Why Lukashenko supports employer-sponsored programs for students

Summer is the hottest time for graduates. Both for those who left school and are taking their first steps into adulthood, and for those who graduated from universities and are starting a new chapter in the professional life. In some ways, this period is exciting for the state too. The Belarusian president called education a fundamental pillar of the state for a reason. If there are no educated, trained youth in the country today, there will be no country tomorrow, Aleksandr Lukashenko is convinced. In this episode we will tell you why Belarusian universities are increasingly keen to enroll employer-sponsored students and how they differ from tuition-free students and fee-paying students. What are the advantages of employer-sponsored training? What does the head of state require from universities and enterprises who sponsor the training?

The Belarusian education system has long been keen on employer-sponsored programs. Earlier the work lacked consistency. Now the state has a strategy and tactics. The automated system “Employer-Sponsorship and Admissions" has been operating in Belarus for a few years. It helps project specialist needs for years to come. On the basis of this information, educational institutions draw up their admission plans.

Every state-funded student place is actually sponsored by an employer as graduates have their first job assignments in organizations and enterprises. This does not only address personnel shortages but also provides young professionals with a guaranteed job.

Employer-sponsored education in its classical sense has been gaining momentum in the country. This is a unique opportunity for young people to get an education at the expense of a future employer. An applicant concludes a tripartite contract where the signatories are the university, the enterprise and himself/herself. Everything is simple: the company undertakes to pay for studies, and the graduate - to work for the employer for at least five years.

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