Career Options with German/ Modern Languages

1. Career Options with German/ Modern Languages Angela Byrne International Sales & Marketing Specialist Enterprise Ireland – Presentation in Limerick 4th April 2011

2. What does Enterprise Ireland DO anyway?

3. PROACTIVELY help CAPABLE and COMMITTED Irish companies to grow their business in international markets • Leading to increased export sales of the products and services of INDIGENOUS IRISH COMPANIES • Through a network of 10 offices in Ireland and 32 INTERNATIONAL OFFICES staffed by 130 specialist market advisors

4. German trade surplus widens Full employment a viable target: Merkel German unemployment falls to below 3 million…. 2010 growth forecast Revised up to 3.4% GERMANY in the news

5. Ireland losing its sovereignty to Europe The new Celtic Reich Ireland paralysed in a Teutonic straight-jacket GERMANY in the news

6. GERMANY positioned in a global business context • Germany is Europe’s largest economy and fifth largest economy in the world. The economy is booming with revised growth forecasts for 2010 at 3.5%. • German speaking region is 3rd largest export market for Irish products and services (after UK and US) • Germany is not only made up of industry giants but also from the Mittelstand - over three million SMEs employ 80 percent of the labour force. • German is an official language in seven European countries: Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Belgium and Italy.

7. Germany and Ireland: Opportunities Flow in Both Directions • The German-Irish Chamber of Industry and Commerce recently conducted a survey amongst its members in Ireland, to examine current economic trends and overall business confidence • opportunities for Irish companies trading with Germany - 57% of respondents referred to the food industry, 41% to information technology, 40% to services, 35% to pharmaceuticals and 30% to medical technology. • opportunities for German companies in Ireland, 68% mentioned renewable energy, 59% energy efficiency, 35% medical technology, 29% pharmaceuticals, 22% biotechnology and 20% food industry • Ralf Lissek, chief executive of the GIC : “ two thirds were concerned there wasn’t enough being done to encourage the teaching of foreign languages in Irish schools and third level institutions.” • These survey results are highly significant, as Germany is the third-largest provider of foreign direct investment in Ireland. German companies employ an estimated 20,000+ people in Ireland.

8. Ticking Time Bomb..? • Germany's rapidly aging population is forecast to decline by 20% to around 65 million by 2060 (source: Bundesstatistikamt 2010) • The precipitous drop will be accompanied by a dramatic shift in the amount of elderly people in Germany. Of the country's current 82 million inhabitants, some 20 percent are now aged 65+. But in 2060, that percentage will increase to 33 percent. • But the population of working age people is expected to drop by as much as 34 percent by 2060, forcing greater immigration in order to support Germany’s continuing economic development (- • Germany needs the inward flow of skilled labour and professional services from the youngest population in Europe… that’s us! An opportunity for Ireland to exploit !

9. Dispelling the Myths • I do not have to learn German, because all Germans speak English ! • Well, yes, everybody you talked with spoke English, because those were the only ones you could talk to! • The fact is that not all Germans speak English. • A recent EuroSTAT survey showed that 21% of Germans assessed their standard of English as proficient. 60% claim basic or no command of English. • In a business context, there is a very high danger that real issues never get transmitted and the discussions remain superficial when conducted through English. • Enterprise Ireland has seen the EVIDENCE of success achieved because of having German speaker leading the customer relationship – TRUST happens

10. European day of Languages – EuroSTAT Report • We are bottom of the league table for studying a foreign language at Primary Level with only 3% participation • At Second Level our showing improves with 58% of students studying one foreign language (main French) and 17% studying a second foreign language (mainly German). • According to the Central Statistics Office of Ireland we export nearly three times what we import from other EU countries (excluding UK and N. Ire) • We must realise that key language skills play a key role in our economic strategy and are right up there with Cost of Production, Broadband Connectivity, Entrepreneurial Drive and all the other factors spoken of on a daily basis. • We are an island economy who must engage with the rest of the world if we are to resume sustained economic growth.

11. Enterprise Ireland Export Growth Strategy for Ireland • Acute concern over UK and US market dependency - problematic on two fronts – market downturn and currency issues • Eurozone market team focused on delivering sales contracts with key clients in key markets of Germany, France, Benelux, Nordics, Eastern Europe, Spain and Italy • Gaps in international sales capability of Irish companies being addressed

12. Reasons to be cheerful • Surge in EI client engagements and deals being closed with German customers • Germany‘s skills deficit is Ireland‘s opportunity • Germany is a fantastic place to live and work! • Internationalisation Capability will be a foremost concern for EI strategy to grow export sales of Irish companies • Enterprise Ireland will play a lead role in mobilising Salesforce Ireland

13. Some Inspirational Career Paths Frances Kelly, BA Intl Marketing Languages NIHE 1986 Philip Walsh, BSc Mgt, DIT 1992, Dip Mktg Practice UCD 1993 Declan Supple, B.Comm Intl (German) UCD 1992 Lisa Shannon, BA Marketing French German DCU 1997

14. Frances Kelly: Then…………………….. Graduated DCU 1986 BA Intl Marketing and Languages (Fr/Ger) IIRS 2 years Joined Signium as a researcher in Germany in 1990 …and Now……………………………… Partner with Signium International (Germany) Multi market senior exec search assignments 40 people, 3 offices in Germany, 20 million fee revenue in 2007 Recently ranked in the top 100 leading executive search executives in Germany !

15. Philip Walsh: Then …………… Graduated DIT (COMAD) 1992 BSc Mgt/ Adv Dip Marketing Techniques Postgrad Dip Marketing Practice @ Smurfit EOP in Germany 1995/1996 (no German) Sales and Business Planning Director EMEAToshiba EUROPE GmbH (Budget responsibility €450 million) And now…………………… Back in Ireland, founded KlarText: a business advisory practice specialised in supporting ambitious companies to plan and execute export sales growth

16. Declan Supple: Then …………… Graduated B.Comm Intl 1992 Joined Andersen Consulting - Graduate Programme in Frankfurt (one of 3 in the class offered a job – brilliant German) And Now……………………… “I’m a Partner now at Accenture in Germany. Responsible for our Supply Chain Management Consulting practice for “Resources” industries (Chemicals, Metals, Mining, Energy etc.) in Austria, Switzerland, Germany”

17. Lisa Shannon: Then …………… Graduated DCU 1997 BA Intl Market Languages (Fr/Ger) Enterprise Ireland Internship Germany 1997-1999 Wal-mart Germany 1999-2006 1 year as Business Analyst, 5 years As International Buyer And now ……………………………….. Buying Controller Footwear Primark Group HQ Key buying decision maker and advisor in Primark international expansion

18. GERMANY is the OPPORTUNITY ............. .....ARE WE THERE YET ?? • Angela Byrne, Enterprise Ireland angela.byrne@enterprise-ireland.com