INTRA Employer Guidelines & Obligations

1. Introduction  

Since its foundation, Dublin City University (DCU) has been committed to forging strong links with industry and external organisations for the benefit of our students and the development of our teaching and research output. The “INTRA” (INtegrated TRAining) Work Placement programme is one important mechanism by which DCU develops and maintains these partnerships.

1.1 Reasons for hiring a DCU INTRA Student

The INTRA Work Placement program is an accredited and highly valued part of student learning at DCU.  Students who have been through the INTRA program become a source of high quality talent, equipped with the work experience and essential skills to excel in today’s dynamic and globalized workplace. 

We hope you will participate in INTRA to the benefit of your organisation and the development of the next generation of enterprising DCU graduates.

The INTRA team runs a fast, efficient and free recruitment service for employers.  Students are prepared specifically for their work placement through CV preparation advice, interview skills training, work-readiness and one to one support.

Your involvement can help to: 

• Identify future potential talent 
• Produce a talent pipeline with relevant skills 
• Raise awareness of your company on campus 
• Forge links between your company and the academic community in DCU to mutual benefit 

Following the work placement, employers and students are encouraged to maintain links through fourth year project collaboration or campus ambassador opportunities. 

For the full listing of degree programmes at DCU which have an INTRA work placement, please refer to the INTRA Timeline.

1.2 Neurodiverse Students and Students with a Disability

At DCU, we celebrate the diverse talent that exists in our student population. Why not consider reserving an INTRA placement for a neurodivergent student or student with a disability? This will enable you to draw from the widest pool of talent possible. A diverse workforce shows commitment to equality and diversity and can boost morale, improve work output and retention. Through inclusive thinking and small changes/accommodations we can make a positive impact on individuals and society overall.

Examples of accommodations include:

1. Providing company information in appropriate formats
2. Captioning virtual meetings
3. Assistive technology, e.g. Grammarly Premium
4. Accessible facilities
5. Adjustable height desks
6. Hands-free phone sets
7. Quieter office space available
8. Flexible working hours

Please contact an INTRA Co-ordinator if you would like (see Contact Us) to discuss further.

1.3 Employer Support 

The INTRA team (see Contact Us for details) is available to provide assistance to employers with all aspects of the INTRA programme. 

2.  INTRA Recruitment Phases

→→→→ Advertise →→→→→ Interview →→→→→ Hire

2.1 Advertise 

To benefit from the largest selection of students it is advisable to email us with your work placement vacancy description(s) as early as possible during the academic year, which starts in September.  We continue to advertise work placement vacancies throughout the year starting in September and running through to the program cut-off just after the official work placement start date (see DCU INTRA Timelines document). Please note, vacancies are advertised on a first-come, first-served basis.  

To discuss your specific requirements, please contact an INTRA Coordinator (INTRA Team list below).  Following this discussion, you will be invited to email a job specification for each available vacancy.

The job specification should ideally include: 

• Company name and address 
• Short paragraph about the company 
• Remote/hybrid/on site location
• Number of students required 
• Degree programme(s) of interest (please refer to the timeline document [link] for start dates and durations) 
• Job title
• Brief job description including skills desired or required 
• Salary (minimum wage or higher expected)
• Start date and duration (please align with DCU INTRA Timelines)

We will advertise your vacancy(ies) on our website to relevant class groups and invite students to apply. After a few days, we will forward CVs to you for consideration.   

2.2 Interview 

We advise that you select candidates for interview as soon as possible after receiving CVs to ensure as many students as possible on your list are still available. When you have made your selection, please contact the INTRA office to confirm the interview schedule.  Your interview schedule(s) must be emailed to the INTRA office for confirmation, thereby avoiding clashes with mandatory attendance lectures or exams.  We recommend that all interviews take place online where feasible.  

2.3 Hire 

INTRA students attend many interviews throughout the academic year and job offers are made on a daily basis. Students are hired by the first employer to notify the INTRA office of the job offer.  Students are obliged to accept their first offer.   Therefore it is advisable to contact us as soon as possible after the interview with the name(s) of your chosen candidate(s).

We also advise that you have a reserve list of candidates in the event that your first preference candidate(s) has/have been hired by another employer or is/are no longer available.

In the interests of clarity, it is important to communicate with the INTRA team, rather than directly with students throughout the process.

Exams/Interview-free Periods

DCU runs three sets of exams during the year as follows:

Semester 1 exams : Middle to end of December

Semester 2 exams : Last week in April to mid May 

Autumn exams :  First 2 weeks in August

Interviews are suspended during the exam periods, and we thank you for your cooperation. 

3. Post Recruitment Information

3.1 Contract & Induction 

We advise that you issue a written fixed-term contract to be signed by each INTRA student.   At the start of the placement, it is advisable to provide a workplace induction and Health and Safety briefing to each student and to assign a supervisor or mentor. 

3.2 Placement Form

We will email you a short form to be completed for each student hired giving details of the placement (start and finish dates, supervisor name etc.)

3.3 Remuneration 

We ask that you pay each student at least National Minimum Wage.  Please refer to the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) guidelines on remuneration for further information.

3.4 Insurance

INTRA Students are covered under DCU’s Public Liability Policy for claims relating to the University's negligence, details of which are available on request. We ask that the employer also maintains public liability and employer’s liability insurance (or the equivalent in non-Irish jurisdictions) which provides cover for each INTRA student in their care and which indemnifies DCU whilst the student is under the employer’s supervision. Upon request, the employer shall provide evidence of such insurance cover. The company should immediately inform the INTRA Office of any accident or incident involving an INTRA student.

3.5 Intellectual Property 

In relation to intellectual property it is advisable for the employer to draw up an Intellectual Property Agreement and/or Non-Disclosure Agreement to be signed by the INTRA student prior to the commencement of the placement. Please note that University staff cannot be held responsible for signing such documents.

3.6 Non-EEA Students/Work Permits

Under Irish Law, work permits are not required for INTRA work placement students from outside the EEA, because INTRA is a mandatory accredited module and is part of the degree program.  According to this legislation, students are permitted to work on a full time basis for the duration of the placement.  For further information please refer to the Irish National Immigration Service [INIS] guidelines for further information.

  4. INTRA Student Assessment

Students are awarded academic credits for the INTRA module. There are three assessment elements as described below. Students must successfully complete all three elements in order to complete the INTRA module:

4.1 Academic Tutor Visit 

An academic tutor will arrange to visit the student and their supervisor during the work placement in order to assess the student’s progress and the quality of the work placement. The tutor will submit a report to the INTRA office on the outcome of the visit.

4.2 INTRA Student Report 

Students are required to produce a report on their placement experience which is assessed by their INTRA Tutor in accordance with specific guidelines. We ask students to submit the report to their employer for review before it is submitted to the INTRA office.

4.3 Employer Evaluation 

Towards the end of the work placement, you will receive a link to a short online evaluation for each INTRA student placed with your company. We would be very grateful if you could take a few minutes to complete this survey.

    5. Employer Obligations

By hiring an INTRA Student, you are agreeing to the following terms and conditions: 

1. The Employer will nominate a named employee for each INTRA Student who will be responsible for their supervision and for providing advice, guidance support and feedback. 
2. The Employer will be responsible for providing relevant work experience, as outlined in the job specification. 
3. The Employer is asked to provide each INTRA Student with a contract of employment or letter of offer in addition to copies of all relevant company/organisation policies, procedures and agreements. 
4. The Employer will ensure to maintain the health, safety, and welfare of each INTRA Student at all times during the work placement. In compliance with the Health Safety and Welfare at Work Act 2005 (or the equivalent legislation in a non-Irish jurisdiction), the employer is asked to provide all necessary health safety and risk training/instruction.
5. The Employer will provide all necessary equipment for each INTRA Student to complete their job successfully.
6. In the event that an INTRA Student breaches, or is alleged to have breached any employer disciplinary code or procedure, or is otherwise alleged to have been engaged in misconduct of any kind, this shall be promptly brought to the attention of the INTRA Office by the employer. 
7. In the event of any breach of discipline, the employer has the right to terminate the work placement after conducting an investigation in conjunction with the INTRA team. 
8. If a placement is terminated following investigation by the employer and the INTRA team, the student can be deemed to have failed the INTRA module.

How to find us

If coming by car, please enter the DCU campus via the Collins Avenue entrance, follow the road around to the right and park in the multi storey car park on the right hand side. Proceed to DCU Reception (opposite the car park), ask for the INTRA office, and a member of the team will collect you. We are based on the ground floor of the Henry Grattan Building (beside The Helix).

Administrative Team

INTRA Team

DCU Placement

Henry Grattan Building [CAG101]

Dublin City University

Glasnevin

Dublin 9 [D09 Y5N0]

Ireland

Reception: +353 (01) 700 5422

Web: www.dcu.ie/intra 

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dcu-intra-office