Alumni UCM promotes focus groups for the development of an international project shared with universities from the Netherlands, Spain, Colombia and Chile.
Universidad Católica del Maule (UCM), through the General Directorate of Links with the Environment, is leading an initiative to strengthen the link between the university and the business world, and is doing so through the innovative “Become Glocal” project. , which aims to enrich the university’s perspective with a global approach, expanding the information and knowledge acquired in the region to share it internationally, in collaboration with higher education institutions in Colombia, Spain and the Netherlands.
The Hague University of Applied Sciences (Netherlands), CEU Universidad Cardenal Herrera (Spain), Universidad Católica de Manizales, Cámara de Comercio de Manizales por Caldas, Universidad de Manizales (Colombia), Universidad Católica del Maule and Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción, participate in the initiative.
Jorge Burgos, general director of Environmental Relations at the Universidad Católica del Maule, explained the importance of this project for the institution: “It is the first time that the UCM has been awarded projects of this type, and on this occasion they have been 3. BecomeGlocal is one of them, financed by the European Community through an Erasmus+ project, to install capacities in higher education. This initiative is in line with the strategy adopted by the management to connect the work of the UCM in the region and project it towards an international dimension in collaboration with other higher education institutions. The activity with Employers is part of the work program of this project and one of the axes that Alumni UCM is leading,” he said.
While Mauro Rivera, head of the Department of Liaison with Graduates and Employers, complemented this by indicating that “UCM Alumni through the ‘Become Glocal’ project seeks to strengthen ties with our employers, enriching our perspective with a global approach. “It is surprising to see how certain skill demands are universally relevant, regardless of geographic context.”
Focus Group with employers
To achieve these objectives, Alumni UCM organized a focus group with employers from various institutions and companies, in order to learn about their needs and expectations regarding university graduates. Among the participants are the Regional Hospital of Talca, the Abate Molina High School, the Andrés Bello Institute, the New Holland School, the Constructora Siglo SPA, Tutelkan, SynergiaBio and Radikan.
Pablo Cancino, partner and manager of SynergiaBio, commented on the relevance of this initiative. “It was an interesting day, where each of the representatives of the entities was able to present their points of view on the link and interaction between the university and the entities, to bring students closer to the world of work. The key term here is ‘bonding’. From there, everything gains strength from a business point of view,” he said.
Carmen Gloria Wilson Rojas, director of the New Holland School, highlighted the importance of this connection: “The connection between graduates and the university is fundamental. This instance is wonderful, because perhaps today we do not have the definitive recipe, but the University wants to improve and is accredited for five years.”
Alumni UCM, as part of this work and its central lines of action, plans to continue organizing focus groups and surveys to obtain a broader vision of the demands of the labor market and thus contribute to the professional development of its students and graduates.
This news was originally published in: https://portal.ucm.cl/noticias/empleadores-maulinos-se-reunen-reflexionar-significa-ciudadano-global