HIGH profile employers in the construction industry are vying to take on placement students from the University of Ulster, despite the economic climate, according to academics.
Local employers — fearful of the so-called ‘brain drain’ — are concerned that negative publicity may be forcing more students to look for work abroad when, in fact, opportunities here still exist, they say.
At least 15 of Northern Ireland’s leading construction companies recently attended a unique quantity surveying networking and recruitment event for placement students at the university’s Jordanstown campus.
At a time when news on the construction front is generally dominated by doom and gloom, the university believes the popularity of this event proves there are still opportunities out there for our students.
Employers were competing in a major recruitment drive to secure high quality quantity surveying placement students and Professor Greg Lloyd, head of the School of the Built Environment at Ulster, commended employers for their continued support of Ulster students.
He said: “Placement plays an important part in the student teaching and learning experience — it confirms the importance of industrial engagement in the built environment academy and helps students think about their future career ambitions.”
A successful placement year is quite often the golden ticket to a graduate level job offer and employers estimate that over a third of their vacancies will be filled by applicants who have already worked for their organisation.
Research by the University of Ulster highlights that students who undertake a placement year are more likely to leave university with a higher degree classification.
They are also more likely to gain graduate level employment six months after graduation, compared to those who have not undertaken a placement.