Target area:	Linking Higher Education & Society
Sub-target area:	Human Resource Development
Target countries:	Kosovo
Duration:	May 2010- September 2010
Partners:
Budget line:	USAID Kosovo Private Enterprise Program

Project description

The Cross Sector Internship Program represents the follow up of a very successfully implemented project “The Pilot Business and Economics Internship Program” which ran between June – December 2009.

The project aims to provide Senior or Last Year University students with the opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge gained during their studies into practical employment experience. Additionally to students of the business and economics field the target group is extended to students of the Faculties of Law, Civil Engineering and Architecture.

Furthermore, the internship project will help students to discover their major field of interest, and clarify the specific job in which they would like to be employed. The internship will also offer employers a preview of prospective candidates, which will thus have a positive effect on the newly graduates’ job search.

The wider objective of the project is to contribute to the internship institutionalization at the University of Prishtina (UP), more specifically at the Faculties of Economics, Law, Civil Engineering and Architecture. This is to support the reforming process of the Higher Education Institutions of Kosova, as well as the strengthening of the linkage between universities and economy, as one of the main objectives of the Bologna Process.

The following specific objectives are addressed by this project:

• To offer an opportunity for students to apply theory in practice at the workplace
• To offer linkages between job-seekers and employers, as well as enabling institutions/companies for hiring and identifying future possible employees and leaders
• Increasing awareness for institutionalization of internships opportunities at University level, specifically at the Faculties of Economics, Law, Civil Engineering and Architecture
• Providing students with different labor market skills 
• Facilitating the linkage between students and the municipality where they come from
• Ensuring the linkage of the Faculties of Economics, Law, Civil Engineering and Architecture with the public institutions and local companies

The project is organized in cooperation with the faculties of Economics, Law, Civil Engineering and Architecture of the University of Prishtina, Ministries and Municipalities of the Republic of Kosova; as well as different private companies. Through the project 40 interns will be selected to do internship at the aforementioned institutions.

 The Cross Sector Internship Program is sponsored by the USAID Kosovo Private Enterprise Program and implemented by WUS Austria. Duration of the project is four months.