GARRINGREEN HOTSPOT -- Irish moviemakers have the highest standards of training in the world. So said Jane Kagon, the associate director of the UCLA film school. Paul Melia: "Young Irish moviemakers are top of the world for film industry, says US expert" in The Independent (Ireland), May 8, 2003. x_ref153 7:00:51 AM

HEA -- The boom times are over for Irish third level graduates who are finding the jobs market tougher going. According to figures from the Irish Higher Education Authority (HEA), the proportion going directly into jobs from college dropped 6% in a single year. Irish college grads in the class of 200 had the best-ever results with 58.3% of those who were awarded degrees, diplomas or certificates in jobs by April the following year. But this dropped to 52.4% for the 2001 graduates and initial numbers suggest fewer than half of the 2002 graduates find jobs one year after finishing their courses. John Walshe: "Student graduates finding it harder to get a job" in The Irish Times, May 5, 2003 x_ref153 6:42:38 AM