Collaboration with social and economic partners: an important priority for university development

Abstract

In an ever-changing labour market, a university undertakes efforts to estimate the free labour market demands for university graduates. Universities provide the organisational means for advertising their main study programmes, offer continuing education and training programmes at the university and search other methods of collaboration with economic partners. The Vilnius Gediminas University, in Vilnius, Lithuania, has implemented a hot-line system with regional, national and virtual labour exchanges. National and multinational enterprises and companies are invited to organise information days and exhibitions at the University and thus attract the most talented students or graduates. A survey questionnaire was distributed to Bachelor's and Master's degree final year students and repeated questionnaires for graduates in a year of their work serve as very important feedback. This provided information that has helped the University respond to the demands of employers and changing or developing study programmes.