Careers without borders
The term “boundaryless career” first appeared in the literature in the publication of Michael B. Arthur and Denise M. Rousseau “The boundaryless career. A new employment principle for a new organizational era,” published by Oxford University Press in 1996. The authors analyzed the concept of careers without borders basing it on the notion of mobility. Mobility understood as – physical mobility, manifested in crossing company boundaries, openness to change and flexibility with regard to the workplace, different forms of employment and also free movement in the local regional, national and global labor market. The second Pillar of the concept was intellectual and psychological mobility – manifested in crossing the boundaries of specialties and industries, diversity of qualifications and competencies, elimination of limiting beliefs and attitudes, and external networking.
Among the declarative effects of implementing the Career Without Borders concept are:
- to gain a sense of independence and influence over their own lives, not just their professional lives;
- Building your own know-how;
- Creating and remaining in an external network of contacts;
- Having an individual identity as a professional;
- Having almost unlimited opportunities for development;
- Having the comfort of choosing to work;
- Building high market value for the employee.
The concept of Careers Without Borders became the starting point for the construction of the “Careers Without Borders” Project, the implementation of which has become a priority goal of the Branch Education Development Program under construction. The creators of the Project had the following vision:
The Jelenia Góra Branch of the Wrocław University of Economics is a university consciously chosen by students as a Center for Innovative Economic Education supported by global business practitioners drawn from the ranks of Jelenia Góra graduates, providing a competitive alternative to large academic centers. The project assumes building the advantage of the Jelenia Góra Branch of the Wroclaw University of Economics based on innovative teaching methods, the advantages of Jelenia Góra’s location, as well as high individualization of the didactic process through the implementation of the programs assumed in the project and constant cooperation with business representatives who are also Jelenia Góra graduates.
The primary objective of the project was to create a unique and prestigious educational offer for students, based on an innovative form of cooperation between research and teaching staff and graduates of the University who form the initiative group for the project, as well as city and regional authorities. The project is under the patronage of the Marshal of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship, the Mayor of Jelenia Gora and the Starost of Jelenia Gora. Eight graduates of our University, representing global business, have already initially joined the project, forming a team of Project Partners deeply committed to the project’s goals. They are managers from various sectors of the economy, with extensive and long-standing experience in the industry in question, holding senior positions in their companies.
The project is divided into six areas, allowing students to choose from attractive programs:
- Mentors(Education Without Borders) co-teaching program,
- Open Lecture Program(Business Without Borders),
- A program to support students in the thesis preparation process based on one-on-one contacts(Mentoring without borders),
- A program to develop the professional competence of students through the organization of training courses, improving skills(Coaching without borders),
- A program for the implementation of internships/internships for students at the invitation of Project Partners(Internships without borders),
- A program for the implementation of practical projects carried out on behalf of Project Partners(Cooperation without borders).
Currently, there are three programs(Education Without Borders, Business Without Borders and Mentoring Without Borders) that are very popular among both teachers and students of our University.
