Northern Ireland

For Graduates

Have a degree?

Struggling to find a job?

Want work experience?

Fancy studying as you go?

If you’ve answered YES, the Graduate Acceleration Programme (GAP) is for you.

GAP is a new work placement programme, lasting up to 26 weeks, designed to improve your employability skills and to help accelerate your job prospects.

As well as the opportunity to gain up to six months of meaningful work experience with some of Northern Ireland’s top employers, it also provides the chance to study for a qualification at no cost to you. This study element has been specially designed for GAP by Queen’s University Belfast and the University of Ulster.

In a typical gap year, you would experience new cultures, develop new skills, and maybe get a tan. With a shortened GAP year in NI, you will experience new workplace cultures, develop employability skills, and avoid getting sunburnt!

For more information, please see the questions below or refer to the Document Download ‘Your Questions Answered’ or refer to the questions below:

How does it work?

You can either contact the GAP Team on graduates@gapni.com or call (028) 9046 0606 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (028) 9046 0606 end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Alternatively, you can talk to a Personal Advisor in your local JobCentre or Jobs and Benefits Office to determine eligibility and to make the necessary referral arrangements.
Once you have been referred through your local JobCentre or Jobs and Benefits Office onto GAP, you will then meet with a member of the GAP Team to learn about the current placement opportunities that are available
You will select your preferred placement opportunity or opportunities and will then apply by whatever means specified by the placement provider
Once you have secured a placement opportunity, you must contact the GAP Team who will provide you with details about registering for the vocational qualification within GAP
You will register for Queen’s University Belfast’s Graduate Certificate in Organisation and Management or University of Ulster’s Graduate Certificate in Professional Practice
You will start your work placement and will decide with your placement mentor the days and hours you will attend (you must complete a minimum of 30 hours per week on a placement, inclusive of allocated course time and excluding meal breaks)
You will be required to complete an attendance record daily; you must also show evidence of job search activity, which will be reviewed every four weeks

Your Questions Answered:

What is GAP?
Why was GAP developed?
Who can apply?
What are the benefits?
Will I get any payments or benefits on GAP?
What types of placements are available?
What is the qualification?
What happens if I get offered a job while I am on the programme?
What happens if I leave the programme early for any reason?
How will this help to become more employable than I am presently?
Will I have to pay for the qualification?
What are my responsibilities?
How is this different from other graduate programmes?
What if I am already collecting benefits?

What is GAP?

GAP stands for the Graduate Acceleration Programme, launched in January 2010, with the objective to help Northern Ireland graduates gain up to six months of valuable work experience while obtaining a qualification that will help boost their employability skills and improve their career prospects.

Why was GAP developed?

Across the UK, graduate vacancies have taken a turn for the worst and thousands of graduates are struggling to find employment. In response, Queen's University Belfast and the University of Ulster have worked with Business in the Community to create a programme to help graduates improve their employability.

The work placement opportunities and qualifications are purposely tailored to help GAP graduates improve on key skills such as project management, communication, leadership, teamwork, and self-awareness.

GAP is supported by the Department for Employment and Learning under the Steps to Work programme.

Who can apply?

We ask that you are hard-working, enthusiastic and committed to making GAP a meaningful experience. In addition:

you must have a full degree award
you must meet Steps-to-Work eligibility conditions

What are the benefits?

Get up to 26 weeks of valuable work experience, boost your CV and get your foot in the door
Study for a Graduate Certificate, developed especially for GAP, at either Queen’s University Belfast or the University of Ulster at no cost to you
You will receive your current benefit plus an additional training bonus/top-up of £15.38 per week

Will I get any payments or benefits on GAP?

You will receive your current rate of benefit plus an additional training bonus/top-up of £15.38 per week. You may also be eligible to get housing benefit and assistance towards childcare costs.

As well as receiving benefits, the graduate certificate, usually costing £1170, will be available at no cost to you.

Finally, work related travel costs will be reimbursed by your placement provider. You must pay the first £4 towards your home-to-work travel expenses per week. The additional balance will be paid by Business in the Community.

What types of placements are available?

There are lots of exciting placements across the private, public and voluntary sectors, in various industries, throughout Northern Ireland. We’ll try to help
you find a placement that will best suit your needs and interests.

What is the qualification?

If signed on to GAP, there are two different qualifications that you can choose between:

For more online information on the Graduate Certificate in Organisation and Management, please click here

For more online information on the Graduate Certificate in Professional Practice, please click here

You will be asked to indicate which qualification you would like to undertake, however, places on these courses are subject to availability.

What happens if I get offered a job while I am on the programme?

Our intention is to help graduates find employment, so we would encourage you to accept any offer that you are happy with.

If you are offered employment and accept the job, then we ask that you contact the GAP Team immediately.

If you get a job before the end of the 26 weeks, you will be given the opportunity to complete the Graduate Certificate (this must be completed within five months of leaving the programme).

What happens if I leave the programme early for any reason?

We would encourage you to stay in contact with us if for any reason you are thinking of leaving the programme and to contact us immediately if you do leave.

How will this help to become more employable than I am presently?

GAP is specifically designed to improve the employability of graduates. The work placement opportunities and graduate qualifications are purposely tailored to help you improve on key skills such as project management, communication, leadership, teamwork, and analysis.

Completing up to 26 weeks of work experience will not only add to your CV, but it will also give you a level of organisational understanding that cannot be taught within any classroom.

Will I have to pay for the qualification?

You will NOT have to pay for the qualification. This is provided for free as long as you adhere to the requirements of GAP.

What are my responsibilities?

We ask that you are motivated and committed to making GAP a valuable experience. In addition, there are a number of requirements that you have to adhere to—please refer to the Document Download GAP 4: Participant Agreement.

How is this different from other graduate programmes?

Although there are other valuable graduate programmes, all parties involved in developing GAP thought that it was important to offer graduates a more comprehensive range of provision, from which they could select the most suitable programme.

In addition, the numbers on these graduate programmes are finite and therefore, many graduates will struggle to find a placement, especially given the current recession.

Furthermore, GAP is distinct in that it is a university-led programme that focuses on improving the employability skills of graduates and offers the opportunity for organisations across all sectors to benefit from graduate talent.