University of Ulster students are being urged to think globally when it comes to bolstering their job prospects and securing permanent employment.

This is the key message to students and young people attending European Jobs Day at Magee today.

Organised by the University’s Career Development Centre and European Employment Services (EURES) Cross Border Partnership, the event highlights employment and study opportunities available across Europe.

Professor Deirdre Heenan, Provost of Magee and Pro Vice Chancellor, Communication, said: “The University of Ulster puts employability at the heart of the student experience. Employers are placing more emphasis on recruiting graduates who are equipped with key transferable employability skills.

“The internships, placements, and paid work experience available to students here today offer an unrivalled opportunity to improve CVs and enhance employability.”

Moira McCarthy, Career Development Manager at Magee, added: “This event has been organised to raise awareness of the wealth of opportunities available to University of Ulster students and graduates and to promote career opportunities to school pupils studying a second language.

“For example, some of the internships available include the Euro Graduate Programme which offers recent graduates from Northern Ireland 20-week work placements in Bordeaux, Seville, Berlin, Florence or Lisbon, the IBEC Export Orientation Programme provides a 12 month placement split between Ireland and abroad.

“International internship programmes are also on offer with top US firms recruiting graduates for the highly prestigious US-NI Mentorship Programme, Washington-Ireland and the Study USA programme, offering students life changing travel, learning, work and study opportunities to enhance their business acumen and leadership skills.

“There are hundreds of vacancies in New Zealand for Quantity Surveyors, Engineers, Architects and Project Managers and all trades, anyone in the local community can avail of the employment opportunities on offer.”

Ms McCarthy continued: “During the current economic climate it is more important than ever that graduates make the most of placements, internships, summer programmes and vacation work which will help bolster permanent job prospects in the future.

“For graduates who are willing to take up the challenge of working in a new country, with a view to returning to Northern Ireland with their expertise, the possibilities are endless.”

Joe Lavery, EURES Cross Border Partnership, said: “This is a great chance for all those in the north-west region to take advantage of the opportunities across the European Union and beyond. In these tough economic times any kind of opportunities are at a premium so hopefully as many as possible can avail of what is on offer at the European Job Day.”