Career prospects are playing an increasingly important role for students in choosing a degree. Maastricht University has therefore made employability one of its three strategic foci, alongside an international orientation and Problem-Based Learning. Programme leader Ellen Bastiaens explains what this means.
Making the implicit explicit.
When it came to job opportunities for alumni, UM had long matched or exceeded the scores of other universities. Until 2014, that is, when the figures came as an unpleasant surprise. “Unemployment among recent graduates was suddenly higher than we were used to”, says Bastiaens, programme manager of Academic Affairs. “At the same time, we were getting a lot of criticism via our annual student monitor. Students were dissatisfied with the career services, complained about a lack of information and felt they were inadequately prepared for the future.”
Important “That came as quite a shock”, Bastiaens continues. “There were logical explanations for the relatively modest evaluations, but still, alarm bells went off. Career prospects are becoming more and more important for prospective students, particularly with the introduction of the loan system. Students and certainly parents really do orient themselves towards the labour market. A degree lays the foundation for a career.” Of course, job opportunities are not the only factor involved. “First and foremost, a university needs to have strong programmes in terms of content. Also, we need to be aware that young people choose with their
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Leading in Learning
/ Emplo prioriti Maastr Univers hearts – they want to do something they find interesting. The city, the education model, the international character; everything counts. But the bottom line? Every study programme has to equip students to enter the labour market.”
Projects The Executive Board decided to place greater weight on employability. Bastiaens was tasked with drawing up an action plan. After consulting with the various faculties and UM’s ROA institute, she came up with 14 concrete projects. One of the key initiatives, in her view, is “making the implicit explicit”, as this principle applies to all study programmes. “We want to make clear to students exactly what they have learnt after their bachelor’s or master’s degree. Not only in terms of content, but competences too. This will allow them to profile themselves, showcasing their personal interests and skills such as presenting, debating, personal entrepreneurship and self-reflection. The SBE has already made a start on this.” >>
Euregion Another major aim is to connect UM with Euregional businesses. “There are so many exciting and innovative companies in and around Maastricht. But we don’t have a clear picture of this labour market,