Since it was established in 2019, ATTW has delivered 483 internships across more than 100 partner companies, raising €6.3 million in philanthropic funds. This transformative professional summer internship initiative is aimed at addressing workplace inequality for underrepresented students. It primarily serves DCU Access students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds and neurodivergent students, providing fully paid, high-quality internships with leading Irish companies.
Report authors Dr Aideen Cassidy and Dr Anne Rowan with DCU Access graduate Mark Hatton, Head of Access Cathy McLoughlin and Fiona Hudson.
Speaking about the report and its findings, Fiona Hudson, Programme Development Lead at ATTW said
“Equal access into higher education does not necessarily lead to equal career outcomes for certain groups in society.
Our aim is to bridge that gap for students who might find it challenging to get into the workplace due to their limited connections or social capital – and this report shows that we’re successfully doing that, while also supporting employers to access diverse, young talent.”
Commenting on the research, President of DCU Prof Dáire Keogh said:
“This study clearly illustrates the positive impact that this highly innovative DCU programme is delivering. Access to the Workplace increases opportunities and employability for underrepresented students, while introducing employers to diverse and enthusiastic new talent, making it a win-win proposition for all.”
Programme participants Eve Meehan, Anthony Dula, Alketa Hotaj, Ann Clarkin, Senior HR Manager at West Pharmaceutical Services and Stephen McCabe, CEO of Jones Engineering at the launch of the report.
