On November 29^th,2018, YSU Ijevan Branch hosted a meeting with the Primate of  Tavush Diocese Bagrat Galstanyan.

On the initiative of YSUIB students, 15 community groups have been formed on a voluntary basis, with the purpose of helping them to speak up the needs of communities, developing projects, organizing interesting and motivating trainings.

The purpose of the meeting was to get acquainted with community groups: their opinions, their ideas,and find solutions to implement them.

Several community groups already had plans for the upcoming holidays.

The Primate of Tavush Diocese Bishop Bagrat Galstanyan expressed his readiness to support  the students and signed bilateral cooperation agreement.

 In October and November,2018, Marieta Tchagharyan, Head of YSUIB Professional Education Quality Assurance Department and Coordinator of the work with graduates and external stakeholders, Erine Gharayan, had a meeting with graduate students.

Each higher education institution has a  mission to train, educate and build a modern and creative person who can enter the labor market and resist its current challenges. To achieve this goal, a student-universty, student-employer  effective cooperation is of paramount importance.

Meetings organized by the Branch Department of Education Quality Assurance, were aimed at assisting students of  full-time and part-time learning  in finding a job and in their  career.

During the meetings, M. Chagharyan and E.Gharayan presented to the students the purpose of the meeting,  pointed out the proposals made by the Branch within the framework of cooperation, the students’ achievements and the expectations of the Department.

Particularly, it was mentioned that the Branch actively cooperates with the employer organizations of the region and during the meetings with them an agreement was reached on informing the Branch about vacancies.

It will enable to find revelent graduates according to employer requirements, to train and involve them in the process, as well as involve graduate students in the process.

The organizers of the meeting presented their plans for the future career development of graduates. They noted that, with the involvement of employers in the Branch, there would be periodically organized  specialized seminars,trainings, internships, cognitive and practical exercises, implemented by external stakeholders. Such processes will promote the motivation of students towards professional career, will ensure their active participation in planning and implementation of future professional orientation; students will become aware of the needs of the labor market and  employers; they will have platform for free expression and solving their problems.

The students got acquainted with employers’ suggestions, employers put an emphasis on interviews and competitions and the ability of students to accurately introduce themselves and good communication skills. It was noted that relevant seminars would be organized. During the meetings, the students actively participated in discussions, asked them questions and assured them that they would cooperate with the department to plan their future.

 In September-November,2018, YSUIB coordinator of the work with graduates and external stakeholders, Erine Gharayan had meetings with external stakeholders. The purpose of the meetings was to support Branch graduates in finding a job  and career development.

Nowadays, the issue of employment of young people has become a national and state problem. To ensure a new and effective connection with the employer’s world, can be said, is a prerequisite for the survival and development of the university. And the directorate of YSUIB gives priority to cooperation with external stakeholders.

In this context, the coordinator of the work with graduates and external stakeholders, Erine Gharayan had a meeting with administrative, executive, economic, banking and credit, public, charitable, tourism organizations and educational institutions of Tavush region, during joint activities and internships, they have been dealing with students and graduates of the University.

Erine Gharayan presented to the external stakeholders  the purpose of the meetings, pointing out the proposals made by the Branch within the framework of cooperation, the achievements of external stakeholders in that partnership and the expectations of the Branch. Particularly, it was mentioned that the expectations of the Branch were mainly aimed at improving the internship organisation, raising the motivation of students towards learning, building trust towards future career, raising students awareness on labor market demands, involving students in internships .There have been heated discussions over suggestions that Gharayan has presented to external stakeholders on behalf of the Branch. The Branch has suggested  jointly implement internship programs (training sessions, for professional orientation, cognitive and practical training,for acquisition of experience, targeted internships,according to stakeholders’ plan, to develop students skills and activities, first inform the branch about available vacancies, visit the Branch  frequently, discuss with the graduates about professional orientation and to imvolve them in experimental internship programs. Due to effective cooperation, the university will provide employers with intelligent, hard-working, with specific professional skills and capabilities, with accurate and fast-paced skills. The Branch expects voluntary involvement of students and graduates in concrete processes within the framework of cooperation.

During the joint discussions, stakeholders pointed to a number of drawbacks of our graduates that were mainly related to students inability to accurately  introduce themselves, shyness in communication, low level of knowledge of foreign languages, lack of creative thinking and initiative.

The employers believe it is necessary to have a memorandum of cooperation. They also made a number of suggestions worthy of note. In particular, high and secondary school directors have suggested to involve the 12^th graders in different trainings organized at the university. They offered graduates to register in Ijevan Territorial Employment Center to participate in the training. The director of  “Bridge of Hope” NGO noted that they could guide the student in multifunctional career development, to help the student to contribute to education, to help them to become a specialist in their preferred field, to form new methods and to work creatively. Directors of service sphere believe that students of “Service” specialization should have good communication skills, have information about the places of interests of Tavush region, and communicate in English as well. Various organizations have suggested to organize joint student forums, business meetings and workshops on their own business ideas. External stakeholders also noted that the region had a lack of media professionals and offered to open a department of journalism at the Branch.

During the meetings, the external stakeholders expressed readiness to cooperate closely with the Branch, to assist in the development of students’ practical skills and providing jobs.