The National Recruitment Federation (NRF) has created an honour’s degree in recruitment, which will be delivered by the National College of Ireland.
The qualification is validated by Quality and Qualifications Ireland and is a full-time, three-year course. It will be rolled out in the apprenticeship learning model, whereby the recruitment executive, whether a school-leaver, new recruit or current employee, is retained by a recruitment agency and learns on the job as well as attending college one day a week.
The degree course is government funded, with the recruitment agency paying an annual registration fee for each apprentice enrolled. The degree in recruitment course begins in September 2020.
Geraldine King, CEO of the NRF, said that establishing a recognised degree qualification is significant for standards within recruitment, as well as for career development and for the confidence of clients in their recruiters.
“The NRF wanted to instigate uniform standards across the industry and provide a qualification that will give holders a competitive edge, whether new to the industry or experienced recruiters wishing to validate and improve their knowledge,” King added.
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Entry is subject to interview and participating recruitment agencies must provide a dedicated mentor for each apprentice, as work-based learning assessments will account for up to 50% of the overall course assessment.
It is envisaged that the new qualification will combine online and traditional on-campus learning. However the Covid pandemic means that it will be conducted entirely online for the time being.
“This vocational degree will give candidates the knowledge and practical skills to succeed in recruitment and develop their career, whether starting out, progressing to management or considering a career change,” said Dr Colette Darcy, dean of the school of business at NCI in Dublin.
Photo: Geraldine King with Simon Harris, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. (Pic: Picture It Photography)
