Work Placement

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What is Work Placement?

Work Placement is a three-way partnership between the student, the employer and the University. You are employed in an organisation for 6 months to get work experience relevant to your degree. You get the chance to apply your skills and talents, bringing benefit to the employer and to yourself.

At the start of third year, you choose either Work Placement or a Business Research Project. The Placement or Project is for 6 months, April to September, at the end of third year and is related to your major subject choice.

Find out more by downloading the: Work Placement Guide 2015

Find out what one of our BComm students, Frank Ryan, have said about Work Placement:

What's in it for you?

Placement is an important part of your Commerce course, as it gives you the chance to see what it is like to work in an area related to your degree. This will help you make more informed decisions about your career.

Your Placement will also help you to:

Put academic theory into practice in your chosen career area.
Broaden your knowledge base.
Gain an insight into your own personal abilities and aptitudes.
Develop personal skills such as communication, team-working, problem-solving.
Get an inside view of the world of work and how it operates.
Understand new countries and cultures, if you work abroad.
Build your self-confidence.
Relate and apply the knowledge gained during Placement to your studies.
Be more mature and committed to your studies on return to college.
Enhance your CV and make it more attractive to employers.
Improve your employability, so that you are a 'work-ready' graduate.
Be considered for a graduate job with your Placement employer.

Find out more by downloading the: Work Placement Guide 2015

Student Profile

Aislinn received the prestigious 2011 Intern of the Year Award from her work placement employer, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, in recognition of her outstanding performance during her six-month work placement in their Dublin City Centre branch, which she completed as part of her UCC Bachelor of Commerce degree.

Aislinn's prize includes a coveted place on Enterprise Rent-A-Car's Graduate Programme, based at the company's San Francisco office.

This is the second year in a row that a UCC B Commerce placement student has received this high profile industry award, recognizing excellence in work performance. Aislinn will follow in the footsteps of last year's recipient, Kerrie O' Mahony, who is now building her junior management career with Enterprise Rent A-Car in San Francisco.

Pic: Breid O' Connor, Talent Acquisition Specialist, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Aislinn O' Mahony, UCC 4th Commerce student and Sheila Byrne, Work Placement Manager, UCC College of Business & Law.

How does it work?

Your Placement Manager is responsible for organising your Placement and this person is your main point of contact.

You prepare a CV which is sent, on your behalf, to companies who have Placements available. Companies shortlist the students they wish to interview and following interview, they offer the Placement job to their chosen student. You are obliged to accept the first offer of Placement made to you, via the Placement Office.

If you have contacts with employers through friends or family, you may wish to organise your own Placement. You can do this, provided you meet the college criteria and your Placement Manager will give you details of what is required.

Find out more by reading the Work Placement Guide 2015

Work Placement - Employers

Each year, we place up to 160 students with leading employers across many industry areas nationwide and overseas, including banking and finance, food and drinks, telecoms, pharmaceutical and healthcare, retail and distribution and the public sector.

The feedback from our host companies has been very positive, with many re-hiring their Placement students as graduates.

Most placements are in Ireland, but some are abroad. When selecting companies, you can apply for those that are abroad and your CV will be sent if the employers have vacancies.

Find out more by reading the Work Placement Guide 2015

Placement Company

The Big 4 Accounting Firms:

KPMG
Deloitte
PWC
Ernst and Young

Others include:

Accenture Consulting,
AIB,
Bord Gais,
Citco Fund Services,
Eirgrid,
EMC,
ESB,
GlaxoSmithKline,
Janssen Pharmaceuticals,
Kerry Group,
Microsoft,
Musgrave,
Oracle,
Pepsico

BComm Work Placement Awards

About the Work Placement Award

The Work Placement award was introduced to recognise exceptional student performance during Placement.

One award will be available each year and the award will be presented to the successful student at the College of Business & Law Undergraduate Awards Ceremony in final year. If no students are nominated, no award will be given. The winner will receive a monetary prize and this prestigious award is also an excellent addition to the student’s CV.

The award will be open to all 3rd Commerce students undertaking the Work Placement option within the Transferable Skills module.

Nominations

Nominations for the award will be accepted from the student’s employer and/or from the Academic Mentor member of staff involved in the assessment of the student’s Placement. To nominate a student, a form must be completed by the student’s employer and/or the Academic Mentor and returned to the Placement Office, accompanied by a supporting statement.

Nominations must be submitted to the Placement Office, by email, fax or post, two weeks before the finish date of Placement. Nominations will be invited from employers and academic staff one month before the finish date of Placement and the Award Nomination form will be emailed to all involved.

Review and Selection of a Winner

The BComm Placement/Project Awards Committee will review nominations and select the winner. The Committee is made up of representatives from the BComm Board of Studies.

For a student to be eligible, they must be completing their Placement in the current academic year, be returning to University following Placement and must have handed in their Placement assessment documentation by deadline.

The winner and all students nominated will be notified following the Committee’s selection. In advance of selection, at the discretion of the Committee, nominated students may be asked to deliver a short presentation on their Placement experience.

Work Placement Awards Winners 2012-2013

Inaugural BComm Work Placement Awards Ceremony

Four BComm students were presented with Work Placement Awards following nominations from their respective employers for their outstanding performace on their work placements.

The inaugural BComm Work Placement Awards ceremony was held in the Council Room at University College Cork on Tuesday 4th December last. Professor Irene Lynch-Fannon, Head, College of Business and Law presented parchments to 26 BComm students who were nominated for an award by their respective employers. Such was the standard of nominations that four of these students received an award for their exceptional performance while on their work placement.

Pictured above: Group of BComm Placement Award nominees pictured with the Head of College, Professor Irene Lynch-Fannon, Dr Noel Woods, BComm Programme Director and Miss Sheila Byrne, BComm Placement Manager.

Pictured above: Students who won the BComm Work Placement Award - Lauren Crowley – placed with Grant Thornton, Shane O’ Callaghan – placed with Apex Fund Services, Rachel Butler – placed with Janssen Pharmaceuticals and Sinead Power – placed with Oracle and pictured with Professor Irene Lynch-Fannon, Dr Noel Woods and Ms Sheila Byrne.