id+ futures Business Partner Showcase

10 Dec 2025

The 10^th December was the International Day of Human Rights and the id+ futures team marked the day with an inspiring and energising  Business Partner Showcase in the iconic Aula Maxima in University College Cork. Article 27 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is the right to work and id+ futures initiative takes a rights-based approach to education and work.

Professor Stephen Byrne opened the showcase and spoke about the distance UCC has travelled in the last 180 years. He spoke about the recently launched Accenture’s Women on Walls at UCC, a partnership that celebrates visibility and belonging, which features landmark portraits of Munster women who have shaped our society with courage, conviction and a vision for a more inclusive and just world. Yesterday’s event was also about building partnerships that will raise visibility and belonging, to create more inclusive workplaces, communities and societies.

Claire McCarthy, an id+ futures graduate, who now works as a researcher on the project, was MC for the day and did a stellar job. Carol Veiga, id+ futures Work Placement and Employment Pathways Coordinator, provided an overview of the two id+ futures certificate programmes and outlined the details of the 12-week placements and the supports provided both to the students and business partners, prior to and during the placement.

Fergal Harte, Group General Manager of the Fota Island Collection delivered an inspiring keynote address and spoke about the role of inclusive employment in building better workplaces, teams, and stronger communities
We were delighted to have graduates Alex Moloney, Melissa Collins and William O'Donovan share their placement experiences in the UCC Library, the Bons Secours Hospital, the Mardyke Arena UCC and Bus Éireann. Expertly chaired by Dr Nicola Maxwell, the students outlined the preparation and support received from the id+ futures team, the importance of being seen as a person, the depth of connection with their mentors, and their exciting career development and plans since graduating.

We were also honoured to host an employer panel. Dr Linda Murphy-Patten chatted with business partners: Daiva Cummins (Bon Secours), Tracey Feehan (Mardyke Arena UCC) and Kieran Devlin (Arcadis), who talked about the benefits, how the work needed to be meaningful and advised prospective partners to start small and build up the role incrementally.

We were thrilled to have Edel McSorley who chatted with Claire about hiring for strengths and Mr Price Branded Bargains' inclusive employment practices, including their Reasonable Accommodation Passport and Margarita Club inspired by the hashtag #AssumeThatICan campaign (WDSD 2024).