FMTU students start their professional practice in Plitvice Lakes National Park

Public institution National park Plitvice Lakes i Faculty of Management in Tourism and Hospitality Management, University of Rijeka ( FMTU ) signed the implementation contract on March 17, 2023 professional practices students and thus became partners in part of the teaching process.

Director of the National Park, Mr. Tomislav Kovačević and Dean of the Faculty, prof. Ph.D. Sandra Janković, on behalf of their public institutions, agreed on further cooperation within the scope of professional practice. Plitvička jezera National Park carries out the activity of protection, maintenance and promotion of the protected area in order to preserve the originality of nature, and as such is of particular interest to students of the study program "Management of sustainable development" who acquire theoretical knowledge about environmental protection, rational management of resources and the concept of sustainable development, and through practice they will also gain practical knowledge in the national park.

Professional practice is a mandatory part of the teaching process at undergraduate university studies for all full-time and part-time students. It is carried out in the last, 8th semester of the study program, from the beginning of March to the end of May, and students gain 14 ECTS credits upon successful completion.

Many students, upon completion of professional practice, stay with employers as seasonal employees, and the best ones are offered the possibility of an internship and later permanent employment.

On the other hand, FMTU enables its students, in accordance with the syllabus and expected learning outcomes, to carry out professional practice in various hotel companies throughout Croatia and abroad, as well as in travel agencies, tourist boards, national parks and nature parks, and other organizations.

At the end of the internship, the goal is for students to become more competitive on the labor market, improve their practical skills, and become more prepared to build their careers and overcome new work challenges that they will encounter in the business future.

Photo: Davide Cattini, Pixabay / FMTU / Illustration