Employers throughout Ireland can now headhunt graduates online through a new website.
Careers advisers at Northern Ireland's two universities believe the site will help combat the province's skills shortage and could help reverse the brain drain.
The Graduate Careers Ireland website, www.gradireland.com, has been launched in Dublin by the Association of Graduate Careers Services in Ireland (AGCSI). The free site aims to help Irish employers recruit graduates, as well as giving information to students, graduates, academics and careers services.
John Copelton, careers adviser at Queen's University, Belfast, said: "Local employers are facing a skills shortage, particularly in the field of information technology. The fact that this site can be accessed anywhere in the world means that a wider pool of potential employees can learn about vacancies."
Damian McGivern, careers adviser at Ulster University, said: "It could also mean that Northern Ireland graduates working abroad, or local people who pursued their university career outside the province, could find their way back home, so playing a role in reversing the brain drain."
An interactive map of Ireland gives direct access to all the university careers services, as well as a summary of guidance material and occupational booklets produced by the AGCSI.
Employers can get advice on how best to recruit graduates, how to raise their company profile on campus and how to take advantage of placement schemes.
They can post vacancies to a careers service for publication online and update entries on the employment vacancies board.
Academics can find out how the university careers services support teaching and learning, and what skills employers are looking for in graduates.
The site is sponsored by An Post, Bank of Ireland, Dunnes Stores, Lucent Technologies, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Smartforce, and has been developed by Aurion/Biznet.