Work placements and employability Els van der Werf Hanzehogeschool Groningen / Hanze University of Applied Sciences, Groningen
Work placements and e...
Work placements and employability Els van der Werf Hanzehogeschool Groningen / Hanze University of Applied Sciences, Groningen
Work placements and employability Europe 2020 strategy > smart, inclusive and sustainable growth > unleashing all young people’s potential Challenges • youth unemployment is unacceptably high (around 20%) • expected increase in jobs that require high-level qualification (from 29% to 35%) • not enough people that have completed tertiary or equivalent education (current 31% needs to go up to 40%) 2
Work placements and employability
Some Youth on the Move action lines • develop key competences and quality learning outcomes in line with labour market needs • promote high quality traineeships as workplace learning experiences, building bridges to the labour market • promote international learning mobility, because it enhances job prospects • promote employment mobility, including first job 3
Work placements and employability New key actions • promote a quality framework for traineeships • stimulate companies to offer traineeship places and be good host enterprises (e.g. through quality labels and awards) • Youth on the Move card and European Skills Passport to facilitate learning mobility • ‘Your first EURES job’ project and European Vacancy Monitor 4
Work placements and employability Work placements as a way forward? • including work experience into HE curricula is seen as an important strategy to improve employability of new graduates • Flash Eurobarometer “Employers’ perception of graduate employability”: 53% of employers strongly agree and 34% agree to some extent that work experience is a crucial asset for new employees
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Work placements and employability
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Work placements and employability
Work placements as a way forward? • 36% of employers would like to see work placements included in HE curricula • 30% think that practical experience should be included
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Work placements and employability
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Work placements and employability Integrated work placements • not common in all types of study programmes • standard in some disciplines (health care, education) Generally associated with specific type of HE (applied, vocational, professional) The Netherlands: • universities of applied sciences: mandatory in all study programmes – 30 ECTS or more • research universities: optional in most degree programmes – growing interest among students 9
Work placements and employability An organisational challenge!
mandatory work placements in all study programmes requires a sustained effort by the HEI: For example: 24,000 students > 5,000 work placements p/y Issues of: • finding enough companies/organisations • preparation and supervision of students • quality of work placement
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Work placements and employability Integration of work placements into the curriculum • HEIs have to invest in this part of the curriculum • organising and supervising work placements costs as much as teaching • integration of work placements means curriculum reform • choice of organisational model • students find their own placement • placement coordinators actively recruit and assign students to a placement • role of commercial agencies 11
Work placements and employability Different types of placements • orientation placement – allows students to get a taste of the professional environment in which they will be working • short (weeks, rather than months) • work shadowing, small assignments • profile placement – train the competences related to the professional field • a few months, usually a semester • semi-independent work, under supervision • final year placement – like profile placement • a semester to one academic year • high degree of independece • complex assignment, resulting in thesis
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Work placements and employability
Monitoring the quality of the placement • the company/organisation must be suitable • a competent supervisor must been assigned by the company/organisation > preferably instructed/trained by HEI • set of tasks or assignment of student must be clear • tripartite placement contract has to be signed
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Work placements and employability Preparing and supervising the student • physical absence of student does not mean less responsibility for learning process! • make clear what you expect of the student and what the student can expect from you (HEI and company supervisor) • supervision by institution should be more than a formality • supervision includes regular contact
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Work placements and employability Recognition of work placement • starts with formulating intended learning outcomes of work placement • key function of work placement in a curriculum is to have the student test his/her (theoretical) knowledge and skills in the professional practice • some emphasis on generic competences • learning outcomes must be measurable and measured
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Work placements and employability Work placements as a standard feature in HE? • not realistic to assume that all HE programmes will want to/ be able to incorporate a work placement • influence of economic situation on the willingness of world of work to offer placement opportunities is relatively small if: • cooperation work placements are part of long-term collaboration in diverse fields • work placements are not primarily seen as work, but as study > a change of culture is needed! 16
Work placements and employability Work placements employability Cf: Reflex project (The Flexible Professional in the Knowledge Society)
Work placements seem to provide a good basis for entering the labour market (first employment): • only in combination with a study programme that addresses generic competences • employers have a better idea of competences of (future) graduates • it allows students to build up contacts in the world of work • long term effects are negligible 17
Work placements and employability Need for collaboration • Employers recognise the importance of collaboration with HE • Work placements are a way of raising awareness among employers about the ‘new graduate’ • Is the average employer really interested in the Bologna tools, such as the DS?
