Danielle McLaughlin

An abundance of opportunities in the ICT industry

Danielle McLaughlin studied Cyber Security & Digital Forensics at ATU Donegal. This course prepares graduates for an exciting career in IT. Learners will have the ability to develop secure internet applications, protect digital copyright and more. Danielle chose to study this programme because of the graduate career opportunities it affords.

Danielle says, “I chose Cyber Security & Digital Forensics at ATU because I knew that it would open my career opportunities to a wide range of roles. I really enjoyed my time studying at ATU. The small class sizes were perfect and allowed us to engage with the lecturers who were always supportive and offering guidance”.

“I loved the programme. The modules were all interesting and very focused on the skill set that I require for working in the industry. The problem-solving aspect of the programme really appealed to me, and I enjoyed modules in DevOps and software.”

“During my studies I participated in team projects as part of assessments. These were invaluable and I learned how to work well as part of a team and to utilise my skill set. This experience has guided me in my current job today where I work as part of a team daily in a dynamic setting”, enthuses Danielle.

Graduates learn skills that will translate into the real workplace environment. Skills including the ability to apply and integrate conceptual and theoretical information. An understanding of emerging technologies and the factors driving these developments. Plus, the ability to review existing technologies, implement system modelling techniques, design and implement computer systems having applied critical decision making skills based on your specialist knowledge and understanding of computer security and digital forensics.

Danielle completed a work placement in year three of the programme, “I loved the work placement. I found it very beneficial, and it really set me up for working in the industry when I graduated later that year”.

“I currently work for the company All State on the graduate programme. I got the job offer the December before I graduated so I left college with employment lined up in the area of work that I love. This was fantastic and I have been enjoying the role immensely. The programme at ATU set me up perfectly for the world of work.”

Danielle will have endless opportunities in this area. Within the northwest the “Skills Needs of the ICT and FinTech Sectors in the North West” report shows that every local ICT employer is actively hiring new graduates. The same picture can be seen nationally with 35% of all “difficult to fill vacancies” being in ICT and approximately 5000 unfilled vacancies at any one time in ICT.

“I would advise anyone thinking of studying this programme to go for it”, concludes Danielle.