IIA Press Releases
IRISH INTERNET ASSOCIATION LAUNCH ECOMMERCE SKILLS AND JOB OPPORTUNITIES
Today Wednesday 23rd January 2013: The Irish Internet Association (IIA) has today launched its Diploma in eCommerce Management and Internship programme. The IIA’s newly formed eCommerce Working Group comprises leading Irish eCommerce businesses; Life Style Sports, Realex Payments, Arnotts.ie and Nightline’s ParcelMotel to name but a few. Chaired by Bob Curran of Buy4Now, members of the group and IIA members have undertaken to provide a number of internships for anyone doing the 11 week course. This blended learning approach of evening course and on-the-job experience is a great opportunity for retail managers, merchandisers and marketers seeking to take up the growing number of positions in eCommerce management.
Speaking on the launch Joan Mulvihill, CEO of the IIA, highlighted the scale of the opportunity for businesses and interns alike. “With €4billion being spent online by Irish shoppers the opportunity for Irish retailers is enormous. But 75% of that is being spent with overseas retailers so much of that opportunity is being lost. The challenge is not in convincing retailers to develop an eCommerce proposition but rather in enabling them with the skills and knowledge to execute it. This course is ideal for retailer owner/managers to build that knowledge. Likewise, many retail sector workers have suffered during the downtown. This combined Diploma and Internship is a great way to adapt your retail and merchandising knowledge to fill the increasing number of eCommerce manager positions”.
Gordon Newman is the Head of Online Sales at Life Style Sports and a member of the IIA Working Group. He expressed his own difficulties in filling ecommerce positions. “One of the most challenging aspects of my role has been finding the right people with the right skills. People think they have to be web developers or social media gurus but this just isn’t the case. We really need great process and merchandising people with commercial acumen and Customer focus. A broad understanding of retail operations is just as important for an eCommerce specialist as getting to grips with the technical components. It’s why we are so supportive of this Diploma course and also why we are one of the businesses looking forward to taking an intern and with our proven record of internal progression there is a very real prospect of a job at the end of it”.
Mulvihill added “For anyone wishing to avail of the internship, we would encourage them to send us their CVs as soon as possible. Unfortunately, this course is not covered by any government programme so course fees are applicable.”
Internships will be granted by the businesses directly and subject to their respective interview procedures. On a case by case basis, depending on organisation requirements and candidate suitability, some internships may qualify for Jobbridge.
This course has been designed by the Irish Internet Association and its leading industry expert lecturers and practitioners. It is delivered in partnership with Irish Times Training.
Course enrolment is now open and all details are available on www.iia.ie/eComDip
ENDS
For further information, please contact:
Joan Mulvihill, Irish Internet Association: 01 5424154 / 086 389 7552 joan@iia.ie
IIA eCommerce Working Group Members
Bob Curran……………………………………………Buy4Now
Tracy Glynn…………………………………………..Realex Payments
Graham Merriman……………………………………Carrickane Consulting
Kevin Murray…………………………………………Nightline’s ParcelMotel
Gordon Newman…………………………………….Life Style Sports
Vinny O’Brien…………………………………………Micksgarage.com
Rory O’Connor………………………………………..Scurri.com
– See more at: http://www.iia.ie/news/item/1981/irish-internet-association-launch-ecommerce-skills-and-job-opportunities/#sthash.uI0YLF5Y.dpuf
IIA Press Releases
IIA Wins Awards for Excellence!
IIA Wins Public Affairs Category at the PRCA Award 2012
On Friday 21st June 2012 at the Awards for Excellence in Public Relations 2012, the IIA won the prestigious Award for PR Excellence in the Public Affairs Category.
IIA Wins Public Affairs Category at the PRCA Award 2012
On Friday 21st June 2012 at the Awards for Excellence in Public Relations 2012, the IIA won the prestigious Award for PR Excellence in the Public Affairs Category. The IIA had engaged the services of Fleishman-Hilliard to deliver the campaign that was centred on the IIA “Critical Skills Retention Policy” to address the Skills Shortage in Ireland.
The Awards for Excellence in Public Relations, hosted by the PRCA (Ireland), the PRII and CIPR Northern Ireland, salute Ireland’s most outstanding communications initiatives in the highly competitive and dynamic PR arena. These coveted awards, now 19 years on the go, set the industry benchmark for excellence across all areas of PR.
We are thrilled to have our worked recognised by the PRCA and to have leveraged our role in this sector to effect positive policy change.
You can view our award entry here.
Citation of the winning entry from the PRCA
Our winner in this category took an issue of concern to the stakeholders and put it on the national agenda. From concept refinement to implementation at legislative level they were firm in handling their message and skillful in building alliances. Although modestly funded, this was a very thorough campaign in terms of driving debate, dialogue and change.
Picture: Joan Mulvihill, IIA, CEO pictured with Aidan McLoughlin and Carl Gibney from Fleishman-Hillard
– See more at: http://www.iia.ie/news/item/1921/iia-wins-awards-for-excellence/#sthash.WYXSRa6x.dpuf
Cloud Computing Working Group
SWiFT 10:2012 Adopting the Cloud – decision support for cloud computing.
IIA and NSAI supported guide provides information for organisations moving to the cloud. – SWiFT10-2012
IIA Press Releases
Irish Internet Association statement on Copyright Review Consultation Paper Process
RISH INTERNET ASSOCIATION (IIA) STATEMENT
The IIA welcomes the Minister for Research and Innovation, Sean Sherlock’s recognition that the existing method of gathering stakeholder feedback for consultation is not sufficiently interactive and is not reflective or representative of the medium used by internet stakeholders.
The IIA is happy to provide a mechanism for online submissions on the Copyright Review Consultation Paper to gather feedback on this paper. The IIA is currently preparing an online survey which includes each of the 86 questions posed in the Copyright Consultation Review Paper. All members and indeed non-members can enter their comments on the issues, ideas and opportunities raised therein. This will allow the IIA to collate the views of its members and enable us to comprehensively represent their concerns and ideas to Government and input into this important legislation. An IIA working group will be assigned to review member feedback and assemble a position paper for submission to the department. The link to this survey will be available in the coming days.
Non-members are welcome to submit their comments using this survey tool. However, comments by non-members will be passed un-collated and un-filtered to the department as it would not be in the best interests of our members to use IIA resources in working for non-members. I believe this methodology strikes the right balance of being inclusive and facilitative whilst prioritising our member’s needs as we are charged to do. Allowing the widest stakeholder feedback is quite simply in the spirit of the community. Stakeholders are not limited to using this tool but it is open to everyone.
This is a great opportunity for the IIA to provide a mechanism for members to engage in policy formation and to be integral to internet policy in Ireland by representing the best interests of its members.
The Minister, in response to questions by the media yesterday said that people could contact the IIA who were going to facilitate feedback via an online forum. This survey is that forum.
Click here to take part in Survey
ENDS
For further information, please contact:
Joan Mulvihill, Irish Internet Association: 01 5424154 / 086 389 7552 joan@iia.ie
