It has been three years since Prof. Elżbieta Górska, Dean of the Faculty of Philology, and Jacek Drabik, Country Manager of Motorola Solutions Polska, signed a letter of intent concerning cooperation, exchanging experience and sharing knowledge. As a result, a new cooperative education programme was introduced into the Institute of English Studies. Since then, nearly 40 students have completed the course, acquiring the skills necessary to work with advanced technologies.

‘The cooperation between the JU and Motorola Solutions is very innovative when it comes to language studies. Similar forms of collaboration are frequently employed in more technical and scientific fields, but are fairly rare in the humanities’, explained Dr Michał Choiński from the Institute of English Studies, cooperation coordinator.

The course is available to students of second cycle programmes (i.e. MA studies). It comprises Technical Writing and Business Communication Skills (with classes conducted by Dr Michał Choiński and Dr Andrzej Kurtyka) throughout the first semester of the first year, and Advanced Technical Writing (with classes conducted free of charge by Motorola employees with the use of advanced software and hardware) throughout the second semester of the first year. More information about the equipment and computer programmes used can be found here.

During the second year, three or four students are offered a year-long paid internship at Motorola Solutions, after which they can join the company’s staff. The students have to combine attending classes and writing their MA thesis with the responsibilities related to the internship, which poses a difficult challenge, but so far, all of them managed to fulfil the expectations; indeed, the prospect of landing a job at so large a company immediately after graduation motivated them to complete their theses faster than their peers.

‘As a result of this programme, twelve of our students made their way into Motorola Solutions. There are a total of twenty people from our institute working there. The benefits are mutual: our students get a stable, attractive job right after graduation, while Motorola Solutions has highly qualified employees with two years of experience available on hand’, said Dr Choiński.

In 2014, Motorola Solutions awarded the programme, praising its exceptional value as an initiative which integrates the staff while engaging in volunteering. Consequently, the Institute of English Studies received a donation of 400 dollars for the purpose of purchasing specialist literature.

One of the most important aspects of the cooperation is its mutually beneficial character. The the Institute of English Studies staff conduct training sessions in the fields of intercultural communication and interpersonal skills for the company’s employees, who come from various cultural backgrounds (India, USA, UK, Philippines etc.)

‘The way we see it, the programme greatly facilitates the recruitment process. Authorised recruiters from the Learning department have free access to the candidate database. Swift communication between Motorola and the Jagiellonian University ensures that students are always well informed about the current recruitment status’, stated Olga Kozak, Team Leader at Motorola Solutions Polska. ‘The fact that students are learning about technical writing during the course of their studies means that they already know the basics when they are offered the internship, which is a great benefit both for them and their future employer. Additionally, at Motorola Solutions we do everything in our power to make sure that after their internship is done, university graduates are able to continue to work at our company’.

An internship at Motorola provides an opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge about technical writing, as the students are tasked with the same assignments as their more experienced colleagues. Throughout the year, they participate in various projects and learn to use a variety of tools. Because of that, they gain new skills and invaluable experience, which makes them very attractive for potential employers.

‘Just a few years ago, our graduates looked for a job in education or translation. Currently, they are more and more frequently deciding to work in one of many of Kraków’s advanced technology companies as documentalists, information architects and managers’, added Dr Choiński. ‘During the three years of our collaboration, we managed to prepare our students for the challenges related to contemporary job market and equip them with a set of skills which are greatly valued by employers’.

Below are some of the testimonials written by students who participated in the programme:

I highly recommend the internship programme at Motorola Solutions to all students. The working conditions are really favourable, as you’ll be offered an employment contract and the same benefits as regular employees. English language aficionados will feel at home in the Learning department, where they can discuss their interest with like-minded, friendly colleagues. You’ll be assigned to various tasks, so you’re going to gain experience with a multitude of tools and technologies, but if that’s not your cup of tea, you can also work on a single project as a member of a specialised team. – Ryszard

Very useful programme with clearly set objectives! The courses at Motorola offered me a behind-the-scenes look at technical writing. Great on-boarding and extensive help from the staff. It’s really motivating, since you feel like everyone just wants you to make progress and doesn’t look down on you because you’re just doing an internship. It offers more choices in life, not just the standard ‘teaching or translation’. – Jacek

I started my internship only recently, but I’ve already learnt a lot! It’s a great way of developing your skills. I recommend it. – Agnieszka

I’ve not been here long enough to give a detailed account of the internship as a whole, but so far my experience has been wholly positive. The pace and effectiveness of the training is commendable. If you want to learn, you can acquire new skills in no time. The atmosphere is great, everyone is always ready to help if I find myself in a difficult situation. Everything is well organised. I highly recommend the internship. – Dominika

The internship was a cool way to learn working with new software (mainly documentation editors, but there were some graphics editors as well), self-reliance, and cooperating with people of various ages and cultures. The most important this was the fact that I was treated just as a regular employee: I got the same assignments, I had an employment contract, and I was able to participate in many company events. I have a lot on my mind and I’m constantly busy, so I also appreciated the flexible working hours. – Renata

Photographs: Motorola Solutions Polska