Choice Housing has officially welcomed its latest cohort of seven placement students for the 2026/27 academic year, offering university students from across the region hands-on, professional experience in the social housing sector.
The placement programme reflects Choice's ongoing commitment to supporting young people at the early stages of their careers, with an award introduced in 2020 in memory of former Choice colleague, Brian McKenna. Combining competitive salaries and flexible working with invaluable industry mentorship, students from both Queen’s University and Ulster University will gain real-world skills across a wide range of departments, including ICT, Marketing and Communications, HR, Finance, Sustainability, and Assets.
Lawrence Jackson, Group Director of Corporate Services at Choice, said:
“Welcoming our new cohort is always an exciting time for Choice. We benefit immensely from the fresh perspectives offered by those at the beginning of their careers. Since launching the programme, we have seen how vital practical experience is for students exploring career options alongside their studies. The initiative provides valuable exposure across a range of key disciplines, and we look forward to supporting each of these seven students as they develop both personally and professionally over the coming year.”
Throughout their placement year, students will receive dedicated mentorship from senior colleagues and will have the opportunity to participate in the end-of-year placement competition, which awards full final-year tuition fees to the winning business strategy proposal.
The 2026/27 group are:
Declan Oliver (Kilrea) studying BSc (Hons) Information Technologies at Ulster University (Magee), joined the ICT department to gain practical experience in service delivery and strengthen his technical and communication skills.
Sara Donnelly studying Communication Management and Public Relations (CMPR) at Ulster University Belfast is working with the Marketing and Communications team, engaging with tenants and external stakeholders.
Sadie Logan (Donegal), a Business Management student at Queen’s University Belfast is building new skills and gaining hands-on experience within Choice’s HR team.
Riona McAuley (Ballycastle), studying Global Business with Accountancy at Ulster University joined the Finance team.
Fintan Gallagher (Derry/Londonderry) studying BSc Hons Accounting w/ Computing at Ulster University also joined the Finance team.
Kelsi Powell (Newry), an Environmental Management student at Queen’s University Belfast is working with the energy and sustainability team.
Emma Service (Limavady) studying Building Surveying at Ulster University Belfast aims to develop core practical skills within the property assets team.
The 2025 Scholarship Challenge winner and Business Management student Connie Woods spent her placement with Choice's Communications and Marketing team. She took top prize in the end-of-year challenge for her video-first digital strategy, which featured an online audit, market analysis, and full delivery model.
