Ulster University Business School has recognised the exceptional achievements of its placement students at the inaugural video competition awards ceremony, celebrating the diverse experiences and professional growth of its students.
The ‘A Day in the Life of My Placement’ competition was held to showcase the outstanding contributions of Ulster University Business School (UUBS) students who have successfully completed professional placements over the past year, across Northern Ireland and beyond.
This innovative competition marked a new chapter in recognising student achievement, moving beyond traditional written submissions to embrace dynamic, personal storytelling through video.
During the awards ceremony, hosted by Robert McKenna, Associate Head of Department, Department of Hospitality Tourism and Event Management, all participants were celebrated for their creativity, professionalism and the significant impact they made within their placement organisations across various business sectors.
At the event, Pro Vice Chancellor and Executive Dean of Ulster University Business School, Professor Gillian Armstrong commented:
“Professional placement at Ulster University continues to provide an exceptional opportunity for employers to access talent early and be part of a highly relevant and rich learning experience. Placement Students provide a fresh perspective and can help contribute to new ways of doing things through their knowledge, skills and that much needed entrepreneurial mindset. Congratulations to our award-winning placement students and a sincere thanks to all the placement providers who help make the Ulster University Placement Experience so incredibly valuable.”
Celebrating Industry Partners
Among the esteemed organisations supporting this year's placements were Down Royal Racecourse, Keystone Group, Coworth Park Hotel, Frylite Solutions, BDO, Invest Northern Ireland, Hendersons, Crowne Plaza, Safehouse Café Bar, Wood Innovations, Irwin M&E, MJM Marine, Allen & Overy, Colin Glen Forest Park, PwC, EOS IT Solutions, Errigal Contracts, Colloide, and Ernst & Young LLP.
Competition Innovation
Before the awards presentation, organisers highlighted the significance of re-launching the "A Day in the Life of My Placement" video competition. This initiative was designed with a clear purpose - to recognise and celebrate students who have successfully secured and completed professional placements, while strengthening connections between the University, students and the wider placement provider network.
The competition officially opened in early December, inviting all students registered on the Diploma in Professional Practice, including those undertaking international placements. For the first time, students were challenged to move beyond written submissions and tell their stories on camera, in their own words and through their own lens.
Students were encouraged to reflect creatively, crafting dynamic videos that highlighted the everyday realities of their roles, workplaces, teams, challenges, and personal growth experienced throughout their placements.
Award Winners
1st Prize Winner - £500 and Trophy:
Emma Peeples (BSc Hons Business Studies with Options)
Placement Role: Bid & Business Development Student with Colloide, Cookstown
2nd Prize - £300:
Fionn Forbes (BSc Hons Int Travel & Tourism)
Placement Role: Conference & Event Co-Ordinator with Crowne Plaza, Belfast
3rd Prize - £200:
Sophie Meeke (BSc Hons Business Studies)
Placement Role: Finance & Business Executive with Errigal Contracts, Monaghan.
Exceptional Participation
This year's awards witnessed unprecedented engagement from students, marked not only by the quality and creativity of submissions, but also by the depth of content that exceeded all expectations, making selection challenging for the judging panel.
In light of this, two new tiers of recognition were introduced: Commended and Highly Commended. These distinctions honour those individuals and teams whose submissions stood out for their originality, impact, and quality, even if they were not selected as overall winners.
Highly Commended
- Humail Dawood (BSc Hons Accounting & Law): BDO, Belfast
- Conor Fox (BSc Hons Int. Travel & Tourism): Safehouse Café Bar, Portrush
- Matthew Gregg (BSc Hons Finance & Investment Mgt): Irwin M&E, Craigavon
- Kalliope Christofi (BSc Hons Culinary Arts Mgt): Coworth Park Hotel, England
- Fred Mackinnon (BSc Hons Human Resource Mgt): Allen & Overy, Belfast
- Niamh Foy (BSc Hons Business Stds): Wood Innovations, Newry
- Jane McGinley (BSc Hons Business Stds): PwC
- Caoimhe Crawford (BSc Hons Business Stds): Frylite Solutions, Strabane
Commended
- Niall Loye (BSc Hons Business Economics): MJM Marine, Newry
- Aimee Weathers (BSc Hons Accounting & Law): Ernst & Young, Belfast
- Blathnaid Doherty (BSc Hons Marketing): O’Neills, Strabane
- Kyle Henderson (BSc Hons Marketing): O’Neills, Strabane
- Caoimhe Lawlor ((BSc Hons Business Stds with Options): Ulster University, Belfast
- Julia Babiarz (BSc Hons Accounting with Specialisms): Keystone Group, Cookstown
- Hannah Ritchie (BSc Hons Consumer Management & Food Innovation): Toma Café, Madrid
- Jodie Elliott (BSc Hons Consumer Management & Food Innovation): Hendersons, Newtownabbey
- Jonathan Elder (BSc Hons Business Studies): Invest, NI, Belfast
- Katie McCaw (BSc Hons Marketing): Colin Glen Forest Park, Belfast
- Ella McIntyre (BSc Hons Business Studies): EOS IT Solutions, Banbridge
- Katie McKeever (BSc Hons Management): First Derivatives, Newry
- Vicki Aiken (BSc Hons Marketing): Down Royal Racecourse, Lisburn
- Aoibhinn McCaffrey (BSc Hons Marketing): Kate McCaffrey Group, California
The competition continues to strengthen the vital connection between academic learning and professional practice, showcasing how Ulster University Business School students are making meaningful contributions to organisations across diverse sectors while developing the skills and experience that will shape their future careers.
The organisers Mrs Karen Beattie and Dr Lynne Tinkler would like to extend special thanks to Carl Gingle, Final Year Product Design student, who created the distinctive winning trophy for this year’s competition.
Thanks also to the Executive Dean’s Office, UUBS Placement Admin Team, Academy Restaurant staff, videographer Michael Morrissey, and photographers David Pettigrew and Dorisa Walaszek.
Interested in offering a placement opportunity?
At Ulster University, we are committed to developing work-ready graduates and focused on offering our students access to valuable and impactful work experience opportunities at varying start dates.
Attracting and retaining the very best talent is important for any ambitious company and there are many ways Ulster students can add value to your business.
Join Handshake (opens in new window) to advertise your internship and placement opportunities. You can email us for any other recruitment queries.
Photo captions:
Top photo:
First Place UUBS Placement Success Award (from left to right) - Professor Gillian Armstrong, Pro Vice Chancellor and Executive Dean of Ulster University Business School, Emma Peeples UUBS Placement Student, Susan Reid, Marketing & Communications Manager, Colloide and Stacey Drennan, Business Development Director, Colloide.
Collage - photo caption
(From top, left to right):
- Professor Gillian Armstrong, Pro Vice Chancellor and Executive Dean of Ulster University Business School, Fionn Forbes, UUBS Placement Student, Lisa Ferguson and Anneka Allen of Crowne Plaza Belfast
- Professor Gillian Armstrong, Pro Vice Chancellor and Executive Dean of Ulster University Business School, Sophie Meeke, Martina Corrigan and Sinead Cassidy of Errigal, Monaghan
- Group photo of Highly Commended students with Professor Danielle McWall, Associate Dean for Partnership and Student Recruitment
- Group photo of Commended students with Professor Heather Farley Associate Dean (Academic Quality & Student Experience).
