Finland - Jyvaskyla Region - Final Self-Evaluation Report.pdf

Reason forskillupgradingDescriptionResponse interms oftrainingResponse ofhighereducationinstitutionsRelated to theindividualAge, illness,injuryRevision of skillsalready acquiredor total requalificationDegreeeducation,Retraining andupgradingqualifications,ContinuingeducationRelated to theconditions ofthe postInsufficient useof skillsRevision ofskills alreadyacquiredContinuingeducationRelated tochanges in thepostDemands relatedto the type of jobchangeTraining for newrequirements ofthe jobContinuingeducation,Master’sprogrammes,PolytechnicMaster’s degreesRelated to thefirmAppearance ofnew competitorsundermines abusinessDevelopment ofexisting skills ortotal requalificationCustomizedcontinuingeducation, ExpertservicesTable 5.2 Different reasons for skill upgrading (cf. European Commission 1999)Related to themarketEmployment in agiven sectordeclinesTraining forsimilar jobs in anew sector ortotal requalificationDegreeeducation,Master’sprogrammes,Retraining andupgradingqualifications5. More intensive cooperation between the HEIs opens new possibilities. Cooperation and a cleardivision of work between the universities and polytechnics have been highlighted by the Ministry ofEducation. These actions allow HEIs to focus on their strengths and, thereby, contribute to the moreeffective and competitive use of resources, to find new opportunities in the interfaces of institutions’activities, and to respond to the regional and national needs in a more holistic and complementaryway. The cooperation between the University of Jyväskylä and the Jyväskylä Polytechnic is at anearly stage. However, in regard to the short time period (since the creation of the polytechnicsystem) the cooperation between the institutions has, in fact, been rather well developed. Theattitudes towards this cooperation are rather positive in both institutions, but the division of labourand collaborative mechanisms are still unclear. From the regional perspective, and according to therecommendations of the Ministry of Education, the fields of cooperation with the most potential arecontinuing education and the connections between the university’s Master’s Programmes and thepolytechnic’s Master’s Degrees. The former is of special importance in the Jyväskylä region due tothe sparse provision of continuing education. The university’s Master’s Programmes and thepolytechnic’s Master’s Degrees have similar characteristics; for instance, flexibility and the samelevel of degree awarded. An orientation towards working-life is typical of Polytechnic Master’sDegrees, but it is also emphasized in some of the Master’s Programmes at the University. Thus, thecollaboration might be fruitful for the institutions as well as for the region. According to the HEIs’staff, the practical cooperation, such as the organization of graduation theses and the visits ofnational and international experts, could also be useful.6. Deepening the cooperation between HEIs and intermediate organizations. In the Jyväskyläregion, there are several intermediate organizations promoting regional development andentrepreneurship. According to the Ministry of Education, regions should aim at building a sciencepark concept, a plan that would bring different actors together, enabling them to form a gaplessentity of regional development. In the Jyväskylä region the structures for this type of plan are wellfoundedand, with further development, the operation will be more efficiently rendered. In theeducational sector, the interaction between HEIs and intermediate organization should be active andbased on the effective transfer of information. The intermediate organizations could act as a linkbetween the HEIs and firms by providing the HEIs with information about the needs of firms andincreasing the knowledge of firms concerning the HEIs’ educational supply. The need for this kindof information chain is recognized in the Jyväskylä region but, at the moment, it is not workingeffectively enough. The lack of coordination is the main problem. The contacts are mainly based oninformal personal relationships: this implies that the cooperation between HEIs and intermediateorganizations varies markedly between the different faculties and schools. In the JyväskyläPolytechnic, the new development managers of each school could possibly be the most appropriatecontact persons in the information chain, whereas the university system is much more complicated in80