AnalYSis
AnalYSis
Fall 2017 / Issue 55
EU Twinning Supports Cooperation Between Universities , Companies & Public Bodies
Claudia Haasis , Resident Twinning Advisor
The EU Twinning Project ‘ Developing cooperation between universities , the private sector and relevant public bodies ’ ran from July 2016 - September 2017 and aimed to strengthen links between universities and businesses working with the Ministry of Education and Science , toward improving the quality of higher education for graduates and employers . The project was part of the country ’ s efforts to create sustainable economic growth and competitiveness as well as a higher employment rate , standard of living and quality of life . It was also part of the EU Operational Programme for Human Resources Development which aims to increase the quantity and quality of human capital , leading to more and better jobs as well as increased growth , development and national competitiveness .
The contribution that universities make to national wellbeing through the development of skills and knowledge transfer toward industry and broader society is crucial to economic development and growth . Effective communication between public institutions , industry and academia allows for better alignment between universities ’ output and economic needs . Universities must aim to supply the labor market with the steady stream of well-trained , flexible , and productive employees who are in demand in the modern world so that graduates get the jobs they want and are able to build a better life for themselves .
To improve the links between the universities and employers , the Macedonian Law on Higher Education introduced Boards for Public Trust & Cooperation ( BTCP ). These Boards should include representatives from municipalities , universities , companies and the Ministry of Education & Science and are mainly aimed at increasing the diversity of input into university curricula .
The law also requires all universities to establish at least one Career Centre , whose main goal is to establish links between students and employers , to facilitate the access of students to the work place and promote the university to the business community . Career Centres help students plan their careers ; initiate and organise student mobility programmes and internships , workshops , seminars , career fairs ; maintain alumni databases and more .
Project Activities and Results
The EU Twinning programme follows a learning-by-doing principle and sharing best practices , through activities such as workshops , training sessions , mentoring , expert missions , study visits and counselling . Specific results included the following : Assessment of graduate employability and labour market applicability of university curricula and recommendations for curricula reform
The project produced a methodology for self-evaluation of curricula . The self-evaluation will help universities assess their educational programmes ’ strengths and weaknesses toward increasing the employability of their graduates . Around 250 university staff were trained to conduct the self-evaluation of study programmes and a trial self-evaluation was performed on nearly 40 different curricula .
Strengthened Career Centres The project developed a financial model for Career services , including a combination of the following elements : - Core funding provided by the University to support staffing and operating costs . - Employers can provide financial contribution or “ in kind ” support . The former typically involves direct payment for recruitment and consultancy services , in addition to sponsorship and scholarships . “ In kind ” support from employers can take the form of a whole range of services ranging from employability skills workshops / lectures to conducting mock interviews . - Students can support the marketing and administration of events / activities and help develop IT systems . - Alumni can act as speakers , career mentors for students , participation in careers events and sourcing potential work experience opportunities for students . - Special central government funding can support specific employability policies .
The project also developed models for career expos and alumni databases based on the experience of EU member states but adapted to the local context .
In all , 16 Career Centres from 8 universities were strengthened and 66 career centre staff received training from EU career centre experts . Public events also brought together students , academics , businesses and public institutions to raise their awareness of the mutual benefits of collaborating .
Strengthened BTCPs
Project experts found that the newly-established BTCPs were met with some skepticism by some stakeholders and that there was a general lack of understanding of their purpose . To address this , the project involved 22 BTCPs in an information sharing process to develop ideas for strengthening BTCPs operations . 74 BTCP members underwent training aimed at demonstrating British and French experiences with similar bodies . Four public events gathered academics and businesspeople from specific sectors to discuss the benefits of collaboration , as well as various possible communication channels that could be established . Finally , the project produced a comprehensive toolkit for current and future BTCP members , to help them understand their roles and responsibilities .
18 AmCham Macedonia Magazine