The DCU Careers Service in conjunction with the Faculty of Engineering and Computing launches the inaugural Engineering & Computing Recruitment Fair

The DCU Careers Service in conjunction with the Faculty of Engineering and Computing launched the inaugural Engineering & Computing Recruitment Fair on Wednesday 22nd February 2017. The foyer of the iconic Stokes Building was filled with representatives from a host of companies, including Amazon, ESB, KerryGroup and Workday, seeking DCU talent to fill a broad range of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) roles in the areas of electronic, computer, and mechatronic engineering. Over 300 students attended and the event was a resounding success.

The ever-changing national and international landscape presents us with both challenges and opportunities in realising the ambitious goals we set ourselves at the start of each year in preparing our students to make a real impact in society. In this regard, the Fair followed from the introduction of our hugely popular “Careers Seminar Series”, where a range of employers were invited to present their employment / placement opportunities to students. These seminars now form a weekly part of the new curriculum for our final year students. With the upswing in the economy and the ongoing ‘War for Talent’, there are not enough weeks in the year to accommodate all of the employers who wish to engage with our programmes. This pilot Fair was in response to the overwhelming demand and afforded a much larger number of employers and students the opportunity to engage.

Feedback from employers and students was very positive, particularly regarding the mutual benefits, timing, organisation and location of the event. Comments were made on how ‘clued in’ the students were and it was interesting to see such a positive response from our savvy second year students who (rightly) spotted the opportunity to engage with employers and plan ahead for their INTRA placements in third year. Employers were also delighted to speak with INTRA colleagues and valued the opportunity to have a conversation with academics in relation to labour market trends, skills shortages and the recruitment process itself.

Though this was a ‘pilot’, the all-around success ensures that it will become an annual fixture.