Lesya Ukrainka Volyn National University offers students and graduates: Among the university’s main priorities in the sphere of its youth-oriented policies is the “career trajectory”, in view of the fact that in the twenty-first century, it is not only necessary for students to acquire extensive profession-related knowledge, but also to be dynamic, and to have the desire and the determination to continue learning in the long term, to be active as citizens, and to be prepared for the competitive conditions on the job market. These were the grounds for the creation of the LUVNU Career Centre in 2007; the Centre operates on a project basis within the structure of the University Development Fund. The goal of the Career Centre is to develop skills in planning a career and in actively searching for employment. The staff of the Career Centre includes qualified consultants, psychologists and coaches. Volunteers are also involved in the center’s activities. The Career Centre offers students the following opportunities: to participate in training sessions about planning a successful career and looking for a job, as well as training sessions for successfully presenting oneself and communicating with potential employers in job interviews; to place student CVs on the Career Centre website and to get access to the resources that are available at the centre; to participate in various courses and seminars, or to obtain post-graduate education. To employers the Career Centre offers the following opportunities: to place job offers, internship possibilities, and permanent, temporary or seasonal job offers on the Career Centre’s web site; to create scholarship programs or to conduct competitive examinations for employee selection; to participate in the annual Career Fair and other social projects and programs. Achievements in job placement for university graduates” in the international exhibition “Education and Career-2008” in Kyiv. This award gives recognition to the innovative approaches used by the Centre. In April 2011 the Career Centre participated in a project called “The transfer of know-how in the sphere of student career consulting”, involving Poland, Norway, Ukraine and Belarus. In January 2011 a new Career Centre station was opened to provide information and counselling. It was created as an “open office”, which means that it consists of three ‘areas’: independent work with Internet resources, independent work with printed materials, and counselling. The latter includes private as well as open counselling. In this career station, an attempt has been made to draw on the best of European experience in the field of youth counselling, gained during the implementation of the 2007-2008 “Trans-border job market support Centre” (involving Poland, Belarus and Ukraine), and the 2010-2011 “The transfer of know-how in the sphere of student career consulting”, involving Poland, Norway, Ukraine and Belarus. During the course of its existence, the Career Centre has initiated and continues to support projects and programs such as: “Your career is in your hands”; “The Career Centre – Initiatives for Graduates”; “The HR Club”; “The ABC’s of Career Planning” (a manual for graduates); online resume registration for the students; and the annual “Career Fair”. Throughout the year employers can post job offers via the Career Centre’s e-mail: www. career.lutsk.ua. The Career Centre is constantly drawing lessons from the best European experience and achievements, and strives to implement them not only for its own use, but also for other Career Centres in the region. In 2011 the LUVNU Career Centre, with the help of the international organization “Revival”, initiated and created the Volyn Internet portal. This Internet site unites part nering organizations from different universities throughout the whole region The address of the site is www.your-job.org and the site is a platform for the constant exchange of experience and it improves the work of such Career Centres all over the region. By means of this internet site, students get more information and support on the job market. The main areas of Career Centre activities are the development and application of different models of education through training sessions, workshops and certified programs. All of these innovations will increase the competitiveness of graduates on the job market. The Career Centre also endeavours to create new programs that will involve city councils, business organizations and NGOs. In June 2010 the Lesya Ukrainka Volyn National University Alumni Association was created. The main purpose of the association is to increase career opportunities for the graduates. The main goal of the association is to consolidate the efforts, experience and professional skills of university graduates in order to maximize their achievements; this will help to project a positive image for the university. The Career Centre is engaged in active initiatives in all of the faculties and institutes, and makes an effort to maintain contact with all individuals who have ever studied at the university. The Centre also creates special exhibits and dedicates rooms to eminent alumni. Commemorative and/or topic-oriented meetings are regularly organized and conducted to develop contacts between alumni and current students and teachers. Among the alumni there are many benefactors who support many educational and art projects; assist with technical equipment and help to raise the university’s ratings and to improve students’ future chances and opportunities. They are also deeply involved in the organization of various conferences, festivals, and competitions, and in the publication of various printed projects; they also help with the organization of the Career Fair and many other university events. In addition, they also provide places for the student internships and further job placement. On the occasion of the university’s 70th anniversary, a unique publication, “The Golden Pages of Lesya Ukrainka Volyn Nation al University: Our Alumni” was created. It presents information about famous people of the past and present who have achieved eminence in various spheres such as government (state and local and municipal institutions), business, science, education, and sport. The implementation of all these projects that have been mentioned above, mainly by the Career Centre and the Alumni Association, will provide the possibility of improving career opportunities for graduates, and the knowledge and skills that students gain at the university will become the basis for the economic, social, cultural and political growth and stability of our country on the European and world levels. Career guidance consultations: assistance in writing a resume, cover letter; formation of skills of effective presentation of oneself to the employer; providing information on temporary and permanent vacancies for employment of graduates and students in various fields (vacancy bank); explanatory work on legislative and regulatory acts of state regulation of employment and labor relations; preparation for an interview and a stressful interview with the employer; assistance in adapting to a new workplace, etc. Educational and training work: training "Self-presentation and effective resume"; training "Secrets of successful interview and stressful interview"; training "Job Search Technique"; professional motivation of students to look for work; assistance in employment of students with special needs. Cooperation with the Department of Education and Science, employers and employment centers: informing about open vacancies (always a fresh bank of vacancies from a professional consultant); job search seminars; organization and conducting of excursions at various enterprises and productions for our students.
