Page 79 - A Handbook for Academia, Industry and Policymakers: Reinforcing the Innovation-Employability Nexus in the Mediterranean

78 REINFORCING THE INNOVATION-EMPLOYABILITY NEXUS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN REINFORCING THE INNOVATION-EMPLOYABILITY NEXUS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN 79

For students in the Southern Mediterranean region, there can be significant barriers to participating Internships provide students with:
in an internship. In the case of a university not requiring an internship as part of a study programme, Cost savings
there may be little institutional support or partnerships with industry to assist students in finding • The chance to learn practically, through action,
and structuring an opportunity. For motivated students hoping to go abroad, the complicated visa experience and collaboration thereby gaining for businesses
requirements, logistics of finding accommodation and expense can make it a difficult prospect. an authentic (not abstract or simulated!) – internships reduce
experience of translating the theoretical
At the forefront of best practices in the region is the HOMERe project which aims to engage students learning experience into the real action field recruitment and hiring cost,
and recent graduates with the Mediterranean business world through international internships in • A baseline practical work experience before onboarding and training costs
companies. The project is open to the following countries currently: Algeria, Egypt, Spain, France, actual employment, which is extremely useful
Greece, Italy, Lebanon, Morocco and Tunisia. Details about HOMERe can be found at the end of this in finding a job, gaining skills and eventually • Access to knowledge that students transfer
chapter. An example of a project that could be adapted to another university, is the LEO-Net Network and helping job performance from their university studies
EU Placement service at the University of Pavia. This project focussed on finding suitable enterprises • A better chance of finding employment – • Fulfilment of corporate social responsibility
that offered quality internships facilitated by UNIMED’s Mediterranean Network for Employability. part time and possibly full time – during goals
studies, immediately following graduation, or

Relevant arguments in favour of internships from the academic, businesses and policymakers shortening the period between graduation and • Modelling the skills of graduates to align with
their actual needs, and developing this with a
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perspectives are described below . employment university partner to ensure future employees
Academia Internships provide higher education institutions are adequately prepared for the work force
with: • Streamlining the selection process by
observing potential hires during the internship
There are many advantages for higher education institutions to promote internships, even making as a training process
them mandatory in study programmes. In general benefits are related to quality education which can • Improved hiring rates of graduates which
be distinguished between benefits for the institution and benefits for students (which, in turn, benefit improves a university’s global ranking Policy
the institution): • Important feedback from students and
employers on how to gauge the employability Policymakers also have an interest in supporting
of their students so they can adapt, reconsider, internships which bring together higher
update curricula to meet market demands education institutions and businesses in their
• The possibility of liaising with alumni who region. Benefits for policymakers include:
could offer internships through their work
Internship experience SOFT SKILLS • The opportunity to incorporate internship • Generating benefits for the local, regional,
has been shown to be the experience into the academic curriculum and national and international community, which
will make better use of human resources
#1 Soft skills, also known as non- • The chance to institutionalise relationships • Creating real partnership between students,
thus build knowledge transfer into course
content
cognitive skills, core work skills
graduates, employers, university, community
or core skills for employability
so that they work together to streamline
are patterns of thought, feelings
innovation through learning opportunities and
and behaviours that are socially with employers, gaining exposure to the labour market and improve the local
determined and can be developed establishing partnerships social fabric for all participants — students,
Long-term impact throughout the lifetime to produce Business universities and business
value. Soft skills can comprise
Graduates who had internships in university, personality traits, motivations and
years later as alumni, were twice as likely to be attitudes and are vitally important for Internships provides businesses with direct
engaged in their work the employability and adaptability . benefits including:
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and 1.5 times more likely to report • Access to knowledge that students transfer
high levels of wellbeing 71 from their university studies
• Fulfilment of corporate social responsibility
goals
Internships develop • Modelling the skills of graduates to align with
soft skills their actual needs, and developing this with a

university partner to ensure future employees
are adequately prepared for the work force
• Streamlining the selection process by
observing potential hires during the internship
as a training process