FAROS program for talented information technology students

Nowadays students need opportunities for gaining practical knowledge and practicing skills, while companies need motivated young people willing to work and learn. We have recognized these needs and, therefore, decided to get involved in the FAROS program.

Through the FAROS program, our company has started cooperation with the Faculty of Technical Sciences to support talented technical senior year students or master students and give them the opportunity to put into practice theoretical knowledge gained from their studies.

In addition, students will be assigned two mentors (one academic and one industrial) and will get the opportunity to work in an environment that is close to real work experience, as well as to write a bachelor's or master's thesis based on the assigned topic. Also, they’ll be receiving financial compensation for their work.

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Benefits of the FAROS program

This program is created so that all sides involved - students, the faculty, and the companies have benefits.

Students have the chance to get practical experience, work with mentors, and gain new knowledge and skills. Companies get the opportunity to see firsthand the levels and the types of expertise that the future class of engineers possesses. The faculty gains insights into the needs of the market and offer their students needed practical experience.

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How does the program work?

The Faculty of Technical Sciences starts the cooperation with interested companies. Companies suggest program topics and the faculty assesses whether its curriculum can support such topics and whether they can provide an adequate mentor on that topic.

If this is the case, the topic is included in the list of topics that enter the voting process by students. Companies that suggested the topic that got the most of the student votes get to recruit students for the program first.

Because the FAROS project is in its pilot year, Enlight IT is the first and the only company enrolled in the program. We hope its success will drive other companies to join the program, thereby creating healthy competition based on meritocracy.

Students that can apply for this program must be in their final year of undergraduate studies or on master's studies at the Faculty of Technical Sciences and they must show exceptional results during their studies.

The program can last from one to three semesters and it is tailored to students depending on which semester they join the program. In order to apply for the program, students are sending CVs and cover letters to the company.

The selection process is done by companies and it includes:

• Interview
• Technical knowledge test (to be included in the next FAROS batches)

The focus is on quality, not quantity. That means that each company should admit only a number of students for whom it can provide adequate mentors.

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Mentoring program

Each student is assigned two mentors. The faculty appoints an academic mentor, and the company an industrial one. The faculty and industry mentor will work together to design assignments, monitor student work, and impart the necessary work knowledge. Meetings will be organized twice a month where mentors exchange information on student progress, as well as other information relevant to the student and the program itself.

The student spends 8 to 20 hours a week in the company, depending on the agreement. During the program, these selected talented students receive financial compensation depending on the number of hours they spend in the company.

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What will students learn during this project?

The program aims to provide students with both technical knowledge and other soft skills and project management skills necessary for work. They are introduced to the basic tools, technologies, and methodologies necessary for work in the field. Technical knowledge is acquired through presentations, discussions, and work with mentors, as well as through projects they will work on during the program. The following workshops are organized within the project:

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Soft Skills:

• Communication (Assertive and online)
• Time Management and Procrastination
• Teamwork and cooperation
• Stress at work and prevention of burnout at work
• Bomber B- concise presentation of the idea in English

Project Management:

• Project Management
• Working with clients
• Scrum methodology

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