On Monday, October 4th, 22nd students entered a room in the Civil Engineering complex of the Instituto Superior Engenharia of the University of Algarve, on the Penha Campus, in Faro. But the number of young people who applied to be in those chairs, to debut the new Professional Superior Technical Course (CTeSP) in Computer Technologies, which UAlg promotes in partnership with Deloitte, was four times higher.
«You are the chosen ones. There were over 90 candidates [96] and we picked each one of you. If they're here today, it's because they deserve it», illustrated António Mortal, director of the Instituto Superior de Engenharia at UAlg, in his welcome speech to the students, on the first day of the school year and in the first class ever of this new course. Sul Informação followed.
The welcoming message of this teacher, more than motivational, is one of framing. This is not just any CTeSP and has innovative characteristics in relation to the other educational offer of the Algarve university, from different cycles.
On the one hand, it is a five-year course, which, in addition to the TeSP part, includes a three-year degree in the field of Information Technology and has a strong practical component. As early as the second semester of this school year, it will provide a real work experience for its students.
On the other hand, it is an offer that was structured thinking about the needs of an economic sector, through a partnership with a company, in this case Deloitte, which assumes "all academic costs" of training, in addition to offering the necessary material, namely portable computers "just like any of our workers".
This is guaranteed by Karla Albuquerque, manager of Deloitte Portugal, who was in Faro on Monday, to welcome the students, on behalf of the company – and, of course, to bring the computers that the students received.
“This is a technical skills acceleration course. Students will take a technical course, very focused on programming, in which Deloitte finances all academic costs. They also receive a scholarship. They have now received the laptops and we are going to prepare them for the professional market», explains the multinational's representative.
When Karla Albuquerque says that the company will pay the academic costs of the course, she is talking about the complete package.
After all, students, in addition to the long-term scholarship, enjoy exemption from all academic costs, including monthly tuition fees and registration fees at the CTeSP, with Deloitte assuming all these costs.
The value of the scholarship is progressive and depends on the student's academic-professional performance throughout the course.
In the first semester, students «will be in classes full-time, during all day long. From the second semester until the end of the course, they will be divided into an academic aspect, with classes, and also a professional aspect, where they will participate in real Deloitte projects».
Basically, what Deloitte is doing, based on UAlg, which guarantees knowledge and the pedagogical part, is what is called «a early recruitment. Computer professionals are very scarce and we want to invest in this area. So, instead of lamenting that there are no professionals, we are here to invest and bet on these new talents. We are teaching them, passing on knowledge in an area where nowadays there is a lot of demand in the professional market».
«At the end of the course, they will not only be graduated in the area of computer technologies, they will also have four and a half years of professional experience. In this way, their market value will be greater than that of a recent graduate, because they will already have experience in a company like Deloitte,” added Karla Albuquerque.
For this, the company needs UAlg, in this case the ISE, where not only are there teachers and knowledge so that students have the necessary theoretical-practical framework, but there are also the advantages that the Polytechnic subsystem gives to those who want to have training more labor market oriented.
“This is a partnership that was proposed to us by Deloitte and that we were very pleased to welcome at the university. It has the particularities that Karla just mentioned, in terms of assistance to students, scholarships, etc., but it also has the particularity of being able to have such a continuing degree. We are dealing with this, it has not yet been made official, but it will be in the area of Information Technology», revealed Pedro Cardoso, coordinator of the course and professor at the ISE.
The professor at UAlg added that this «is a five-year program, in which they do a two-year CTeSP and then have those three years to complete their degree, in the area of information technology».
As for the future degree, still in the accreditation phase, «Deloitte played an important role in defining some of the objectives of this course».
Also because the idea is that students never stop working – and earning for that – while they study, since, according to Karla Albuquerque, «they will always have the scholarship, throughout the five years».
In other words, during the course, including the degree, these young people may "be considered part-time workers".
«Here at the Professional Higher Technician Course, they will earn one year of credits towards the degree. This allows you to take the three years part-time, to complete your training».
And who are, after all, the elect?
Taking into account the testimonies that our newspaper collected, they all share a passion for information technology and some knowledge in the area.
Gonçalo Pego, 18, came from the Secondary School of Tavira and had no doubts when choosing the course he intended to take.
«I wanted to follow something related to the IT area, this has always been my dream. That's why I chose the Superior Professional Technical Course (CTeSP) in Computer Technologies», he told the Sul Informação this student from the new UAlg course, adding that he wants to continue his studies and complete his degree.
Ruth, 19, who has always lived in Faro, but he finished secondary school at Externato Séneca, in Lisbon, in the distance learning regime, he learned about the course through «a friend of his mother».
«I'm very interested in this area and I've wanted to take a course for a long time. When I learned of this opportunity, I immediately decided to bet on it», he revealed.
Bruno Gonçalves, also 19 years old, took a technical course in Management and Computer Systems Programming at the Escola Secundária de Loulé, and decided to continue his studies at the Algarve university.
«I like programming, doing new things and always learning. I see this opportunity as a challenge to be able to work in a company with a big name like Deloitte», says Bruno.
Photos: Hugo Rodrigues | Sul Informação
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