Ulster University has worked with recruitment company Hays to give 42 first-year human resource management students direct access to working recruitment specialists as part of their degree. Nine Hays professionals participated in the mentoring programme, which was built into the students’ Employability and HR Profession module rather than offered as an optional extracurricular activity.
The partnership involved Ulster University Business School, the UU Connects alumni team and Hays. Several of the mentors are university alumni, providing a connection between the undergraduate course and the early stages of a career in recruitment or human resources. The programme was designed to give students experience of professional conversations, hiring practice and workplace expectations before they begin placement applications.
Sessions covered networking, goal setting, professional profiles, LinkedIn, inclusive recruitment and changes in the employment market. Hays consultants used examples from their work with employers to explain the skills and behaviours that recruiters consider when assessing candidates. Students also visited the company’s Belfast offices to meet staff and see how a recruitment business operates.
By placing the sessions in a taught module, the university gave the participating cohort a more consistent route to mentoring than schemes that require students to seek individual contacts outside their studies. That approach is relevant to students who are the first in their families to attend university or whose personal networks include few people working in professional services. Participation in the module gave every student in the group access to the activities.
The mentoring included practical exercises alongside discussions of careers. One student described a CV-shortlisting activity that helped her understand how applicants are assessed and increased her confidence in her own capabilities. She also valued the ability to approach several mentors rather than relying on one named contact. Such opportunities are particularly useful ahead of a placement year, when students will need to present their skills to prospective employers.
Hays recruitment specialists contributed current information on application processes, the labour market and the expectations of hiring managers. For students studying HR, the sessions also connected academic subjects such as ethical recruitment and inclusion to situations that recruiters face when advising companies or selecting applicants. The programme combined that occupational perspective with general career preparation, rather than focusing only on writing CVs.
Matthew McArthur, a university alumnus and specialist HR talent partner at Hays, shared his career experience with participants. The programme also drew on the broader alumni network to show students different routes into employment and how professional relationships can develop after graduation. The organisers say mentors observed students becoming more confident when speaking to professionals and discussing their career plans.
Amy Black, alumni engagement co-ordinator at Ulster University, said: “National Mentoring Day provides an opportunity to recognise the transformational impact mentoring can have on students. This programme demonstrates what can be achieved when alumni, employers and universities work together to support future talent.”
Organisers say participants improved their understanding of recruitment and the skills employers seek. The university has not disclosed a separate comparison of employment outcomes or placement success rates against students outside the programme. The results reported so far concern participation, professional exposure and feedback from students and mentors, alongside the structured activity delivered within the module.
The partnership was shortlisted in the Community category of the 2026 AIB Business Eye Awards. The university and Hays are using the collaboration to strengthen links between higher education and employers in Northern Ireland, particularly around student confidence, access to networks and preparation for the labour market. The completed programme involved 42 students and nine working recruiters, with further benefit depending on the contacts and skills they take into subsequent placements and careers.
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