigmar Recruitment and scaled it to become one of the most respected recruitment companies in Europe before selling it to Groupe Adéquat, creating a Billion Euro global recruitment group.

Robert is also founder of Talent Summit, the largest HR Leadership conference series in Europe that has become the meeting place of the future of work. With a deep interest in transatlantic trade, Robert leads an annual Irish trade mission to the US & UK, “Ireland, Gateway to Europe” that sees 100+ CEOs travel to boost bilateral and trilateral trade. Robert co-founded Boston College Ireland Business Council, transatlantic CEO network.

Do you integrate live challenges into your curriculum or keen on learning how?

See the presentations from our Community of Practice Transforming Learning through Live Challenges and Enterprise Projects where we discuss how authentic learning experiences for TU Dublin students can be enhanced by connecting academic theory with practical, real-world applications through engagement with business, enterprise, and civic organisations. 

Hear from expert speakers on the operations, challenges, and benefits of implementing live projects in collaboration with business, enterprise, and civic organisations.   

Learn about our Live Challenge Toolkit. Enhance your teaching toolkit with easy-to-use resources such as assessment briefs, grading rubrics, and workshop templates. These tools are designed to help you to reduce workload while maximising the learner experience.  

Watch the full presentation here: 

Download the presentation Transforming Learning Through Live Challenge and Enterprise Projects Full Presentation here.

The presentation includes:

• Welcome to the TU Dublin Enterprise Academy COP & Introductions ​by Dr. Claire Mc Bride Head of the Enterprise Academy TU Dublin 
• Introduction to Enterprise Challenges​ by Dr. Kevin D. Delaney Lecturer and Educational Developer
• A Case Study on The Glan Agua Sustainability Challenge​ by Thomas Tracey, Academic Staff Member & Programme Chair TU717, School of Mechanical Engineering
• Creative Digital Media Professional Project​ by Irene McGinn, Lecturer in Creative Digital ​
  Media, School of Media
• Developing Skills in Practice​ by Dr. Fernando Perez Tellez, Lecturer and researcher in Computing, School of Computing & Digital Transformation
• The Enterprise Challenge Toolkit by Niamh O'Hora, Lecturer and Educational Developer

Speakers:

• Niamh O’Hora - Educational Developer, Enterprise Academy 
  Niamh is experienced educator and designer, passionate about driving innovation and fostering positive change through design. Previously a designer with Microsoft, she teaches on the Creative Digital Media programme at TU Dublin, Blanchardstown, with expertise in Design Thinking, User Experience and Interaction Design. As Educational Developer with the TU Dublin Enterprise Academy she facilitates collaboration between learners and enterprise partners through live challenges and authentic problem-solving projects. Niamh also provides design mentorship to startups at RDI innovation hub, and co-hosts the UX Book Club.  
  
  
  
  
• Thomas Treacy - Academic Staff Member & Programme Chair TU717, School of Mechanical Engineering
  Thomas Treacy is the Programme Chair of TU717 Mechanical Engineering Degree. He has a particular interest in aligning academic and other activities with industry expectations to prepare students for their careers post-graduation and influencing how sustainability can be realised in practice. Tom’s research includes studying how the academic community can contribute to achieving the University’s Strategic principles of People Planet and Partnership. A graduate of both Tallaght and Bolton Street campuses, Tom has been a member of the academic staff in City Campus since 2016. Before that, he held various roles in engineering design, procurement and customer service. 
  
  
  
• Irene McGinn - Lecturer in Creative Digital Media, School of Media  
  Irene McGinn is a lecturer in Creative Digital Media at TU Dublin. She holds an MA in Film and Television studies from DCU, a Graduate Certificate in Software Systems and New Venture Creation from DCU, and a BA (Hons) in Communications and Creative Multimedia from DKIT.  She has been recognised both nationally and internationally for her work at undergraduate level.  ​Irene is enthusiastic about best practice in teaching and pedagogy. She has a Postgraduate Certificate in University Learning and Teaching from TU Dublin and continues to engage in professional development in this area.  
  
  
  
  
• Fernando Perez Tellez - Lecturer in Computing, School of Enterprise Computing and Digital Transformation 
  Dr. Fernando Perez Tellez is a lecturer and researcher in Computing at the School of Enterprise Computing and Digital Transformation. Dr. Perez Tellez has been an active researcher in the area of Machine Learning with especial interest in Natural Language Processing and Data modelling. He is also an enthusiast of the use of Cloud Computing technologies and Ethical AI. He has industry experience and recently, he has been collaborating with different partners to engage students to do industry projects.
   
  
  
  

• Dr Kevin D. Delaney - Educational Developer, Enterprise Academy  
  Dr Kevin D. Delaney lectures and researches in the areas of Design, Innovation, Knowledge Management and Engineering Education. He is an Educational Developer for the Enterprise Academy, a Human Capital Initiative Convene Project at TU Dublin with a particular focus on the areas of Creativity, Human Centred Design and Innovation for Enterprise. Previously he spent 10 years in advanced development and design roles in global world class companies in the automotive and connector industries. He is a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of Engineers Ireland. 
    
   

Register here to attend

The final Collaborative Talent Development Community of Practice (CoP) of 2023 was an in person event held in TU  Dublin's Greenway Hub. It featured three presentations on  Discovering Learner Needs & Market Demand for Educational Solutions by Niamh O'Hora, Lecturer and Educational Developer TU Dublin; Dr. Ciara Walsh,  Senior Engagement Manager: Pharma, MedTech and Food Sectors; and Dr. Dee Duffy, Senior Engagement Manager: Retail, Tourism and Hospitality Sectors followed by a robust Q & A session where participants were able to discuss issues that are "on their plate."

Participates gained insight into: 

•  Understand Design Thinking: Gain a comprehensive understanding of how Design Thinking can be a powerful tool in shaping market-ready programmes.
• Explore Learner Discovery: Acquire actionable strategies to uncover the unspoken needs and motivations of both learners and enterprise partners.
• From Problems to Solutions: Develop the mindset to view educational challenges as opportunities for innovation and learn how to identify and leverage creative solutions.
• Gauge Market Demand: Understand effective experimentation techniques to assess and validate the market appeal of educational programmes.  

Watch the full presentation here: 

Our expert panel dived into essential steps for academics crafting enterprise programmes, exploring strategies to decipher market demands through data analysis, qualitative research, and stakeholder engagement. The presenters navigate ethical considerations and data protection regulations, unveiling the dynamic relationship between academia and the market to ensure programmes not only meet academic standards but also thrive in the real world.

Presentations included:

1. Using Design Thinking For Learner Discovery by Niamh O'Hora

2. Learner Discovery - Brewing and Distilling by Dr. Ciara Walsh

3. Innovation Requires Failure by Dr Dee Duffy

The full presentation can be downloaded here:

Discovering Learner Needs and Market Demand presentation

Coming soon

In the new year, the Enterprise Academy will be rolling out an exclusive workshop focusing on cutting-edge techniques for learner discovery. Participants will be provided with a specially curated toolkit and a suite of assets designed to streamline the learner discovery process.  The workshop aims to be a hands-on experience, which allow participants to use our specially created learner discovery template and explore this digital playbook crafted. Join us in the new year for this collaborative workshop, where you'll not only gain insights but actively participate in applying these tools.

Find out more:

The Enterprise Academy is an expert interdisciplinary unit at TU Dublin taking an innovative and original approach to Collaborative Talent Development for professional learners in Ireland. It brokers interdisciplinary programmes, from Level 6 to Level 10 on the National Framework of Qualifications, working with Faculty and organisations of all sizes across key sectors intent on attracting, engaging and retaining the best and brightest of talent. The Enterprise Academy’s expert team, in partnership with faculty, is addressing short-term recruitment and retention problems and working to develop long-term sustainable solutions for priority and emerging skills needs. 

The Enterprise Academy is funded under Pillar III of the Human Capital Initiative - Innovation and Agility, by the Higher Education Authority. 

The third in the series of the TU Dublin Enterprise Academy’s Collaborative Talent Development Community of Practice (CoP) featured a keynote presentation on  Digital Skills Transformation at DELL: Delivering excellence through Enterprise Partnership with Technology Ireland Digital Skillnet and TU Dublin  by Úna McDermott Director, HR Operations at Dell Technologies. 

The presentation focused on: 

·         Digital Transformation at DELL – Programme design for excellence 

·         The pivotal role of Accreditation/ Credentialing 

·         Bringing the benefit back to the business / Return on investment 

The full presentation can be downloaded here: Digital Skills Transformation at DELL: Delivering excellence through Enterprise Partnership with Technology Ireland Digital Skillnet and TU Dublin

Watch full presentation here:

About our Speaker:

Úna McDermott is Director, HR Operations at Dell Technologies. She leads the Team Member Service Desk Operation and Employee Relations for EMEA and leverages technology to provide an exceptional customer experience for Dell’s team member and Leader HR queries. In addition, she has been actively involved in the Dell Technologies Transform Programme enabling Team Members and Leaders across Ireland to embrace the future of work.  

DELL had multiple people from across its organisations all going through the Transform program together. They were coming with different business priorities, perspectives and learning in a way that not only were they learning new skills and developing out their skill sets; in the context of our business, they were sharing ideas, developing and rounding out skills required within their own business functions.

Úna McDermott, DELL Technologies

Find out more:

The Enterprise Academy is an expert interdisciplinary unit at TU Dublin taking an innovative and original approach to Collaborative Talent Development for professional learners in Ireland. It brokers interdisciplinary programmes, from Level 6 to Level 10 on the National Framework of Qualifications, working with Faculty and organisations of all sizes across key sectors intent on attracting, engaging and retaining the best and brightest of talent. The Enterprise Academy’s expert team, in partnership with faculty, is addressing short-term recruitment and retention problems and working to develop long-term sustainable solutions for priority and emerging skills needs. 

The Enterprise Academy is funded under Pillar III of the Human Capital Initiative - Innovation and Agility, by the Higher Education Authority. 

Dr. Claire McBride, Head of TU Dublin Enterprise Academy welcomed attendees to our second Collaborative Talent Development Community of Practice of the current series. This event featured a joint presentation on The National Skills Agenda & the Role of University-Enterprise Engagement the  by Helen Mc Mahon, Senior Strategic Policy Advisor of Enterprise Ireland and Aisling Soden, Senior Manager; Talent, Transformation and Innovation (TTI) Department, IDA Ireland. 

The presentation focused on three key points: 

• Engagement: How can universities engage more effectively with enterprise
• Communication: Understanding and navigating the University-Enterprise ecosystem 
• Co-creation: Collaborative programme design for enterprise skills. 

The presentation can be viewed here:

About our keynote speakers:

Helen Mc Mahon, Senior Strategic Policy Advisor of Enterprise Ireland

Helen leads on Client Skills, focusing on direct engagement with Government Departments, Agencies, and Stakeholders in the areas of skills and talent development, informing stakeholders of issues affecting the growth of EI client companies while also informing and influencing policy development and the development of strategic partnerships and skills interventions.​

Prior to her role in Enterprise Ireland, Helen was Senior Executive for Business and Enterprise Skills Development in Screen Training Ireland (Screen Ireland) working with company leaders, creative talent, producers, and industry practitioners in the advanced and early stage of their career development. 

It's important to have sector champions and specialists within the university system. The reason why that's important, is to connect silos that can happen in terms of enterprise engagement. Claire and the team at the Enterprise Academy are working on building a pathway into the university system. It's also important to understand the nuances of the requirements of various different industries. For example what regulatory training needs to happen? What up-skilling areas need to happen potentially? What areas need to be joined together? That would be really helpful to enterprise in terms of navigating the university system.

- Helen McMahon, Enterprise Ireland

Aisling Soden, Senior Manager; Talent, Transformation and Innovation (TTI) Department, IDA Ireland

Aisling leads the Talent Pillar in the Talent, Transformation and Innovation (TTI) Department in IDA Ireland.  TTI supports IDA clients to transform their business through the development of innovation, digital and talent strategies and supports.  Prior to joining IDA Aisling worked as a Programme Manager in Science Foundation Ireland. ​

Aisling obtained a PhD in Earth Science from the University of Glasgow and has held research positions in the University of Strathclyde and UCD.

Most of what we speak about today, and links back to the national priorities identified in the OECD Skills Report, is that of developing a responsive joined up training and education system that is easy for companies to engage with and consequently supplies current and future skills needs and also incentivises and encourages and supports lifelong learning.

From our conversations with companies, we've observed that engagement with third level happens in very different ways. Companies don't have a very obvious or standard gateway to access the workforce education programmes that are available in university.

The Enterprise Academy is really critical because it is putting in place that single entry point to all workforce related provision and that's a huge help to companies in terms of simplifying and navigating the system.

- Aisling Soden, IDA Ireland

The Enterprise Academy is a key output of the Convene project funded by the Human Capital initiative, Pillar 3 - Innovation and Agility designed to increase capacity in higher education to meet priority and emerging skills needs. We work with enterprise organisations and representative bodies, at a range of sizes and life cycle stages, which all have a shared interest on attracting, engaging and retaining the best and the brightest of talent in their organisations.

Please contact us if you would like to speak to one of our team.

The first Community of Practice in this series features a keynote presentation The State of University Enterprise Collaboration at TU Dublin by Associate Professor Todd Davey by Professor Todd Davey, academic entrepreneur, educational hacker, creative change-maker, policy transformer and member of faculty at Vienna University of Technology.

CoP participants have gained:

• Understanding of the opportunities and barriers for University-Enterprise Collaboration (UEC) in the area of teaching and learning
• Some perspective about the strengths and weaknesses of TU Dublin for UEC
• Insights into how you can improve your own UEC
  

The presentation can be viewed here:

About our keynote speaker

Todd Davey is an Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship at the Institut Mines-Télécom Business School in Paris, an Adjunct Fellow at the University of Technology Sydney (Aust), a visiting academic at the Technical University of Vienna (AUT) and previously at Imperial College (UK) in the topics of entrepreneurship and innovation.

Formerly a Senior Manager with Deloitte Australia’s Technology Commercialisation Group and part of the executive team for one of Australia’s fastest growing tech start-ups in the 2000s, Todd ‘switched sides’ to work within academia, completing his PhD at the VU Amsterdam. As a consultant, Todd has worked with the UNESCO, European Commission (EC), the Australian and Vietnamese Governments, European Institute for Innovation and Technology and numerous other organisations over a 20 period.

For the European Commission, he was the Project Director of the largest study yet completed into cooperation between European universities and business, a study completed for the European Commission in 2010 and again in 2017-18. Todd is the author of the book ‘Entrepreneurship at Universities’, co-editor of the Future Universities Thoughtbook series, an Associate Partner at the University-Industry Innovation Network (UIIN) and the creator of TechAdvance™, a tool for evaluating technologies.

Published work and references

• www.ub-cooperation.eu/
• UEC case studies: https://www.ub-cooperation.eu/index/casestudies
• P260 case: https://www.ub-cooperation.eu/pdf/cases/I_Case_Study_Amira_P260.pdf
• Irish EUC Report (University) - https://www.ub-cooperation.eu/index/irelandhei
• Irish EUC Report (Business) - https://www.ub-cooperation.eu/index/irelandbus