Choose Tech

The ‘Choose Tech’ programme, supported by Salesforce, seeks to engage young people (15-20yr olds) into the exciting world of tech at an earlier stage. The programme aims to inspire young people to learn new and develop existing skills and to provide support & information around the pathways available to a tech career including pre-tech & tech apprenticeships.

Who is the programme for?

DEIS schools

15-18 year olds

Youthreach

15-20 year olds

Nationwide

This free programme aims to address the structural under representation of socio-economically disadvantaged young people and increase diversity in the newly launched pre–tech & tech apprenticeships and the tech sector.

What does the programme involve?

For more information check out our video here.

Find out more about Choose Tech

Through a series of online challenges, students can earn career enhancing badges, increase understanding of the tech industry and roles & gain an insight into the everyday life of tech professionals.

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The benefits for your organisation

Registering your organisation on our partners portal will give you access to all the features of the Organiser Management System which enables you to track learner progress. Once you have registered, we will contact you to organise an information pack and forthcoming FIT Career Pathways Workshops and Near Peer Engagements.

Improve your students digital literacy, skills & knowledge
Help your class/group get more confident with technology and find out what subjects they are most interested in!
Learn more about the pathways to a career in tech such as a Pre-Tech Apprenticeship and Tech Apprenticeship

For Educators

Find out how to get your students on a tech certification pathway with the Choose Tech Educators Guide.

Become a certified FIT Tech Apprenticeship Ambassador so you can educate your students on tech career pathways.

Earn recognition for your organisation with a FIT TECH Ambassador Award. You can achieve a Bronze, Silver or Gold Award!

Download Educators Guide Brochure

Download Ambassador Award leaflet

Ambassador Online Questionnaire

For Students

Get more confident with technology and find subjects that interest you the most. Earn digital badges and make your CV stand out in the crowd. Meet and find out from young tech professionals what working in tech is really like. Find a pathway to your future that suits you the best. To find out more about a career in tech download our brochure.

DOWNLOAD BROCHURE

To get started try the FIT Digital Pathways Badge (Worker section) to learn more about the tech sector, opportunities in tech and pathways to achieve a career in tech.

Learn about the world of tech and work towards your Gaisce Presidents Award with Choose Tech.

EMAIL US TO GET STARTED

To get started try the FIT Digital Pathways Badge (Worker section) to learn more about the tech sector, opportunities in tech and pathways to achieve a career in tech.

Learn about the world of tech and work towards your Gaisce Presidents Award with Choose Tech.

EMAIL US TO GET STARTED

Steps to register

If your group meets the following criteria: 15-18 year olds in a DEIS School. 15-20 year olds in Youthreach.

Step 1

Educators and Group Leaders will need to register first. Click on the FIT unique link below. Type in your name, date of birth, email and password  (at least 8 characters, 1 symbol, 1 number).

Step 2

Register your School/Organisation: Click on ‘Organisers’ (on the navigation bar at the bottom of the page). Enter the organisation or group name. Select the organisation type from the drop-down menu. Go to the ‘Organiser Groups’ section and press ‘New Group’. Here, you can set up your class or group and provide them with a unique url link or class code.

Step 3 (url link option)

Get your students to register by providing them with your organisation's unique url. They then type in a nickname, their date of birth*, email address and create their own unique password. (*The digital age of consent in Ireland is 16 years. It is the responsibility of the school/organisation to seek permission from parent/guardian for student participation).

Step 3 (code option)

If the students don't use your unique url link they can link via your unique code. To do this they can register on www.idea.org.uk/register and then input the unique code into their profile, to connect to your organisation, by following these steps: Click on their nickname in the top right-hand corner. Select ‘Edit Profile’. Type in the ‘Organiser Code’ and press ‘Save’.

When you are all registered you can login via the www.idea.org.uk site and admin users can track the progress of your group in the dashboard tab.

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Register your group and track their progress

Please ensure that you have read the instructions above first. For further assistance check out our video here or contact support here.

Current members progress

Organisations

Learners

‘Digital pathways’ badges

iDEA badges

Awards

Educator Testimonials

"Since becoming involved in the Choose Tech programme, there has been a noticeable improvement in our students not only in relation to their IT skills but also their attitude to independent learning. The short courses are relevant to students especially in their late teens as well as helping them in other areas of their curriculum such as social media in business and coding. What I personally love about this programme is the accessibility of it. Some students who would normally struggle in everyday school life are now flourishing as they have access to an IT curriculum that they understand and one where they can work at their own pace. It is designed to include all types of learners in terms of aural, visual and kinaesthetic - and that, it truly does."

“As we are an all-girls school in a DEIS area we often struggle to get students interested in the world of tech. Very few students would go to college and even fewer would go into the tech industry. Choose tech allowed us to give something to the students that may have an interest in going into the world of Tech while also introducing the area to others in a fun and interactive way that doesn't go over their head."

"The videos are an excellent way of communicating to students the range of careers that are possible in IT ... Even I have the "TECH STEREOTYPE " about IT careers !! so for me I was amazed at the range of opportunities available in the IT world . The fact that the students in the video's are young makes it so relatable for our students too so for me they are a brilliant way of motivating the students to keep working on their badges."

Paths to a career in tech

If you are interested in learning more about working in technology, you’ll find a roadmap in your information pack (sent to your organisation) with some of the routes to the workforce. You can download a copy of it here, or check out our paths to the workforce in the links below.

DOWNLOAD ROADMAP

Pre-Tech Apprenticeship

The first step to your future in tech

Learn more

Become an ICT Apprentice

Your pathway to a rewarding career in
Ireland's booming tech sector

Learn more

Outreach Support

There is a lot to take in. We get that. But we are here to help you at every step of the way. Organisations will be assigned an Outreach Support Manager. They will help you get registered and arrange suitable dates for the FIT workshops & near peer engagements.

Email us using the link below. Include your name, contact number and email address and your Outreach Support Manager will be in touch.

EMAIL US FOR SUPPORT