On 16th February, the Faculty of Law held the fifth edition of the Universitat de València’s Employment and Entrepreneurship Forum, an event that also hosted the 13th Career Opportunities Day, which brought together around thirty companies and organisations throughout the day. Moreover, more than 40 speakers offered information and advice on a wide range of career opportunities adapted to the profile of the Faculty’s students.
Some 30 stands were set up in the foyer of the Faculty of Law in order to inform about the employment opportunities they were offering, as well as to attract new university talent among the more than 800 people registered.
Mainly aimed at jurists, political scientists and criminologists, the conference sought to open the way to career opportunities through round tables, talks and conferences by sector professionals, and direct contact with offices, companies NGOs and public and private sector entities specialised in the field of legal sciences.
Through the specific website of the Law Forum you can access all the information about the participating organisations, practical tutorials in audiovisual form, employment opportunities and the detailed programme of the event, which started early in the morning with the institutional inauguration by the principal of the Universitat de València, María Vicenta Mestre, who was accompanied by the consellera for Justice, Interior and Public Administration, Gabriela Bravo, and the dean of the Faculty of Law, Francisco Javier Palao.
In his speech, the dean Francisco Javier Palao stated that “young talent is here today” and acknowledged the Forum’s organisation for opening with a conference on labour market and disabled people. “The fullness of a person cannot be understood without its right to work in dignity and, at this point, there is still much to be done”, he stressed. In the same way, he defended civil service: “Few things are more useful than working for the public sector, which has no other vocation than that of service to society”.
To this reflection was added the speech of the consellera Gabriela Bravo, who said: “The Public Administration is an employment opportunity worth considering. We are looking for young talent to renew the Administration. We are aware of the need to renew access systems and we are preparing new tests to assess knowledge and skills on equal terms, and to guarantee access to the best prepared young people”.
Gabriela Bravo announced, in the context of this Forum, that the Conselleria of Justice will set up a programme of one hundred grants of 500 euros per month to help prepare for the public examination for judges, prosecutors and lawyers, and that next May will take place the first public examinations will be held without a competitive examination phase for 50% of the vacancies offered.
In this sense, the principal María Vicenta Mestre, in charge of inaugurating the university job fair, described as “very positive” the initiative of the Generalitat Valenciana in terms of study aids to compete for position on Public Administration examinations. She said: “it is a mesure in line with the Universitat de València, as our priority is that “no one is left behind” in their academic career”.
Maria Vicente Mestre addressed the Law students to remind them that “the Universitat is by your side on this path in pursuit of a place in labour market, where you will apply – she said – the numerous knowledge and skills acquired during your time at this Faculty, and which will provide you with economic and social stability, but also personal satisfaction”.
The principal highlighted the work of the university services UVjob and UVemprén as “essential tools” to achieve the proper integration of students in labour market. “The Universitat is at your service to help you at a time of doubt and uncertainty as the end of the degree”, she said, condition at present by difficult circumstances such as pandemic or climate crisis. She added: “Despite this situation, these forums must also serve to reassure you, because you are very well trained and you have the essential skills to approach labour market”.
And she concluded her speech: “I encourage you to participate in the forum, to inform yourselves, to discover, because out there, there is a place for you that will surely satisfy you and make you feel fulfilled, in short, happier, which is the goal that we all strive for”.
The event was supported by a wide institutional, social and academic representation, including the Universitat’s general secretary, María Elena Olmos; the vice-principal of Employment and Training programmes, Adela Valero; the general manager of the Universitat de València, Juan Vicente Climent; the managing director of ADEIT, Juan Manuel Penín; the director of UVjob, Marisa Quintanilla; Professor Ángeles Solanes, about whom Maria Vicenta Mestre stressed that she will be part of the new of the principal after the elections; deans; and representatives of professional associations.
The Employment and Entrepreneurship Forums of the Universitat de València are organised by the Vice-principal for Employment and Training Programmes, through UVjob, in collaboration with faculties and centres, and are part of the main line of work of the Vice-principal to encourage and promote employability of university students.
For its part, UVjob’s main objective is to collaborate in the employability of students and graduates of the Universitat de València, as well as being a mediator for new employment opportunities. Its team offers guidance and counsel services, training in job search techniques and comprehensive training, and, additionally, provides the university community with a job portal that gives access to multiple job offers in a directory with more than 1,500 registered organisations.
