Erasmus Placement ConsortiumInternational Internships at Oulu’s Higher Education Institutions IIOHEI:- Oulu University of Applied Sciences (Coordinator)- University of Oulu- City of Oulu

• The first and only placement consortium in Finland, one of the 76 consortia (08/09) in Europe

• A small & regional consortium

Finnish education system

Oulu university of applied sciences• 9,000 students including

• 230 international degree students and• 230 exchange students from ca 50 countries

• 800 staff• 30 Bachelor’s degree programmes (210 to 270 ECTS credits) and 10

Master’s degree programmes, out of which 2 in English• Study fields: health and social care; engineering; renewable natural

resources; business and information management; music, dance and media

University of oulu

• 16 000 students• 2900 employees• 1060 foreign employees and students• 6 faculties• 46 degree programmes in Humanities, Education, Science, Medicine,

Dentistry, Health Sciences, Economics and Business Administration, Technology

• First-cycle, second-cycle and third-cycle degrees

CITY OF OULU

• The largest city in northern Finland• 140 000 inhabitants• In terms of population Oulu is the sixth largest city in Finland • One of the fastest growing urban centres in the country

practical training in oulu UAS

• The Bachelor degree curriculum comprises a compulsory practical training in all fields (30-120 ECTS).

• App. 80-90 students per year complete a practical training abroad with university’s support.

• Practical training abroad is a growing trend among the students and was valued better than a training at home in a large student feedback questionnaire.

• Students may do the training in a partner university, company or organisation.

practical training IN OULU UAS

• Students look for the placements mainly themselves.• Placement mobility in all the fields. Most active ones: Social and Health

care, Business, Engineering.• Placements abroad are built into the academic semesters

(autumn/spring) as well as in some degree programmes the placements are done during summer vacation.

• App. 90% of the placements abroad are unpaid.

practical training in the univ.of oulu

• Some degree programmes include a compulsory practical training, but not all. Every student has a possibility to do a practical training abroad.

• The practical training abroad is recognised either as a compulsory practical training or as a part of final thesis. In some cases practical training credits may also be recognised as a part of optional studies.

• App. 50 students per year complete a practical training abroad with university’s support.

practical training in the univ.of oulu

• Practical training abroad is a growing trend among the students.• Students may do the training in a partner university, company or

organisation.• Students look for the placements mainly themselves.• Placement mobility in all the fields. Most active ones: Humanities and

Education.• App. 70-80% of the placements abroad are unpaid.

• Started in 2007-2008, based on previous good cooperation as well as cooperation funding between the universities

• Common facilitation and administration of Erasmus placement mobility: sharing of costs and resources

• Increasing the amount of Erasmus placement mobility –outgoing and incoming

• Marketing of Erasmus placement possibilities among the students and staff of the HEIs

• Cooperation with the City of Oulu as well as local companies in terms of building company and organisation network

WHY ERASMUS CONSORTIUM?

Facts and figures

• Staff resources: One coordinator, app. 1 day/ week• Budget (inc. SMP mobility grants and OM organising mobility)

granted used

- 07-08 104 559€ 51 180€- 08-09 131 300€ 111 550€- 09-10 79 640€ all- 10-11 79 480€ -

Facts and figures• Mobile students / months

- 07-08 22 outgoing students- 08-09 50 outgoing students (205 months)- 09-10 47 outgoing students (189 months)- 10-11 number will increase from the previous season

• Average lenght of the placements (09/10): 4 months • Subject fields of the mobile students (09/10): all possible fields from

archelogy and education to natural resources and business

Facts and figures• 38 unpaid traineeships/ 9 paid traineeships (09/10)• Employers mainly small and medium size companies

• The amount of practical training grant for a student (10-11)- unpaid traineeship: 400€/month (3 first months) and 300€/month (for the remaining months, max. 9 months) - paid traineeships: 200€/month -> can be decided by the consortium in the min.-max. grant framework given by CIMO

Administration • The consortium work is run by the following actors:

- steering group (no separate funding from the consortium)

Representation from both HEIs and the City of Oulu

- consortium coordinator (work funded partly with the OM funding and partly with universities’ own funding)

- consortium contact persons in the universities (no separate funding from the consortium)

- departmental international relations / practical training coordinators (no separate funding from the consortium)

ADMINISTRATIONSteering group

- Decides the main functions of the consortium.- Makes decisions on the placement grant amount and placement requirements for the year.- Monitors the actions.

Coordinator (app.1 day/week)- Writes the needed applications/reports.- Communicates with the National Agency CIMO.

- Allocates/ makes the decisions on the student grants, watches the budget.- Communicates with the contact persons of both HEIs.- Carries out the Erasmus placement mobility marketing for students and staff, maintains the consortium website.- Develops the consortium functions in general.

Consortium contact persons- Communicate information related to Erasmus placement mobility to the departmental level.

- Deliver placement opportunity information to the students/ staff. - Guide the students with Erasmus placement issues.- Do the final check of the Erasmus placement agreements.

Departmental coordinators- Market the Erasmus placement mobility opportunities.- Guide the students with Erasmus placement mobility.- Approve and credit the possible placements.- Help with/ sign the Erasmus placement agreements.- Monitor the placements.

Students- Look for the placement themselves.- Have the main responsibility with the training agreement.- Report the placement according to the requirements of their own HEI/faculty.

Crediting of placements• In Oulu UAS each degree programme have their own measures of crediting a

placement. As an example in Engineering:1 week of work (40hrs.) = 1,5 ECTS (national standard)

• In the University of Oulu the placement requirements (time, credits etc.) are degree programme/ faculty specific.

• The amount of credits is agreed beforehand in the training agreement by the student and the person responsible for the placements in the degree programme.

• Credits are given after a completed and reported training.• N.B! Erasmus placement can be also completed without credit allocation. The

min. requirement is a training record in student’s Diploma Supplement.

Funding & costs

Example from 09/10• app. 10 000€ needed for the coordination and other costs, from which

app. 7000€ was covered by the OM funding• 73 732€ used for student grantsN.B!

Costs are dependent on the needed actions of the year. In the implementing phase the coordination costs and other costs are higher.

Role of the city

• Part of the steering group.• The biggest employer of the area –> may facilitate placements for

incoming students.• Internationalisation is part of city’s strategy -> consortium work

supports the strategic goals.

OULUGOGO - marketing

• Erasmus placement mobility is marketed under common OuluGoGo -actions and image

• Main marketing tool and information channel:www.oulugogo.fi

• Common OuluGoGo –documentation: Erasmus training agreement• OuluGoGo -brochures for students and companies

Consortium – added value?

• common and shared administration procedures• common and enhanced marketing of Erasmus placements among the students as well as the staff• saves money and resources after the first year/years • enhanced cooperation among the universities and the City of Oulu -> added value when looking for companies and other actors for cooperation• international contacts and networks for the work.

Iiohei Consortium –Challenges for the future

• Mobility: Current results are based on outgoing mobility only. Possibilities for incoming trainee mobility should be developed.• Funding:Currently both HEIs could use more funding for organising the practical training mobility as well as for student grants• Placements:Currently students find the placements themselves. Ready networks for placement opportunities and better cooperation with companies could be developed.

Thank you for your interest!

For more information:www.oulugogo.fi

Katja Kurasto, Consortium Coordinatorkatja.kurasto@oamk.fiSami Niemelä, International Relations Officessami.niemela@oamk.fi