PAST EVENTS
Norment offered relevant insight into a number of
study programs to allow students to “pause” their
PPP models that could create a win-win situation for
studies in order to carry out intensive internships.
both businesses and universities, rather than such
Another pointed out that university resources dedicated to developing projects and programs with
cooperation primarily being treated as a form of philanthropy. These included Volkswagen’s constructhe private sector needed to be increased to ensure
tion of a prototype factory on university property in
appropriate follow up and proactivity. Another company representative who oversees a comparatively
Chattanooga, Tennessee to enable a German-style
large internship program said the faculty didn’t sysapprentice program to prepare highly-skilled factory floor technicians. He pointed out that signiftematically seek any feedback from them on internicant company investment and commitment was
ships carried out with their students. Still another
needed in this case, incentivized by their drive to cresaid that the lack of responsiveness to private sector
ate and provide access to the right talent in the local
feedback on standard curriculum is a major concern.
community. Norment said cooperation between the
corporate sector and academia was a logical way to
meet higher education’s
AmCham Macedonia recommendations:
infrastructural needs,
overcome budget con• Internships should be required by the Higher Education Law for only the
straints and maintain pace
most critical professions (e.g., medical students, lawyers, engineers);
with international trends.
He said big business stood
• Universities should continually increase the practical nature of their stanto gain from an increased
dard academic programs (e.g., guest speakers from the business commutalent pool available on
nity in classrooms, hiring teaching staff with practical work experience);
the labor market.
Representatives of many
of the largest international companies present
at the event offered mixed
reviews on their experiences cooperating with
local universities. While
some expressed complete
satisfaction with universities’ openness and readiness for cooperation,
others cited passivity on
the part of university officials. One organization
highlighted the need to
increase the flexibility of
26
• More data is needed on employment rates by university degree. State
program resources should be applied toward increasing employability of
the workforce, not increasing the number of graduates;
• Universities should move quickly to include business sector representatives on their “Boards for public cooperation and confidence” as foreseen
by the current Law on Higher Education;
• The Ministry of Labor and Social Policy should provide clear guidance on
how companies should document student interns (e.g., form of contract);
• The Labor Law should be amended to allow companies to engage nonstudents (e.g., recent graduates) as interns; and
• Universities should increase the resources applied to developing, facilitating and overseeing various forms of cooperation with the private sector.
Emerging Macedonia Summer 2014 Issue 42