GAA offers Graduates Jobbridge Opportunity

image: wicklow gaa online

THE GAA is offering unemployed graduates the opportunity to work with the country’s largest sporting organisation. The GAA is participating in Jobbridge, the national internship scheme, and is offering 126 internships across the organisation and throughout the country. The first phase of work placements will begin in February but the GAA is hoping to expand the scheme to accommodate 200 interns at any one time.

“The one thing we emphasis in our internships is quality. The route we have gone down is to ensure that our internships offer the best quality possible and to ensure that the interns are fully supported and not thrown in at the deep end,” says Caoimhe Ní Néill, GAA Jobbridge Co-ordinator

The internships are focused on the areas of games development and administration and will be available in various departments in Croke Park and with the Provincial Councils and County Boards. “The internships will be a great experience working with our games development officers who are great guys and girls,” she adds.

Every intern will be assigned a supervisor who is a member of the GAA’s games development personnel. They will meet on a day to day basis. The interns will also have a mentor who will meet them every month.

“The mentors will be members of or volunteers with the association and they will discuss professional development issues, such as communication skills, with them,” explains Caoimhe.

Applicants don’t necessarily have to come from a GAA background as experience in other sports is something the GAA is keen to investigate and learn from as it feel this will enhance the organisation.

The internships are not just in the areas of games development as there are also opportunities in the administration side of the sport with placements available in IT, marketing and PR. One of the most interesting placements on offered is in the fixtures programming department.

Interns who take the opportunities offered by the placement and shine, will also have the chance to gain employment with the GAA. “It is a great opportunity and if someone stellar stands out during the programme there will be opportunities for further experience and employment with the Association,” she adds.

The closing date for applications is 20 January 2012. Information on the scheme and application forms are available at www.jobbridge.gaa.ie