US-based testing company Prometric has announced a three-year research partnership with DCU valued at almost €1 million and the creation of 40 new jobs at its Dundalk operation. The move is backed by IDA Ireland.
The investment will establish DCU’s Centre for Assessment Research in Education (CARE) where new test types assessing students’ capacity for critical thinking, skills assessment, and knowledge recall will be developed.
CARE’s research will be aimed at influencing the Irish education sector and strengthen national workforce, particularly for attracting multi-national employers and foreign direct investment.
Three jobs will be created on the DCU campus and the programme will be led by the Prometric Chair of Assessment, serving as director of the CARE Centre. One post-doctoral student and one PhD student will be hired in research roles.
DCU President Prof Brian MacCraith said: “If we wish to encourage our students to be creative problem-solvers ready to face the challenges of our globalised, knowledge-based modern world, we must embrace new, cutting-edge methodologies such as those offered by Prometric. A major systemic difficulty in Ireland has been the lack of any centre of expertise in assessment. Our partnership with Prometric will allow DCU to establish a national resource to conduct research and develop best practice in education and job skills assessment, potentially having a transformative impact on the quality of teaching, learning and jobs growth for generations to come.”
In Dundalk, Prometric will add 40 jobs in finance and customer service functions to its test development, technology, operations and human resources teams. The expansion includes €550,000 in capital expenditure and €2 million in workforce investment.
When all hiring is complete, the company expects to have 168 employees in Ireland. Prometric’s two corporate sites are located in Dundalk and Dublin, with 147 jobs expected to be the total for its County Louth-based Global Operations Centre.
“Prometric’s long-term commitment in Ireland is evidenced by the lasting relationships we have created, and we are realizing a return on our investments in the form of quality and efficiency improvement gains,” said Prometric CEO Michael Brannick.
“Our partnership with DCU represents an opportunity to help Ireland attract major global employers for the next decade by strengthening the talent already in the workforce and the students preparing for careers that require trusted licenses and certifications. The bonds we have created with our clients have made Ireland’s roads safer, medical care more prepared to save lives, energy more sustainable to support economic growth, and fostered greater trust in the financial system.”
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