Industrial or professional practice for students in universities usually begins in the final semester of the last year. In many cases, this leads to students not acquiring sufficient practical knowledge and skills in their chosen specialization, consequently creating certain difficulties for employers.
Recently, proposals have been put forward regarding the commencement of practical training from the 3rd year onwards. This could allow for a more comprehensive development of the student as a professional.
It is interesting to consider whether this approach can be implemented in the near future, and if so, what its advantages and potential disadvantages might be?
Education expert Elçin Süleymanov spoke to AzEdu.az on the topic.
He stated that if students' practical training and internship programs are properly structured, this has a significantly positive impact on their future careers:
"In previous years, practical training was usually conducted in the 2nd or 3rd year. Later, changes were made to higher education programs, and practical training was moved to the 8th semester of the 4th year. I would not say that this change weakened effectiveness. In fact, in many countries, practical training is conducted in the final year or after completing the 3rd year. The main reason for this is that students should first learn their specialized subjects and then undertake practical training.
As I mentioned, practical training conducted after the 1st and 2nd years in formal education may not be very effective. This is because general subjects are mainly taught in the 1st year, while specialized subjects are few. However, practical training conducted at the end of the 3rd year or in the 4th year, I believe, is more beneficial.
My observations suggest that if students' practical training and internship programs are properly structured, this has a significantly positive impact on their future careers. At the same time, this process is also considered real work experience. Previously, internship programs in the final years were organized during the summer months, and since the academic semester had ended, effectiveness during that period was relatively low".
These three-month internship programs positively impact students' future job prospects:
"During the summer months, enterprises enter a quieter and more stable period, vacations increase, and company activities become somewhat passive. While not all, a significant portion finds themselves in this situation. Currently, however, practical training and internship programs are conducted within the semester, which is a more active period for companies. At the same time, since there are no subjects during that period, students can fully focus on their practical training.
These three-month internship programs positively impact students' future job prospects. The main essence of the changes is that the University's Academic Council or the faculties' Academic Councils can determine the timing of practical training themselves. This may vary from specialization to specialization and from faculty to faculty. In some faculties, conducting practical training after the 3rd year is considered more effective, while in others, it is the 8th semester.
It would not be appropriate to determine this matter in a specific and mandatory manner. This is because it depends on the characteristics of the university and the relevant program. The main goal here is for practical training not to be merely formal, but to be truly effective. That is, interns should learn all stages of the work process as active participants, and at the same time identify their weaknesses so that they can develop both their soft and hard skills in the future and be prepared for working life.
From this perspective, the internship program should be taken seriously as an integral part of the educational process and carefully monitored. This is because the experience gained by the student during the practical training period plays a significant role in shaping their future career".
