Work Placement | University College Cork (2023)

FAQs

Do college work placements pay? ›

Someone doing work experience or an internship has the right to be paid at least the National Minimum Wage, unless they're a student: on a placement during a higher education course.

Placements can be paid and unpaid. For paid placements, there is no set rate of pay. However, the standard expectation is that you will be paid no less than the minimum state wage as agreed by the Government at the time of your placement.

The scheme is open to host organisations in the private, public, civil service, community and voluntary sectors. WPEP is a scheme under the Pathways to Work Strategy 2021-2025. A previous placement scheme, Youth Employment Support Scheme (YESS), which was similar to WPEP, finished in July 2021.

Every year, around 3,250 seats are allotted for undergraduate course and 2,500 seats for postgraduate courses. University College Cork (UCC) acceptance rate is 41%.

Some students are even offered a full-time graduate job after completing their work placement. However, finding and securing a work placement can be difficult. Applications for placement years can often be as lengthy as graduate scheme applications and sometimes even more competitive.

By completing a placement year, you automatically increase your chances of securing a graduate job. All the big graduate employers look for candidates who have completed work experience before graduation. You might get a job from your placement employers.

You have to apply for an employment permit to work in Ireland. Non EEA citizens who already live in Ireland and have certain types of immigration permission can work without an employment permit. You also might not need an employment permit if you are joining your family in Ireland.

Despite the necessity of visas and work permits, working in Ireland as a foreigner is not as difficult as it is in other European countries.

The obvious difference is duration. Placement students work for a company for up to 12 months, whereas internships last anywhere between four weeks and four months. A placement year is a more extensive programme, and it's more of a commitment.

Students enrolled in Bachelors and Masters programs in Ireland are automatically eligible to stay back and find a job. Once you complete your studies, you can stay back and explore employment opportunities.

Is work placement the same as a job? ›

The type of work that you'll be assigned will vary depending on the role that you're taking on. Unlike work experience, placements are for school and university students who are ready to enter into the workplace, so you'll likely be performing similar tasks to full-time employees.

Placements can be paid or unpaid. If you take on an unpaid position, you will be free to work your own hours and should not be asked to carry out tasks usually completed by paid employees.

Times Higher Education World Impact Ranking

Our score of 91.2 out of 100 puts us in the top 4.5% universities in the world for impact.

First of all its one of the best universities in the world with top class faculties and the university has the best research output. Secondly, less investment and just 1 year course with 2 years post study work permit and high chances of sponsorship.

One of the cons of doing a placement year is trying to find one in the first place. The application process for bigger companies tends to have many stages and can span the course of months.

Whilst being relatively rare, students failing practice placements does happen and can be a very stressful situation for all concerned.

Placements are year-long programmes where you will take a year out of your degree to work in industry. You'll work full-time and get paid like any other regular employee.

You can work full time on a paid or unpaid placement for more than 20 hours per week if it is an integral and assessed part of your course. You must not be self-employed, or employed as a professional or semi-professional sportsperson, or an entertainer.

As a placement year is part of your academic course, you will continue to be supported by the University and you will need to pay a tuition fee for the placement year.

Before heading across the pond, it's best to consult current travel requirements, but it is possible for an American to move to Ireland. To enter the country, you'll need a current passport, and if you intend on staying longer than 90 days, you will need to obtain permission and documentation from Irish officials.

What jobs are in shortage in Ireland? ›

Skill shortages

Engineering - biomedical engineers, chemical engineers, electrical engineers, energy engineers. IT - app developers, data analysts, software developers, IT support specialists, programmers. Healthcare - doctors, nurses, pharmacists, opticians, radiologists, health managers and directors.

Am I eligible to move to Ireland without a job? If you are moving to Ireland as a non-EU/EEA national without a job, you must be eligible for one of the Irish immigration stamps. There are a range of immigration routes open to those who do not have a job in Ireland.

One potential disadvantage of moving to Ireland is the weather. The country experiences a lot of rainfall and can be quite cold, especially in the winter months. Additionally, the cost of living in Ireland is higher than in some other countries, such as Bulgaria or Romania.

Yes. If you are fluent in English then working in Ireland won't be a problem. English is used in many of the professional institutes and companies as a working language.

In summary, work experience is outside of the definition of volunteering. Work experience has a set time frame and different legal implications and responsibilities in relation to insurance and can be paid/unpaid.

A placement contract would set out what experience will be offered to the student (e.g. shadowing and set learning opportunities/objectives). No formal contract for volunteering. Rather a recruitment pathway such as interview, induction training, etc.

Nonetheless, there's no doubt that the best option is always a paid internship. You can be confident you'll be doing work that's contributing to the organisation and you won't have to worry that anyone is being exploited. View paid placement and internship vacancies on targetjobs .

Visa applicants must apply online for their visa - see 'How to apply'. If you wish to study in Ireland for less than 3 months you should apply for a 'C study visa'. If your course lasts longer than 3 months, you should apply for a 'D study visa'. You will need to provide the following with your visa application.

So when the choice arises to accept jobs in Ireland after masters, multiple students happily agree. With an unemployment rate of less than 5% and the new Third Level Graduate Scheme in place, Ireland's job market for international students is quite favourable.

Is Ireland good for international students? ›

Ireland is such a good place to study abroad for such a wide number of reasons, including the standard of teaching and education, the career opportunities and the enjoyable lifestyle.

They could last from a few weeks, to a few months or a year (although yearlong placements are normally only done during study). Although most are carried out consecutively, some work experience placements can be done over a longer period of time, on a part-time basis.

whatever you want to call it, a placement year is essentially an extended internship that allows you to apply what you've learned on your degree to a real working environment. Your job role is usually related to your degree and tends to last between six and 12 months.

Don't worry about it

For most professions, placements are useful but not essential. Not landing one isn't necessarily a major setback. There are alternative ways of gaining experience, including internships, shadowing roles, and voluntary work.

Do I need to pay the student? Industry placements are about providing students with high quality, meaningful training, and work experience. Therefore, students are not entitled to a salary as the placement is forming part of a course of further education.

Under the PAP scheme, the student need not pay the fee until the student gets placed. So you can attend the course and there is no fee involved during the training period. You will begin paying from the time you get your first salary after you join an organization paying you 3 LPA or more.

Student Nurses currently do not get paid for the hours they do on placement. This has been an ongoing topic of debate for quite some time. However, this hasn't always been the case. Student Nurses were given a grant to help fund study and there were no university fees.

Does placement count as employment? ›

A work placement is a form of employment in which university students work full-time in an industry relevant to their field of study. Work placements usually last for 12 months and take place between the penultimate and final degree years, although in some industries shorter placements are the norm.

They could last from a few weeks, to a few months or a year (although yearlong placements are normally only done during study). Although most are carried out consecutively, some work experience placements can be done over a longer period of time, on a part-time basis.

The obvious difference is duration. Placement students work for a company for up to 12 months, whereas internships last anywhere between four weeks and four months. A placement year is a more extensive programme, and it's more of a commitment.

This means if you're doing a three-year degree, it'll stretch into four years – giving you three years of traditional study and an extra year working in industry. Placements normally run from July through to September of the next academic year. However, the length can vary anywhere between nine and thirteen months.

A work placement is a period of supervised work, where you'll have the opportunity to experience working in a specific role with a company. A common problem for school leavers and university graduates alike is that employers want to see work experience as well as relevant qualifications.

In most cases, if you fail a module you'll be given one or two further attempts to pass. If you fail a clinical placement it may depend on the circumstances which led you to fail, as to whether you can have a second or third attempt.

The programme is designed so that students can achieve the NMC requirements to complete 2300 hours of clinical learning by the end of their course. The standard working week whilst on a clinical placement is 37.5hours.

Student nurses normally work 37.5 hours a week when on placement. For many, this leaves no time to make any money from work, which can make it unaffordable for many people to undertake a nursing degree.

Can placement students work full-time? ›

You can work full time on a paid or unpaid placement for more than 20 hours per week if it is an integral and assessed part of your course. You must not be self-employed, or employed as a professional or semi-professional sportsperson, or an entertainer.