The Electronic Fair For Career Development as a Tool For Career Guidance of Young People

Recognizing the importance of students' skills and competencies is essential as they relate to the employability of young people. For individuals, employability depends on the knowledge, skills, and attitudes they possess, how they use these important elements and how they present them to employers, as well as the context in which they seek work.

It is known that a large percentage of young people from the Western Balkans are unemployed, and they do not have the knowledge, skills, and competencies needed for the labor market. Although there is clear evidence of the effects of non-formal education on the improvement of skills that encourage the employability of young people are many times positive, however, the attention given to this area at the regional level is not enough.

The portfolio of skills that should be possessed by young people and which are necessary for their employment includes the results of the analysis of key skills needed for adapting young people to the labor market, as well as methods for their development through the programs of the Centers for a career, at the University "St. Kliment Ohridski"-Bitola (UKLO), this activity is carried out through the Center for Career, Alumni and Lifelong Learning.

Competence is an essential characteristic of an individual that is conditionally related to a reference outstanding and/or effective achievement in work and reflects the relationship between the world of work and the educational process in which individuals acquire certain knowledge, abilities, and skills that then apply them in organizations. The difference between learning outcomes and competencies is that learning outcomes are seen as knowledge, skills, and abilities that are the primary purpose of education without linking that knowledge and skills to the labor market, while competencies are knowledge and skills that have their application to the labor market. Learning results become competencies only when they are valorized in practice, that is, in work processes. Therefore, learning outcomes mean written definitions of knowledge, abilities, and skills that a student should possess at the end of a certain period of learning and they represent the desired result of the educational process, while competence means the actual knowledge, abilities, and skills that an individual has.

Hence, it can be concluded that the result of learning in higher education institutions should be acquired competencies that include possession of theoretical and practical knowledge, knowledge of information technology and foreign languages, as well as possession of personal business skills. Therefore, these are competencies that will equip students with knowledge in the field of work, that is, they will equip those people who will contribute to raising the competitive advantage of their organizations and the national economies in which they work. In addition, the introduction of personal business skills in higher education also means a step closer to the educational area of ​​the European Union, which includes the possibility and right of individuals to study in any educational system within the Union or to be employed in any member state, regarding of where they earned their degree.

However, what has happened in the past few years as a result of the covid 19 pandemic has made us aware that as individuals or as a team we will have to learn to take advantage of the information technology offers us.

Hence, what we realized as a Career Guidance Fair, which was held with a physical presence, the last few years had to adapt to the new situation and continue to function, but now it is an electronic fair for career guidance of potential students.

What we wanted to do was to get specific information about the interest of future students, that is, how to help them in their career direction.

* The above picture refers to the University "St. Kliment Ohridski"-Bitola, North Macedonia and presents an analysis of the interest of high school students in one of the faculties of the university. The analyzed data is published for the period from 01.03.2022 to 30.06.2022, it will be open until 30.09.2022 when we will have a complete analysis.

According to the data obtained from the analytical center of the Career Guidance Fair, in the past period, the number of first-time visitors to the platform was over 28,000 visitors, who moved through the expo halls, visited the stands, and participated in events within the conference hall.

Over 400 higher education institutions from the region took part in the fair, through which students could get the necessary information in one place.

The analysis of the visit to the stand of the University "St. Kliment Ohridski"-Bitola showcase the total number of visits, as well as the visits by geographical distribution for the period from 01.03.2022 to 30.06.2022.

This information can be useful to have a better insight into where and what young people are interested in and who want to study at UKLO. According to the obtained results, to prepare promotional activities from the units that will be aimed at the target groups for the information to reach as many young people as possible.

In the near future, a more detailed analysis of the fair will follow, as well as other details related to the career guidance fair.

Also, through the analysis, a certain number of questions were opened, which we wanted to point out as the most frequently asked questions of high school students. After detailed research and conversations with potential students, a set of questions have been selected that can help you to facilitate communication with future students.

According to the analysis, what interests future students the most is the following:

1. What is the number of places provided in the state quota?
2. What is the amount of the sum that has to be paid during registrations?
3. What are the amounts in state quota, co-financing, and part-time students?
4. What is the necessary documentation for enrollments?
5. Enrollment dates?
6. How does the registration process work?
7. When will the results be published?