ATU’s MyCareerPath Champions Placement Readiness

“The best prepared students get placements.”

That is the clear message from Atlantic Technological University’s MyCareerPath (MCP) team, which has been actively supporting students and staff engaged in work placement programmes and Work-Based and Placement Learning (WBPL) initiatives across the University.

In recent months, MyCareerPath has delivered a comprehensive programme of supports designed to ensure students are placement-ready and equipped with the skills employers value most. Central to this effort are MCP’s key digital tools — Interview360, CV360, Career Edge, and the Employability Programme — which provide practical, structured guidance to help students enhance their career readiness.

Collaborative Engagement Across Campuses

Through a series of student and staff webinars, on-campus collaborations, focus groups, and engagement with external experts, stakeholders have been supported in preparing for high-quality placement experiences.

This engagement has included collaboration with ASET (The Work Based and Placement Learning Association), a leading authority in work-based and placement learning.

The most recent session with ASET, titled ‘Placements and Employability in the Curriculum’, explored how experiential learning and WBPL can be effectively embedded within academic programmes. The session focused on:

• Aligning WBPL opportunities with ATU’s strategic priorities and appropriate curriculum models
• Enhancing skill articulation through both traditional and competency-based assessment approaches
• Supporting staff in embedding broader WBPL opportunities across programmes
• Identifying published research, Good Practice Guides, and toolkits to inform curriculum development
• Developing templates for placement assessment (academic and work-based), shell modules, and learning pathways

This session built on discussions from the earlier “Placement & Work-Based Learning Project” workshop, which examined:

• The significance of WBPL for all stakeholders
• Examples of good practice in WBPL
• Current challenges and gaps in provision
• Preparation for implementing ATU placement activities

Strong Engagement and Impact

During the 2024/2025 academic year, more than 28,000 activities were completed on the MyCareerPath platform. In addition to supporting work placements, the ATU/MyCareerPath team has also delivered the Final Year Student Employability Programme and the Final Year Student Postgraduate Preparation Programme — further strengthening students’ progression pathways.

If you are seeking more information on work placement or work based project learning, contact the MyCareerPath team at mycareerpath@atu.ie

MyCareerPath is funded through the Higher Education 4.0 Project under the Human Capital Initiative (HCI) Pillar 3.