Datapac’s internship programme reached a milestone today with its 100th student recruited for work experience. The work placement programme has been in place for eight years, and has seen a number of students become full-time employees of the ICT solutions provider.
Datapac has invested €145,000 in its 2012 placement programme, and €1m has been invested in total since the programme began in 2004.
The programme recruits students from Ireland’s third-level institutions, such as Waterford IT, DCU, NUI Galway, UCC, and NUI Maynooth. This year, 13 students will work with the Datapac team to learn key skills for working in IT, and Gavin Downey, a multimedia student from Waterford IT, is the 100th student to be recruited to the programme.
“Datapac has been a great supporter of our students and it is fantastic to hear that it will be taking on board its 100th workplace student this year,” said Dr Thomas O’Toole, head of the School of Business at Waterford IT. “Work placement plays a vital role in third-level education as it gives the students access to the real business world, enabling them to apply their learning. It also gives them a strong base from which to enter the jobs market when they complete their studies.”
Over the years, Datapac has been impressed by the talent of some students in the programme, some of whom have become assets to the company, taking on full-time positions. “Many Irish students come straight out of college, into what is now a highly competitive job market, with no real work experience. The Datapac programme gave me the opportunity to apply all the theory I was studying and put it into practice,” said Shane Molloy, a network engineer with Datapac who previously completed the work placement programme.
“I have been working with Datapac for six years now and I am still grateful for the work placement programme, as it not only introduced me to my future employer but provided me with the rounded experience I needed to be a fully qualified IT professional,” he added.
“I wish to congratulate Datapac on its successful work placement programme, which offers students and graduates the opportunity to learn new and enterprising skills that will give them valuable experience to enter the workforce and secure long-term employment,” said the Minister for Social Protection, Joan Burton, TD, in wishing the interns well.
