Sean Donovan
Enterprise Engagement Facilitator, MTU Extended Campus
Dr Deirdre Goggin
Recognition of Prior Learning and Work Integrated Learning, MTU Extended Campus
Universities that manage enterprise engagement in an integrated way have more effective collaborations and deliver for all stakeholders.
Education doesn’t just happen in the standard university environment. Universities that collaborate with enterprise partners for graduate formation ensure broader student outcomes.
While students benefit, it also strengthens talent pipelines, which is a win for the regions, too. Hence, it’s an approach that chimes with the Technological Universities Act, which stresses that Ireland’s Technological Universities should respond to the needs of their regions.
However, the practical implementation of enterprise engagement can often be lacking or fragmented because, traditionally, universities act as a series of separate units or departments.
An integrated cross-university approach
To address this, Munster Technological University (MTU) in Cork operates a centralised support structure for enterprise engagement through its MTU Extended Campus, established in 2011. This ensures that collaborations can become long-term, mutually beneficial partnerships.
An exemplar is the partnership established in 2022 by MTU and NetApp, a cloud data services and data management solutions provider, which has its international headquarters in Cork. Originally a way for NetApp to access graduate talent, it developed into a two-way partnership benefiting both parties.
A feature of the partnership is NetApp support for inclusive recruitment practices and equitable, sustainable employment pathways. NetApp’s engagement now spans the university’s entire ecosystem. The company contributes to curriculum design, supports immersive learning through innovative challenge-based opportunities, and helps ensure that graduates have the appropriate T-shaped skills that meet current and anticipated workplace needs.
Ultimately, we share the same goal: strengthening graduate employability while supporting the long‑term growth of our business
Partnership benefiting students and employers
This partnership provides career navigation and upskilling initiatives to help students discover their strengths, build employability and find the right career fit — whether with NetApp or elsewhere. In fact, many professionals at the company’s Cork headquarters are MTU graduates.
In return, NetApp has access to emerging talent and innovative ideas that directly improve its brand and operations. Luisa Shipton, Sr Talent Acquisition Manager, NetApp, says, “Having a single, central point of contact with MTU has been a real game changer for NetApp. It allows us to engage more effectively with the university, identify top talent more quickly and co‑create initiatives that genuinely benefit students. Ultimately, we share the same goal: strengthening graduate employability while supporting the long‑term growth of our business.”
“The partnership is a robust, trust-based collaboration,” says Professor Irene Sheridan, Head of MTU Extended Campus. “It serves as a blueprint for how a ‘relationship-first’ approach can create sustainable talent pipelines and establish a university as a core driver of regional digital transformation, while ensuring positive benefits for all stakeholders.”
