Consider hiring an INTRA student: Every year, over 800 students take part in DCU's work experience programme, “INTRA”. You could play your part by letting your colleagues know how beneficial it can be as part of your recruitment strategy. Some of these benefits are: direct access to a pool of highly skilled individuals available on an annual basis; opportunity to check out potential graduate hires; extra cover for new projects or staff on leave. Full details of how to get involved can be found at: www.DCU.ie/intra

Answers to questions:-

How much will it cost my company?

There is no cost involved in participation beyond the student's salary and any additional equipment or infrastructure you may need. Typical INTRA salaries range from €320 to €450 per week, depending on the industry.

How much time will I have to give?

Your INTRA student should be part of your regular cohort of staff within the organisation. We expect that you will provide the student with an induction into the company's modus operandi and any training that might be necessary to familiarise them with job or project specifics.

What about visa requirements and accommodation?

The student in conjunction with the University will organise any visa necessary to complete a work placement in your country. In the case of the USA , you will be required to provide a work or project plan for the student as part of their visa application. Sample work/project plans are available at www.ciee.org .

Sample Testimonials from students on INTRA :

"I feel my Intra placement at USC has been a worthwhile and enjoyable experience. It gave me a great opportunity to put sport science theories into practice and to build on them allowing me to move beyond what I have learned from text books and lecture notes. I believe this to be a valuable skill in any graduate."
Daphne Cogan, MMA Student, University Sports Club, DCU

"As an introduction to a modern industry and workplace practices this Intra placement was of exceptional value. The differences between knowledge gained from an academic setting and that learned on the job were stark but enlightening. Many small and simple, but invaluable, lessons learned consisted of merely understanding how the modern office environment worked."
E. Oakes, BME Student, Wyeth Medica Ireland

"The quality of work experience received from Xilinx was excellent. I was not sure what to expect from my work placement. When I started working I found my job role very daunting, as I did not expect to have such a high amount of responsibility. As time went by I became more familiar with my role and I was given more tasks to do. This meant that I had a lot of variety each day and also I got to learn a lot more this way.
E. Rayfus, BS Student, Xilinx Ireland

"As a student on work placement, I found that I was fully involved in meaningful and challenging day to day work carried out in the lab and was encouraged to participate in all team meetings and process development reviews. I felt the work carried out was beneficial to the department and this was strengthened by the fact that the changes were/will be made to relevant plant processes on site as a result of the work that I carried out."
C. Cummins , AS Student, Pfizer Ireland Pharmaceuticals

For further information contact Maeve Long, Business Liaison Executive at 353 (1) 7005515, email maeve.long@DCU.ie or view the intra website.