1.
Reforming Foreign Languages in Serbia TEMPUS project LABOR MARKET SURVEY Jelena Gledić

2.
Survey design <ul><ul><li>Goal: Establishing the relationship between the higher education system and the labor market </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Three key groups: </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Educators </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Representative stratified sample of teachers of philology from all relevant Serbian Universities </li></ul></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Employers </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Representative stratified sample of companies across Serbia’s key economic zones </li></ul></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Employees/Potential Employees </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Representative stratified sample of language students from all relevant Serbian Universities </li></ul></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Representative stratified sample of unemployed philologists graduated from any Serbian university </li></ul></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Simple random sample of employed philologists graduated from any Serbian university </li></ul></ul></ul></ul>

3.
Preliminary results – Educators <ul><li>Approx. 80% of the sample analyzed </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Course content </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Almost no obligatory translation exercises </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Some obligatory interpretation exercises </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Need for reform </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>“ The law on higher education should be changed so that highly experienced language professionals can contribute more.” </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>“ Responsible and conscientious work ethics [should not be changed]. Everything else can and should always be reformed, in accordance with scientific advancements and labor market needs.” </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>New courses – maybe as specialized master programs or electives, or as teaching skills rather than theory </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Achieved language skills Vs. Needed language skills </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Most believe students do not achieve the highest levels expected by most employers </li></ul></ul></ul>

4.
Preliminary results – Students <ul><li>Approx. 60% of the sample analyzed </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Course content </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Important as general knowledge or base for improving communication skills </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Lack of education in contemporary skills, such as translation software, new teaching methods etc. </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Work Experience </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Most – none, some organized teaching/translating, some individual work </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Achieved language skills Vs. Needed language skills </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Most believe they do not achieve the highest levels expected by most employers </li></ul></ul></ul>

5.
Pilot Surveys – Employed Philologists <ul><ul><li>Studying abroad </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Crucial for achieving language fluency </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Important for gaining a competitive edge </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Obtaining additional degrees </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Crucial for gaining a competitive edge </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>“ For a better position in the labor market, learning more, making more contacts .” </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>“ I wasn’t sure I could her a job in my field and I thought that getting a masters in a different field, one more in demand, would help me get a job faster, which was the case. However, now I feel that the main advantage of that choice was the experience of multidisciplinarity and interdisciplinarity .” </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Course content </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Excellent for general knowledge, but not up to date with labor market demand </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>No organized interships </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>No content related to skills necessary for performing most jobs (computer literacy, organizational skills, professional jargon etc.) </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>“ I had to learn all of that after graduating, on my own.” </li></ul></ul></ul>

6.
Pilot surveys – Employers <ul><ul><li>Jobs </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>In some companies, there is a company translator/interpreter, but he/she is not a graduate philologist – they are employed based on references and recommendations </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Persons who are familiar with the relevant business field are given an advantage to language experts </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Achieved language skills Vs. Needed language skills </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Most believe philologist do not posses the highest levels expected by most employers </li></ul></ul></ul>

7.
Conclusions <ul><ul><li>Expected results </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Implications: </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Education – specialization, interdisciplinarity </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Language policy – state support </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Job market – mechanisms for education reform </li></ul></ul></ul>