Quala Colombia, a food manufacturing company, held a recruitment event for students and graduates of the Industrial University of Santander (UIS) with the aim of providing internship and entry-level job opportunities to young professionals from the university.
“We are at UIS because we are here to attract and recruit the talent that, for many years, has contributed to Quala’s growth. The University has made significant contributions in areas such as production, logistics, and sales, and we hope this relationship will continue to strengthen,” said Carlos García Vasco, head of recruitment at Quala Colombia.
In addition to the recruitment process, company representatives led workshops focused on strengthening key skills for entering the workforce, particularly those related to soft skills and adapting to the business environment.
“We discussed soft skills, which represent one of the main challenges for recent graduates as they transition from college to the workforce. Our visit also aims to contribute to the comprehensive development of these young people,” added García Vasco.
For the UIS Institutional Alumni Program, these types of events strengthen the relationship between academia and the business sector, creating new opportunities for students and recent graduates.
“We promote events like this one, where companies such as Quala—which has now visited us three times in the last two years—offer internship opportunities and entry-level job programs to our students and graduates. This allows us to connect the business sector with the University and facilitate the transition into the workforce for our young professionals,” said David León, coordinator of the UIS Institutional Alumni Program.
For students in their final semesters, the event provided an opportunity to gain firsthand insight into business dynamics and strengthen essential skills for future job applications.
“I find this a very interesting event because it helps us better understand how the professional world works, how to stand out in a hiring process, and what areas we need to improve to grow as professionals,” noted Jenny Ortiz, a chemical engineering student.
For their part, the graduates highlighted the importance of this type of initiative for gaining initial professional experience and expanding their opportunities in the job market.
“It’s a very valuable opportunity to connect with companies, especially because, as recent graduates, taking that first step into the professional world is often one of the biggest challenges,” commented David Mosquera, a UIS Electronic Engineering graduate.
