EDUCATION:THE UNIVERSITY of Ulster is funding an innovative training scheme in a bid to make its graduates more attractive to potential employers.
It has developed a £500,000 programme of support to help its 2009 graduates compete more effectively for jobs.
Called 'Upgrade' and designed exclusively for final year undergraduates, it offers two options. The first is the graduate diploma in information systems, which is a new full-time conversion course aimed at non-IT graduates.
Some 60 fully-funded places will be available at the University's Jordanstown and Magee campuses. The one-year diploma will incorporate a placement, which can be undertaken at the university or with a local employer and will include a £5,000 bursary in addition to the fee waiver.
The university will also be offering 25 flexible five-month internships which will give graduates the opportunity to work at one of Ulster's four campuses.
Interns will also enrol on a part-time postgraduate programme of their choice, the first year of which will be funded by the university.
Launching Upgrade, vice-chancellor Professor Richard Barnett said: "We are increasingly aware of the challenges our graduates face in seeking employment in the current economic downturn.
"As an institution that prides itself on producing high calibre, employer-ready graduates, the Upgrade initiative further underlines our commitment to supporting our students and the local economy.
Professor Barnett said the scheme balances work-based learning with study.
"Keeping the best of our home-grown talent in Northern Ireland and up-skilling the current workforce will also create a welcome boost to the local economy."
