Hrvoje Džapo, Assistant Professor

Internship Programme and Career Center

at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing,

University of Zagreb, Croatia

CONFERENCE ON UNIVERSITY AND BUSINESS COOPERATION IN CENTRAL EUROPE

 28TH TO 29TH JANUARY 2016, BUDAPEST, HUNGARY

Presentation outline

Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, Univeristy of Zagreb (FER) - basic information

FER Internship programme – motivationFER Internship programme – organizationFER Internship programme – resultsCareer center – foundation, goals and future plansConclusions, questions and discussion

University of Zagreb

The University of Zagreb is the largest and the oldest Croatian university, but also the oldest university in South East Europe (founded in 1669)

Nowadays, University of Zagreb is large and heterogenous institution:70,000+ students29 faculties3 art academies9000 teaching staff

University of Zagreb (UniZG)

Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing

1919. – High Technical School1926. - Technical Faculty1956. – Faculty of Electrical Engineering1995 - Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing

(FER)3,800 students in the undergraduate and graduate level, and

about 450 in the PhD program more than 160 professors and 210 teaching and research

assistants12 departments

FER position at national level

Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, University of Zagreb (FER in Croatian) is the leading educational and R&D institution in the fields of electrical engineering, computing, and information and communication technology in the Republic of Croatia

FER strives to attract the highest quality students in Croatia and to produce engineers whose skills are recognized and competitive in high-tech companies and research institutions worldwide

objective: ensure the highest possible level of educational, research and professional development for our students and employees

Study organization

Bachelor (3) + Master (2) Programme = 5 yearsPostgraduate studyBachelor study

Electrical engineering and information technology -modulesControl engineering and automation (AUT), Electrical Power Engineering

(ENE), Electronic and computer engineering (ERI), Electronics (EL), Wireless technologies (RT)

Computing - modulesInformation processing (OI), Software engineering and

information systems (PIIS), Computer engineering (RI), Computer science (RZ), Telecommunications and informatics (TKI)

Study organization

Master studyElectrical engineering and information technology -modules

Control engineering and automation (AUT), Electrical engineering systems and technologies (ESIT), Electrical Power Engineering (ENE), Electronic and computer engineering (ERI), Electronics (ELE)

Information and communication technologiesInformation processing (OI), Telecommunications and

informatics (TKI), Wireless technologies (RK)

Computing - modulesSoftware engineering and information systems (PIIS), Computer

engineering (RI), Computer science (RZ

Role of FER in strenghtening Croatian industry

educating engineers that industry needs and who can start new industry sectors

synergy of education, research and entrepreneurshipFER is one of the most successful institutions in Croatia in using EU

funds: learding Croatian research institution in 2011. and 2012. according to European Research Ranking

(counting the number of projects and financial amounts at national level) in FP7 programme the average success for grants at national level was 16,99%, at EU level 21,60%,

and FER success rate was above average 25,23%

numerous projects with industry inovations and patents

FER Internship programme – motivation

FER has large number of high quality students and professors – attractive choice from student standpoint

FER has quality study programme with strong theoretical background and foundations

FER is highly research motivated institution with large number of scientific and research projects

however, until few years ago, FER paid almost no attention to importance of student internships!it is not part of study programme – since mid 90-ties following the

decline in industry production it was hard to ensure enough of quality internship positions and cooperation with industry

FER Internship programme – motivation

student internships – the old way:internship coordinators (per study modules)intership coordinators made decisions where to send students to

internship – little interaction with students and companies, no platform for efficient matchmaking

moreover, at the time of industry decline in Croatia it was not easy to find enough quality internship positions, yet internship was an obligatory educational activitiy

in practice, it meant that in many cases the educative goals of internships were not met – mandatory interships were formally done but with humble effects on interns learning outcomes or their employability

such kind of internships was terminated at some point

FER Internship programme – motivation

however, terminating the bad model, without providing an alternative, was not a solution

other initiatives to fill the gap:ERASMUS internships, internships organized by student organizations, large corporations internship programmes, student honorary work etc.

FER Internship programme – motivation

how to establish redefined internship programme that will highly motivate both students and companies and bring mutual benefits?

how to avoid caveats of old models?is our industry ready to accept the changes?should internships be mandatory?etc.

FER Internship programme – organization

FER decide to start with new internship programme from academic year 2011./12.

challenges in establishing this programme:how to include only highly motivated students and companies? Avoid at all costs

„internship as formality” model!how to find a perfect match „student-company”?how to organize everything without increasing current capacities (without employing

new people)?how to ensure maximum efficiency in communication for all participants?how to ensure checking the learning outcomes?how to ensure compliance with some particularly inconvenient Croatian legal

requirements regarding internships?=> define a programme in a unique way respecting all local pecularities!

FER Internship programme – organization

goals:enabling students to get in touch with industrial environmentbetter employability connecting companies with the most compatible studentsstrengthening connections between the Faculty and

industryfeedback about knowledge that job market and industry

currently needs

FER Internship programme – organization

start of a new cycle – in April every year defined deadlines for companies and student applications

internship duration: 3-6 weeksmain goal – connecting students and companies, after what they

can continue cooperation beyond initial internship arrangement

paid internships?not obligatory, but encouraged

internship program is organized as an extra-curricular activitiyprogramme web page (in Croatian):

http://www.fer.unizg.hr/prakse

Time plan and execution

Company application

filling application form (web form)creating company profile in databaseinformation about each offered internship position:

title and short topic description, mentor, expected competences from students (technologies, programming

languages etc.)

one single person for communcation from company side

Time plan and execution

Student application

students one year before M.Sc. graduationvoluntary educational activity! (possibly paid)students use their system accounts:

CV motiovational letter tabular description of their interests, competences, skills, previous

projects etc. available dates for internship

students form their rank-list of positions

Time plan and execution

Methodology of brokerage system

two roundsfirst round: companies see only students who made them a

first choicesecond round – all undistributied students - „everybody

see everybody” (fastest finger :))students and companies get into direct touch and negotiatie

terms of internship (without faculty in between)students have to make the final confirmation after

negotiating terms with companies

Time plan and execution

FER Internship programme – organization

student reports: duration, topic, mentor, summary of activities, personal experiences, poll about company and programme.

report verification (through online information system):mentor in companymentor at faculty

students are assigned 4 ECTS points

FER internship programme results - statistics

number of included companies: 2011 / 2012: 44 2012 / 2013: 83 2013 / 2014: 143

2011/2012 2012/2013 2013/2014

44

83

143

number of offered positions: 2011 / 2012: 87 topics / 179 positions 2012 / 2013: 107 topics / 192 positions 2013 / 2014: 207 topics / 396 positions

2011/2012 2012/2013 2013/2014

179 192

396

FER internship programme results - statistics

number of students assigned positions: 2011 / 2012: 85 2012 / 2013: 103 2013 / 2014: 132

about 20-30% of target student population (about 400 students)

2011/2012 2012/2013 2013/2014

85103

132

FER internship programme results - statistics

Student poll on long-term effects of internship

at the end of academic year 2012/2013 poll was performed among students who were on internship at summer 2012

Did you continue to work with company after finishing internship?

Did you continue to cooperate with company on diploma thesis?

Votes: 51 Votes: 47

YES NO YES NO

at the end of academic year 2012/2013 poll was performed among students who were on internship at summer 2012

Student poll on long-term effects of internship

Did the company offered you a job after graduating?

Did you have paid internship?

Votes: 44 Votes: 48YES NOYES NO

at the end of academic year 2013/2014 poll was performed among students who were on internship at summer 2013

Student poll on long-term effects of internship

Did you continue to work with company after finishing internship?

Did you continue to cooperate with company on diploma thesis?

Votes: 55 Votes: 54

YES NOYES NO

at the end of academic year 2013/2014 poll was performed among students who were on internship at summer 2013

Student poll on long-term effects of internship

Did the company offered you a job after graduating?

Did you have paid internship?

Votes: 54 Votes: 59

YES YESNO NO

FER internship programme - effects

continous rise of student interest for programme better employability – more than 50% of studenats found their

first job through this programme more than 180 companies in program – rising awarness of

companies about necessity to cooperate with academia excellent feedback both from students and companies

Should internship be obligatory?

not easy to answer – depends on many factors internship should be obligatory but only under right model how to find enough quality positions (e.g. in areas where local industry is

weak)? do mentors in companies have enough capacity, skills and quality time

to supervise and lead students? how to ensure balanced quality on large sample of companies and

students? how to achieve all this without without additional resources in academia? who should finance additional resources – state, companies or both?

FER internship programme - conclusions

internships are important in education of engineers every student should be given an opportunity to go to

internship, regardless of internship status in study programme internship programme should be organized to ensure

maximum benefits both for students and companies rising awarness about this topic both in industry and academia

is important ingredient for success

FER Career Center (CC FER)

mission: systematic care about early development of students' career for competitive access to job market and supporting companies in a process of recruitment

CC FER activities:integrating existing and launching new activities related to

development of students' career and additional educational activities

activities focused on students and alumniservices for companies

CC FER was formally established 28th October 2015.

FER Career Center (CC FER)

CC FER activities for students: central place for providing help to students, informing, counseling, providing additional educational activitiesnetworking between students and employers

internships, diploma theses and projects with industry, company visits etc.helping students with special needs students' enterpreunship students' competitionsworkshops, motivational lectures, other forms of development of career and

personal students' skills

FER Career Center (CC FER)

CC FER for employers posting job listingsinternshipsnetworking with students and professorsactive search for prospective candidatesCareer days and similar eventsinvolving companies in educational process

new extra curricular courses targeting specific hot technologies

FER Career Center (CC FER)

challenges:setting up systems and proceduresall previous (semi-structured) activities at one place – one stop shop

philosophywho will do it? => human resouces – full-time professionals who will

lead CC FER activiitesself-financing and self-sustainability of CC FER through service

monetizationrising awarness of employers about significance of strong CC FER

as efficient link necessary for elevation of current quality of academia – industry coopertion to the next level – some specific services can be offered only by faculties being close to the source

Thank you for your attention!

Questions?