Page 87 - A Handbook for Academia, Industry and Policymakers: Reinforcing the Innovation-Employability Nexus in the Mediterranean

86 REINFORCING THE INNOVATION-EMPLOYABILITY NEXUS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN REINFORCING THE INNOVATION-EMPLOYABILITY NEXUS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN 87

Academia through experiential learning options, which
gives the company the opportunity to ‘try before
Career Services activities in the Triple Helix An HEIs community of people (professors, they buy’ working side by side with a prospective
Figure 12 students, alumni and industry) are its key graduate to see first-hand how they perform
resources. Career Services play a significant by involving them in an internship, field study
role in marshalling this transversal network
professionally and efficiently, creating internal
Individual Experiential partnerships across faculty departments to
guidance implement training that students need to
learning
Teaching •Internships transition to work. This can place Career Services
as the face of the university towards local
•Work placement A potential problem with a student-responsibility
•Orientation •Field studies Partnerships industry and, in the case of public institutions, approach can be that some students do not know
•Career counselling •Co-operative education governments. This unusual position can drive how to ask for support because they do not have a
•Mentarship Career Services outside the core university trust-based relationship with professors or other
Leveraging •Life & soft skills •CV prep management structure since so much of the work university staff. This can be ameliorated by
integrating career relevant information into the
faculty •Seminars
•Job Fairs •Linking employers to university is done externally. However, Career Services curriculum: connecting coursework with
•Aligning expectations of employers has the reputation of the university in their professions, providing examples of applications,
discussing how business uses what students
and graduates hands through students who become alumni, learn in class.
community members, employees and eventually
•Overseeing practicum employers as well as partnerships with industry
•Acting as placement tutors
•Administering internships and connections with other institutions and
in their field platforms. To some extent, students make or other cooperative education. Establishing a
•Networking with employers decisions about enrolment, partners make hiring
•Including Employment relationship with Career Services can facilitate
in academic advising decisions and governments funding decisions, creating research partnerships with Academia
Academia Industry based on the success of the university which and support ‘employer branding’ which is the
is strongly tied to their employability rates. employer’s reputation in terms of the working
Therefore, a student focus serves not only to environment.
help students but to achieve a good reputation
for the entire institution. Policy

•Integrating career Policymakers expect Career Services to improve
presentations 85%
•Encourage students the efficiency of the education systems and the
to attend career events labour market, to see that as many graduates
•Teach life skills (problem of companies as possible are employed as soon as possible.
solving, communication They also look to Career Services for community
and analytical skills)
needs in terms of access to learning, skilling up
Within Government and lifelong learning or continuing education .
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existing Policymakers can justify allocating resources
courses
•Make seminars on CV prep, to HEIs that develop career self-management
interviewing mandatory skills and career information, and that
•Offer career seminars within EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
Career academic discipline provide career guidance based on individual
Services- needs and circumstances. To support their
-faculty •Lead employability •Skilling up future labour force Experiential learning is learning by doing and can be
partnerships development sessions •Enabling policies undertaken through internship, field study, practicum, allocation decisions, policymakers can require
•Measuring results work placement, cooperative learning, apprenticeship, transparency through regular review and
Outside •Streamlining transition to labour force research, fellowship, clinical experience, simulations, performance analysis of career management
of courses service learning, study abroad, and volunteering. programmes, development of employability and

links between students and future employers.
Policy
Related The activity of measuring indicators can be
Activities Industry incorporated into a larger quality process for
the university. For example, Career Services can
For a business, Career Services provides contribute to social equity goals (inclusion) and
a direct connection to job seekers and can support labour market objectives (mobility and
streamline the hiring process. The risks involved flexibility) .
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in assuming a new employee can be mitigated