I AM continually impressed by the strength of entrepreneurial talent that exists here. At the NI Investment Summit last month, we discussed how Northern Ireland punches well above its weight when it comes to business development, entrepreneurial spirit, and educational attainment.
Contributing £1.7 billion to the economy each year and employing 23,000 people across 2,200 businesses, the software industry is an integral part of this success.
Meeting with industry leaders and new entrants to the market in my first month as chief executive of the Software Alliance, I have been reminded why this vibrant sector earned Northern Ireland the reputation as a leading destination for innovative software businesses.
Yet despite this success, and with demand as high as ever before, labour market challenges still threaten to slow our growth rate.
We know that significant work between industry, government departments, and education is being done to address this. We have an education system that is more than capable of backing us up, however as well as raising awareness of the endless opportunities that exist in software, we need to build awareness among parents and teachers.
This is why it is important to have an industry-led organisation that presents a united voice to government, and it is why I relish the challenge of leading the Software Alliance, the sole industry body for software engineering companies in Northern Ireland.
Our motto is to develop software, develop people, and develop trust across the sector. We are exploring fresh ways to interest people in software, and in particular, boost parent and teacher awareness of the profession.
Established in 2022, the alliance has an active schools’ group which has commenced its work to inform curriculum development by launching a teacher mentoring scheme to help teachers learn more about the industry, the diversity of career opportunities within it, and the key skills and competencies sought after by employers.
Another key need within the industry is to provide the best support for people of all backgrounds and abilities into the workforce, and I am fully committed to finding ways to both empower neuro-diverse individuals to gain a job in this industry, while also challenging software companies on their existing diversity and inclusion strategies.
By presenting a collective voice to government, I am confident of a bright future for software in Northern Ireland and look forward to supporting businesses to explore new markets, to helping young people navigate the world of software engineering, and ultimately working hard to unleash and maximise the potential of the whole industry.
:: David Crozier is chief executive of the NI Software Alliance
