UCC offers arts students chance to boost CVs
The UCC Students Union has driven the initiative to give more balance to the CVs of humanities students. Because their degrees are mostly of three years, they do not get the same chance to partake in work experience programmes that form an official part of degrees such as engineering, medicine, or social sciences.
Some of the 160 internships already available have been filled, but up to 500 are expected to be on offer during the current year.
Like all public services, UCC suffer from staffing shortages across many departments due to recruitment and promotion restrictions. But the college says the internship programme will not deprive students of the chance of paid work in the library or other services on campus.
Instead, it is seen as a chance for undergraduates to expand their CVs and overcome the challenge of matching arts students to relevant work experience. This can arise because they tend to study very broad subjects, unlike other degrees where courses are focused on specific careers.
“The UCC Works programme will also provide the opportunity for students to become involved in the community on campus, and this will benefit their career as well as student experience,” said Seamus McEvoy, head of the university’s career service, which is supporting the initiative.
Among the areas with most places are UCC Campus Radio, the Glucksman Gallery, the Granary Theatre, college chaplaincy, the UCC student union, and student publications Motley and UCC Express.
Some will have a chance for at least 20 interns during the year, with positions open to students from first year through to the final year of their degrees.
College authorities also see it as giving humanities students a better balance of practical experience with their academic qualifications before they graduate, given the importance of employability skills in the tight jobs market.
