AlmaLaurea News
From AlmaLaurea to FranceInterview with Julien Calmand of the Céreq -Centre d'études et de recherche sur les qualifications- established in Marseille.
In Marseille (France) a centre for statistical research has been founded with the contribution of the Ministry for Education and it is aimed at carrying out periodic surveys on education and labour market. "The surveys of the Céreq, Centre d'études et de recherche sur les qualifications are very similar to the AlmaLaurea’s ones, but unlike the Consortium it doesen’t offer a job placement service for graduates." These differences and similarities between the two survey systems are highlighted by Julien Calmand of the Céreq, who took part to the presentation of the 12th AlmaLaurea Graduates' Profile. "It would be very interesting- Clamand says- to develop a system similar to AlmaLaurea in France." "It’s surely a very useful and original idea."
A system smilar to AlmaLaurea has been developing in France: what is it about?
"The Céreq -Centre d'études et de recherche sur les qualifications - is under many aspects very similar to AlmaLaurea. Graduates are interviewed to draw a picture of their educational and employment performances after the completion of studies. However, its structure is not as composite and well organised as the one developed by the Interuniversity Consortium. For example, the Céreq does not supply a job placement service for graduates. Moreover, it doesn't have a databank that collects the curricula of all the students and makes them available to labour market. In France this kind of role is mostly played by universities, which have created ad hoc systems that enable young people to put their curricula on-line. In this way their curricula are available to companies. Therefore, the Céreq interviews are aimed at making reflections on the educational system, which are useful both for the academic world and the labour market".
What are according to you the advantages of the AlmaLaurea system for Italy? Is it a useful tool for the to achievement of a European knowledge area?
"The fact itself that the interviews of AlmaLaurea are effected annually represents an added value fo the entire Italian educational system. They periodically supply the information that are necessary to analyse graduates' performances. As a consequence, they enable the universities in which those graduates have studied to make a steady evaluation of their activities. The only disadvantage is the fact that not all Italian universities are part of AlmaLaurea and the presence of all of them in the Consortium would actually be necessary to have an exhaustive picture of the Italian higher education system. A reliable and precise picture would indeed be available and if that system was extended to the other European countries, then it would be fundamental to the achievement of an European knowledge area".
Does the AlmaLaurea system represent a bridge between the labour market and univesity?
"It is surely an excellent service that helps graduates to find a job, since it makes their curricula available to companies and this is achieved through the collection of data that are certified by universities themselves. A system like this can only lead to great advantages for the young people who have to enter the labour market after having completed studies. Likewise, it is also a very useful service for the companies that have to select the people to hire. That's way we should apply the same strategy in France too".
Are there any significant differences between the Italian and the French educational system?
"The reform of university has surely lead to important changes in the relations between university and companies. However, there are still knots to be undone. The data collected by AlmaLaurea show it many times. I’m referring to the problem of students dropping out university, which concerns Italy so much, maybe this is due to the longer duration that degree courses had before the "3+2" reform. Moreover, there is also a deep gap between the universities of Northern Italy e the ones of Southern Italy. This gap is also reflected at an educational level and it weakens the whole sectorr. A difference among France and Italy that is immediately striking is the closest relation between French universities and the labour market. We have created a system of degree and Master's degree courses that provide professional training and are aimed at the interaction between the educational system and companies. Also the PhD sector is different. French compagnie are much more interested in hiring people holding this kind of qualification. Great strides have been made in this sector during the last three years. We have increased the services that foster and improve the enter of young people into the labour market, e.g. through research and internships".