Introduction
The main objective of EuroApprenticeship is to build and organise a network of competent bodies and intermediary organisations which provides expertise, information, help and support to any learning mobility project promoted by VET providers, for the benefit of SMEs or Skilled Crafts Companies and for the benefit of apprentices or people in alternated training systems. More specifically, the EuroApprenticeship project aims at:
§ Supporting VET-providers in creating sustainable European partnerships,
§ Giving an added value to the companies through transnational mobility projects,
§ Implementing a coherent quality system,
§ Proposing appropriate methods and tools for the recognition of mobility periods as a recognized part of the domestic education and training (curriculum approach / added value approach),
§ Providing expertise on legal, financial, administrative and other practical issues,
§ Supporting “new comers” with identifying suitable and experienced host companies and training centres
§ Enhancing the role of intermediary organisation in motivating and supporting companies.
Break out Group 1 - How to motivate and mobilize companies?
Background paper
Context
One of the main problems raised by the VET actors and mobility organisers is the difficulty to implicate companies in the process of organising mobility for there apprentices.
First, to find as broad acceptance as possible, transnational mobility has to offer specific added value for all stakeholders. This applies equally to apprentices (learners), training centres and companies involved. In order to convince companies, it is necessary to take into account the benefits companies expect from mobility for their development and for their apprentices and trainees (What do they consider as a successful mobility project?).
Second, sending and hosting companies are not only “users, but also one of the major actors involved, but they are still sometimes handled as a “weak or passive” element in the process or associated too late when organising learning mobility. In order to mobilize companies it seems therefore also necessary to clarify what are the concrete activities and the role requested from them in the process and to take into account their needs and constraints to fulfil these.
Issues for debate / Expected outcomes
1/ Identify what companies consider as a successful mobility project and their constraints / needs.
2/ Identify steps for facilitating the participation of companies in mobility projects and identify resources (measures) and tools which can be associated to these different steps offering solutions
§ What can be done (actions to undertake) by the different actors (at their levels)?
§ What can be done in the different phases of organizing mobility (before, during, after)?
§ What kind of vectors, tools, resources are needed to facilitate the process of motivating and mobilizing companies?
3/ Recommendations for the cooperation between actors and partnerships
1/ Added value of transnational mobility for companies
Companies will best meet the increased demands of a globalised world economy by employing internationally and intercultural experienced staff. Periods spent for learning and/or working abroad provide an excellent opportunity to qualify staff internationally. Spending a period in another country for learning or a work experience is also one of the fundamental ways in which young people can strengthen their future employability as well as their personal development and entrepreneurship. Mobility projects for skilled workers may also enable business contacts to be established abroad and new markets opened up. In addition, companies can present themselves as attractive employers. Especially in times of impending skilled labour shortage it is helpful to gain good trainees and skilled labour, motivate them and achieve their long-term loyalty[1].
In a survey[2] with French Companies about their perception about mobility, companies pointed out that mobility benefits for apprentices are
For the company, mobility also means:
To see more: http://www.euroapprenticeship.eu/en/2009-results.html
2/ Roles of hosting and sending companies in organising learning mobility and constraints / needs
Sending company must agree to the mobility period since apprentices are employed and trained under a specific work contract:
§ Sending company must not only anticipate the lack of workforce (especially in very small companies), but during the placement abroad the company responsibility and the salary / social charges paid by the sending company are usually maintained;
§ Specific administrative tasks are therefore to handle before the departure and during the placement (insurance) and a learning agreement or training contract must be signed with the hosting company and the learner;
§ Sending company (and sending training centre) delegate also training responsibilities and tasks to the hosting partners. The sending company therefore should fully participate in the organisation of the transnational mobility from the start: agree on learning goals, be involved in the positioning and (professional) preparation of the candidates and participate in the evaluation / assessment process of the mobility period;
§ Ideally, the competences acquired abroad are integrated in the training process back home takes place. EUROPASS mobility document can be delivered.
Hosting companies are requested to offer suitable learning and work environments
§ matching previous identified learning goals or learners profile and project;
§ A tutor should be appointed for organizing support and the follow-up of the learner;
§ Hosting company must take into account that the learner comes from a different cultural, company or VET background and that language skills are often lacking. Nevertheless, the integration in a new work team and production process must be organized;
§ Insurance issues must be clarified. A learning agreement or training contract must be signed by hosting company and the learner;
§ Hosting company is asked to support and follow the learning progress of the learner. An evaluation / assessments are organized involving the hosting company. Hosting company should attest the learning outcomes or acquired competences (as via EUROPASS).
The implementation of transnational mobility in VET is therefore very often seen by the company as time and resource consuming. It is often associated
§ with considerable administrative and organisational efforts (different legal bases and constraints / responsibilities one country from another)
§ differences in qualifications within the EU (different educational systems, educational profiles, different procedures to assess and certify learning outcomes) which do not facilitate adaptation to hosting requests;
Moreover, benefits seem not to be visible at first hand for the company. Companies highlight the difficulty to measure the benefit for the apprentice: it’s not easy to have a feedback from the apprentice about his/her experience of mobility or mobility was to short in time to perceive real benefits.
Especially small companies do not have appropriate internal structures. In a survey[3]about Companies perception about mobility, companies pointed out the importance of the contact with the training center which organise the mobility. 84% of companies would appreciate a meeting with the trainer, the apprentice and the supervisor in order to set up mobility and be more involved in the organization process.
> According to companies, the best way to be informed about mobility is :Tto see more: http://www.euroapprenticeship.eu/en/2009-results.html
A report EAC 44/06 - Support for mobility after implementation of 12 transnational pilot projects to develop innovative tools and practices to facilitate mobility “pointed out specific barriers that prevented SMEs from being active in mobility projects”[4]:
§ Lack of awareness of benefits
§ Low degree of internationalization
§ Reluctance to engage in competence development activities
§ Costs
§ Unsuitable structure and practice of support programs
3/ Checklist of steps / activities facilitating the participation of companies in mobility
Transnational placement projects are usually organised in 3 phases: before, during and after, or in terms of activities starting with a preparation, followed by the implementation process and a follow-up / evaluation. Guidelines and specific tools for mobility organisers and intermediary organisations are available in the toolbox of http://www.euroapprenticeship.eu/en/tools-database.html :
Ex. Tools from “Pro Europass – Apprentices Across the Border” developing practical tools for applying the Europass Training document to apprentices and by establishing a transnational network. – Guidelines for training personnel in companies, for VET schools and companies, for decision makers or Tools from the i2i project which developed useful manuals to secure the whole process of work placement from the preparation to the point of admission of internship. The manuals support schools, companies, exchange organisations, as well as participants.
Promotion towards companies is generally taking place before and after a successful mobility project at different occasions. But communication approaches and communication tools could certainly be improved. The “barometer” tool of EuroApprenticeship will also allow having a better representation of company’s perception of mobility and their needs
http://www.euroapprenticeship.eu/en/mobility-for-companies.html
Cooperation between the different actors involved should be organised in order to better involve companies in the process especially when it comes to involve companies in preparation, the tutoring and evaluation or assessment of the mobility:
· How to inform them?
· How to involve them in the preparation of the apprentices?
· How to associate them in the evaluation (debriefing about apprentices progress)?
Appendix BOG 1
For motivating / mobilizing the sending / hosting company / To do before in the phase of preparation of mobility / To do during the phase of Implementation of the project / To do after in the phase of evaluation / promotionActions by sending training centre
Actions by the hosting partners
Actions by the intermediary organisations
Actions by the regional / national / European authorities
Break out Group 2 - What is the added value of a “label”?
Background paper
Context
Regarding the necessity to mobilize the companies and to demonstrate the learning mobility benefit for firms (in their role of hosting as well as sending company) a label could be a solution.
Nevertheless the labels can have different objectives and forms: is the label intended to be a tangible symbol of quality? Is the label giving information regarding the compliance to criteria? Is a label signifying the holder respects a charter of technical criteria and quality indicators?
Issues for debate / Expected ocutomes
1- The first step should be the identification of the label objectives of to the Eurapprenticeship Member: to which needs it will answer ?
2- Considering the various kinds of labels which one would be most appropriate and what could be the procedure of allocation?
3- What could be the criteria according to the label type choosen?
4- What could be the form and the implemention strategy ?
Regarding the various inputs either coming from cases or debate between participants, answers will be given to these questions. Outcomes expected are recommendation about the type of label and processes to award it, list of criteria to fulfil to obtain the label and finally suggestions for the form and dissemination strategy.
During the PLA the debate will be focused on companies but it should be taken into consideration that several kinds of insitutions could be awarded such as VET training centres.
| Page8
The label, whatever the type could be
§ a source of information for external people: “this company respects/complys criteria”.
§ a symbol of belonging: “my company is member of the “club” supporting the transnational learning mobility”
§ a sign taking into consideration both understanding.
The label strategy is to make visible this membership.
Existing label and charter identified
Kind of Label/ Charter / Quality Label / Compliance Award / Quality CharterObjectives/ characteristics / Quality awards are labels awarded for some aspects of quality performance which has been demonstrated by an organization to an “accredited institution” / The label is given to organization that demonstrates to “accredited institutions” they comply to a list of criteria / Organisations declare they respect the quality a minimum standards (criteria)
Quality Label / Compliance Award / Quality Charter
Procedures of allocation / All quality labels are given on the basis of an assessment of the applicant's performance against certain criteria.
In general the requester has to fill an application that is examined by the “accredited insitution” (see below) / The compliance award (conformity label) is given on the bases of evidence given by the requester through an application. The “accredited institution” gives the award if the requester fulfil the criteria (that not measuring the performance regarding the quality) / The requester is self-committed through formula like “I accept the criteria and I undertake to respect them when I accept the quality charter of the network”.
Who gives the label / Centrally managed / Decentralized / Self-Commitment
Awards are organized / · at international / european level
· at national level / · by national or local government
· at regional level
· by trade or professional bodies / Filling a form
(they can be control by the network charter accredited institution)
| Page8
Among others criteria used either for quality or compliance purposes in vet transnational mobility:
§ Allowance of time and resource to the mentor for learner guidance
§ Pedagogical innovation
§ Duration of the mobility period (and placement)
§ Mentor dedicated to the learner
§ Curricular integration
§ Provision of safe and career environment
§ Taking into account learners level and training objectives
§ Provision of information
§ Recognition given to leaners for satisfactory completed activities specified in the compulsory learning agreement
§ Degree of integration of transnational mobility
§ Assessment of performance
§ Transparency regarding assessment
§ Information related to health and safety given to the learner
§ Delivery of Europass
§ Transcript of record
§ Number of days in company
§ Mobility preparation
Other sources of information
In order not to overload the background paper, we chose to indicate -when existing- the web link in order to give the reader the opportunity to print or not the information.