Hire our Students

What Is the EmployAbility Programme?

The Access UCC EmployAbility Team delivers a Career Mentoring & Summer Internship programme in conjunction with partner employers. Our partners include a number of employers, including large multinational companies in the pharmaceutical, technology, finance and other sectors, primarily in the Cork area.

The EmployAbility Programme has two primary aims:

• To equip students with a disability to progress from third-level education to the workplace
• To empower employers and managers to create disability-inclusive workplaces

This is an exclusive opportunity for Disability Support registered students at UCC.

Why Engage With the EmployAbility Programme?

• The EmployAbility team creates opportunities for Disability Support registered students at UCC to develop the skills that will empower them to successfully progress from education to the workplace. 
• The EmployAbility Team provides support to participating employers and recruited student throughout the programme.
• Training will be provided to employers around the recruitment, selection, and onboarding processes.
• Employers and students will be supported around the topic of disability disclosure, with a focus on any accommodations that might be required in the workplace. 
• Actively increase diversity in your workplace and tap into a diverse talent pool. 
• Learn more about the value of hiring persons with a disability through our programme.
• Broaden your recruiting relationships with University College Cork. 

Why Advance Diversity and Inclusion at Your Company?

• 13.5% of persons in Ireland have a disability* which is a significant percentage of the population, and of any company’s customer base.

• There is a strong business case for hiring a qualified person with a disability.

• Research shows that people with disabilities can contribute to a company's overall competitiveness through benefits such as higher levels of innovation, diversity of thought, lower absenteeism rates, increased productivity, greater market share & shareholder value, and lower job turnover rates.

• In Ireland, only 31% of working-age people with a disability are employed, with many of these being underemployed**

• Excluding people with disabilities can harm the economic performance of an organisation, and ultimately place a business at risk for losing customers to its competitors.

• It’s advantageous to develop a good understanding of disability and providing the relevant supports in the workplace, as 70% of people with a disability aged 20-64 acquired their disability after the age of 16***

• Our research indicates that students with a disability are not transitioning as successfully from third-level education to employment as the general student population.

* Census of Population (CSO, 2016)

** Employment Transitions among People with Disabilities in Ireland (Watson, D. et al., 2017)

*** Acquired Disabilities (Employers for Change, 2022)

How Can My Company or Organisation Get Involved?

We welcome participation from a range of organisation types across a variety of sectors and industries. We are particularly keen to explore employer partnerships that will increase opportunities for students in a variety of areas such as the, Business, Finance, Arts & Humanities, Marketing, Education, IT, Pharmaceuticals, FMCG, Charity/not-for-profit, Healthcare, Engineering & Manufacturing, Public Sector, Legal, and STEM.  If your company or organisation is not currently working with us, and you’d like to have a chat about becoming a participating employer, please complete our Expression of Interest form for employers.    

If you have any queries, please contact accessemployability@ucc.ie and we will get back to you. We would be happy to arrange a meeting to discuss how we can collaborate to create employability opportunities for Disability Support registered students.   

How Do I Hire a Graduate?

The EmployAbility Programme is primarily undertaken by current students. However, if you have a graduate opportunity that you would like to promote outside of the EmployAbility programme, please contact accessemployability@ucc.ie and we will get back to you. We would be happy to arrange a meeting to discuss how we can support you with your recruitment.  

How Can I Contact the Employability Programme?

Please contact accessemployability@ucc.ie with your query and we will get back to you within 1-2 working days during regular daytime office hours.

If you’d like to have a chat about becoming a participating employer, please complete our Expression of Interest form for employers.

Where Can Students Get More Information?

Our website has a section dedicated to students, including programme information and testimonials.