The “Work and Organizational Psychology” curricular unit in the 3rd year of the Degree in Psychology at the Faculty of Education and Psychology of the Universidade Católica (FEP-UCP) has recently adopted a different configuration. With the aim of bringing students closer to the real practices of the labour market, the lecturer, Maria Adélia Monarca, organised a special class with the participation of Human Resources professionals from two leading companies: Critical Manufacturing and BorgWarner. This open class was also attended by students from the FEP-UCP's master’s in Psychology of Human Resources Development.
Adélia Monarca, head of the Curricular Unit (CU), explained that the dynamics of this class are part of the CU's annual practice, which aims to strengthen the relationship between theoretical teaching and the challenges of the labour market. “The main objective is to link theoretical issues with the problems of today's world and the labour market, bringing students closer to organisations and their practices," she explained. The lecturer stressed the importance of bringing professionals into the academic context, "so that students can understand real working conditions and the specificities of the functions performed by organisational psychologists".
When asked about the choice of host companies, the professor stressed that both Critical Manufacturing and BorgWarner are already partners of the university and “are contexts that value good practice and in which psychologists play an essential role”. According to Adélia Monarca, this collaboration between the university and the business sector is crucial in preparing students and enabling them to develop transversal skills that are essential for their future.
“The class was very important and useful for our academic training”
The class, which took place on 6 November, was attended by Ágata Faria, a graduate of the FEP-UCP Masters in Psychology of Human Resources Development, currently working at Critical Manufacturing, and Marta Costa, a psychologist at Borgwarner. Both professionals shared their daily experiences and challenges as psychologists in an organisational context and answered the students' questions about their roles, the skills most valued in organisations and trends in the labour market.
"I think today's lesson was very important and beneficial for our academic training, as it allowed us to have a closer contact with the working context in the field of industrial and organisational psychology. Both guests communicated clearly and assertively and were always available to answer any questions the class might have," said Beatriz Aleluia, a third-year student.
According to Teresa Pisco Pereira, also a third-year student: "The Critical Manufacturing presentation was an asset at this stage of my life when I have to choose a Master's degree. It was very enlightening in relation to various doubts that I had and that made me somewhat reticent about this area of organisations," she adds.
Creating learning experiences that bring theory closer to reality
The Work and Organizational Psychology class once again demonstrated the FEP-UCP's commitment to providing learning experiences that bring theory and practice closer together. Adélia Monarca emphasises that the students value this type of interaction, as they have the opportunity to enrich their training with the knowledge and experience of the invited professionals.
