Work with Irish universities to recruit future-ready talent, upskill your workforce, and build long-term partnerships that support innovation and growth.
Irish universities collaborate closely with employers across all sectors to ensure graduates and learning programmes meet real-world skills needs.
What we offer employers:
Graduate Recruitment
Workforce Development
Research & Innovation
Graduate Formation & Recruitment
How we support employers
Curriculum shaped by industry
We collaborate with employers to co-design and deliver programmes that reflect evolving sector needs – ensuring graduates develop the skills and competencies businesses value most.
Future-ready skills: human + AI
AI literacy, data fluency, and responsible AI use are embedded across disciplines, so graduates enter the workforce equipped to work effectively alongside technology.
Work placements & internships
Bring motivated students into your organisation through structured placements and internships—adding fresh perspectives while supporting early talent identification.
Real-world, work-based projects
Students work on live business challenges, delivering practical insights for your organisation while building industry-specific skills.
Apprenticeships & work-integrated learning
Flexible pathways that blend academic learning with structured, on-the-job experience, supporting talent development.
Guest lectures & industry engagement
Showcase your expertise through guest talks and lectures, raise brand awareness, and engage with future talent early in their studies..
Entrepreneurship & innovation support
Helping students and graduates bring new ventures to life, often in collaboration with industry mentors – supporting innovation and new ideas.
International talent attraction
Access a diverse pool of international students and graduates, bringing global perspectives, multilingual skills, and diverse problem-solving approaches.
Site visits & workplace exposure
Give students first-hand insight into your organisation and sector, strengthening engagement and career awareness.
Workforce Development
Our universities play a critical role in supporting Ireland’s workforce to adapt, grow, and stay competitive. We work with employers of all sizes to design flexible, targeted learning opportunities that meet real skills needs.
Flexible learning offers include:
Microcreds
Microcreds (micro-credentials) are short, flexible courses, accredited by Irish Universities. Allow employees to upskill quickly – ideal for SMEs and fast-changing sectors. Visit – www.microcreds.ie
Springboard+
A national upskilling initiative that provides free or subsidised certificates, degrees, and master’s programmes in areas of high demand. Visit – www.springboardcourses.ie
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
Employees can use on-the-job learning, in-house training, and professional experience to, for example, gain entry to a programme, or receive exemptions or credit. RPL saves time and money and accelerates progression toward qualifications. Visit – www.priorlearning.ie
Research & Innovation
Our universities are central to innovation, helping companies develop new products, processes, and technologies through collaborative research and access to world-class expertise.
How we drive innovation with enterprise:
Contract & collaborative research
Companies can commission targeted research or engage in joint projects that combine academic expertise with industry insight.
Access to specialised facilities & equipment
Work with advanced laboratories, testing facilities, and technical infrastructure, resources that are often inaccessible to individual businesses.
Incubation & enterprise centres
Campus-based hubs support start-ups and spin-outs with mentoring, workspace, technical support, and access to investor networks.
From research to market
Technology transfer offices help companies licence university-developed intellectual property, form partnerships with research teams, and accelerate innovation to market.
Connect with us...
Each university has a dedicated employers section in their Careers Department:
Dublin City University
Maynooth University
Trinity College Dublin
University College Cork
University College Dublin
University of Galway
University of Limerick
Ireland’s Graduate Talent Pipeline: 2025 Snapshot
On November 27th 2025 the HEA (Higher Education Authority) published the ‘Graduate Outcomes Survey 2025’ – an important national benchmark for graduate pathways, employment, and progression.
This year’s results reflect the strength, ambition and impact of university graduates across Ireland, with IUA universities continuing to play a leading role in developing highly skilled talent for society and the economy.
Our IUA Strategy Commitment to Talent and Skills...
We work to achieve changes to national higher education policy, practice and funding regimes that will enable our member universities to continue to provide the highest standards of education to students at graduate and post‑graduate level. Fostering a world‑class student experience is a core objective.
The IUA will:
- Facilitate our members’ response to the high‑skills talent needs of the country through ongoing advocacy and engagement with public and private stakeholders across government, semi‑State and enterprise.
- Contribute to the development and implementation of national talent development and skills policies through participation in the National Skills Council and other key fora.
- Lead the sector’s response to the growing need for more flexible lifelong learning programmes including the enhanced use of digital opportunities, supported by adapted public funding mechanisms.
- Deliver the MicroCreds.ie platform, the first of its kind in Europe, to provide a comprehensive offering of university‑accredited micro‑credentials programmes.
- Support the development and enhancement of the skilled talent pool in our universities which is critical to delivering a quality student experience.
- Support the expansion of the apprenticeship model including executive or graduate apprenticeship programmes.