Ireland launches world-first degree level in recruitment practice

Irish recruiters have sensed for years that attracting new talents and upholding high levels of professionalism would be essential to enable future growth of the sector. To address the issue, they worked together through the National Recruitment Federation (NRF), Ireland’s national federation for the sector and member of the World Employment Confederation, to establish a degree level qualification in recruitment.

“A recognised degree qualification is hugely significant for standards within recruitment, for career development and for the confidence of clients in their recruiters,” says Geraldine King, CEO of the NRF. “The academic structure and the external recognition for the programme will really contribute to build a talent pipeline for the sector and to increase its professionalism. With all the impacts of the Covid-19 crisis on the world of work, there is an even greater need for highly professional recruiters who are aligned with the new needs of business.”

The Recruitment Executive Apprenticeship – BA (Hons) Degree in Recruitment Practice has been developed by the NRF in partnership with the National College of Ireland. The curriculum is accessible to school leavers, new recruits, or current employees. A full-time program organised over three years, it will cover topics such as recruitment practice, talent planning, ICT and sales skills, career management, fundamentals of employment law, customer relations and ethics. The different modules will be delivered trough a blend of on-campus classes, online tutorials and on the job practice at a recruitment agency.

 

The apprenticeship part is a key feature of the degree. Work-based learning assessments will account for up to 50% of the course assessment. Each apprentice will be assigned a dedicated mentor from one of the participating recruitment agencies.  “Experience on the ground is crucial. Recruitment is first and foremost about people. You can’t teach human interaction from a textbook,” explains King. “Apprenticeships have been an accelerator for both individual and corporate development in Ireland. It is an exciting way for company’s and sectors to develop their own talent. The content for the degree was developed based on research of the sectors need, honing in on the skillsets that are needed to develop the futures successful recruiters. The apprenticeship model will also enable the individual to embed in the culture of the company they work in. As we move into new uncertain and unknown territory having a degree that is fully government funded, while earning a good weekly wage is also very attractive.”

The degree was launched in August 2020 with Simon Harris, Irish Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, hailing the opportunities it brings in terms of new career path for school leavers, upskilling of current employees and career change for people not yet in recruitment. For its launch, the programme is already proven appealing, with 28 people registered and 12 on a waiting list for 30 available seats “We are very exciting to launch this new degree and we hope that its success will inspire similar initiatives in other countries across the world,” King concludes.