Project: 2016 Demonstration Project in Montenegro: VET teachers as learners in industry sector – VETtLIS

DELIVERABLE 2:

REPORT ON VET TEACHER PLACEMENTS

Sasa Niklanovic August 2016

INTRODUCTION This document provides a short overview of VET teachers’ placement schemes in five EU member countries (Finland, Slovenia, Estonia, Austria and United Kingdom) and one non-EU country which has rich experience with teachers’ placement schemes (Australia).

CASE 1: FINLAND The placement scheme of VET teachers in the industry, in Finland called ‘Vocational Teachers' Work Placement Periods’ (WPP), has been an important part of the VET teachers’ personal development system since 2000. Teachers’ Work Placement Periods (WPP) scheme is strongly supported by educational policy. Several policy documents recognise an important role of WPP within the system of teachers’ professional development. For example the Development Plan for Education and Research 2011–2016 and Quality Management Recommendation for VET (Finnish National Board of Education, 2008). These and other documents clearly define the roles and responsibilities of school management and the VET teacher. In this way, WPPs, as a method of competence development, are linked to the strategic outlines of the whole organisation. Description Teachers WPP can be implemented separately from or within the continuing education diploma course called 'Diploma in Working Life Competence' ('Työelämäosaamisen diplomi' which is awarded 25 credits). If WPP is implemented as a part of Diploma, it should last at least 2 months. If WPP is implemented separately from diploma, its duration depends on the goals set in teacher’s personal development plan. The average duration of Teachers’ WPPs is three working weeks (Teachers in Finland, 2013). For some teachers WPPs are a regular experience: a typical interval between work placement periods has been 3–5 years. Reports show that in 2007 about 7% of all VET teachers participated in WPPs and that participation fell to 3,5 % in 2009 mostly due to the world economic crisis. In 2012 the participation was approximately 4,4 %. VET schools organise Teachers’ WPP according to the comprehensive personal development model published in the Guide for Implementation of Vocational Teachers’ Work Placement Periods (Tarja, Frisk 2014). Tasks related to WPP can be ordered by phase:: Work placement period, planning and starting phase 1 Development discussion 2 Application and selection 3 Communication 4 Workplace selection 5 Agreements 6 Resourcing 7 Duration and scheduling 8 Teacher coaching 9 Specification of goals and contents 10 Implementation of work placement 1 Updating of professional skills 2 Familiarisation with workplace operations 3 Promoting cooperation between the education provider and workplace 4 Induction and training of workplace instructors 5 Guidance and communication during a work placement period 6 Monitoring of the achievement of goals 7 Measures after the work placement 1 Reporting of the implementation of work placement and feedback 2 Sharing of experiences 3 Maintenance of contacts with working life in the future 4 Assessment of results and effects 5 Assessment of effects on the education provider’s activities 6 Registration and archiving of materials 7 Funding

Work placement periods can be financed through the VET school’s own funding, such as personnel development funds, and through external funding. For example, the following external funding for resourcing work placement periods has been accessible:  Government funding for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) of teachers (Finnish National Board of Education);  National development projects, such as the development of on-the-job learning, and financial support for the implementation of vocational skills demonstrations (Finnish National Board of Education)  EU-funded projects (European Social Fund, Finnish National Board of Education and the Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment)

The aim of external support from project funding is to introduce the work placement scheme in schools. After receiving such development funding, the school is expected to implement WPPs through its own funding. In practice some schools continue to implement them without

2 additional funding. In such cases, schools allocate part of their personnel or other development funds for these periods.

Evaluation Evaluations (Tarja, Frisk 2014) were highly positive: WPP can enhance personal and professional skills. Teachers felt that their confidence in teaching increased during the work placement period. They also welcomed the opportunity to engage in the practical application of the topics they had learned. Key benefits included practical examples from working life and updating their skills with new working methods. After the work placement period, teachers felt that they were able to provide concrete examples of real situations in working life. During a work placement period, teachers had the opportunity to examine their own role as a teacher and to view their work community from the outside.

CASE 2: SLOVENIA Placement of VET teachers in companies is not a new practice in Slovenia, it existed also in past but was based on the initiative of individual school or individuals who had good cooperation with companies. ‘Improving the Vocational Competences of teachers’ - Pilot project 2014-2015 The first step in the systematic approach to introduction of VET teachers placement in Slovenia was the pilot project named ‘Improving the Vocational Competences of Teachers’ which took place in the period between November 2014 and March 2015. It was financed from the European Social Fund (ESF) Programme and implemented by the Institute for Vocational Education and Training (CPI) of the Republic of Slovenia. The pilot was based on the Job-rotation model: a school identified a suitable company (‘host-company’) and agreed to send a teacher for two months placement period. As a substitute for the teacher who went to company, the school engaged a person from the company or an unemployed person, registered at public employment service, qualified for teaching the respective subject. During the pilot 27 job-rotation placements were implemented. 27 VET teachers who were placed in the companies were replaced by 8 staff members of the hosting companies and 19 unemployed persons. After the pilot, CPI carried out evaluation of the scheme. Feedback of all partners who participated in the project, VET teachers, VET school managers and representatives of host-companies, was very positive. Overall conclusion of the evaluation is that placement of VET teachers brings benefit to teachers, students and companies. Participants also gave some suggestions how to improve the scheme in the following period. ‘Improving the Vocational Competences of teachers’ in 2016-2017 On the basis of good results of the pilot, the Slovenian Ministry of Education, Science and Sport decided to continue systematic implementation of VET teachers’ placement scheme under the ESF Programme throughout the financial perspective 2016-2022. The idea is that after the end of this period financial support will not be needed any more and that VET schools and employers will find another source to sustain the scheme. The first tender was published in July 2016 and will be repeated every second year. After each two-year period the placement scheme will be evaluated. The same procedures and same Job-rotation model will be used.

3 According to the tender documentation following procedures could be identified: Preparation phase Before sending the application, a VET school has to identify some VET teachers for placement, identify the company willing to place the teachers and make agreement with this company. Then, the school sends application form to the CPI according to the specification on tender documentation.

Implementing the placement During the implementation phase the VET school follows up the placement from the aspect of content and finance. During the placement the teachers are still formally employed in the school and receive the same salary as before.

After the placement After the placement the school has to provide final report which includes both the content part and the financial part. On the basis of evaluation some minor changes have been introduced in the tender 2016-2017, such as for example:  In the pilot scheme only companies from industrial sector were eligible to participate. The new tender allows public institutions to participate, but they can only take an unemployed person as a substitute for a teacher.  Duration is now more flexible, school can choose the duration period which can be up to four months (before it was two months). Financing Each VET school claims costs related to the placement of the VET teachers. Maximum reimbursement costs depend on the salary of the VET teachers and vary from approximately 2.200 – 2.600 Euros. Types of reimbursement costs are different and in some cases the school can also cover some costs of the employer. According to the available budget, it is foreseen that approximately 170 teachers can participate in the scheme in the period 2016-2017.

CASE 3: ESTONIA Placement of VET teachers in companies in Estonia is a result of a new Vocational Education Institutions Act which came into force in September 2013 and reform of education which followed. One of the goals of the new act is to improve quality of practical training in vocational education institutions. Various mechanisms are used to bridge the gap between the VET and the labour market and the placement of VET teachers in the companies has an important role in that context. As of 2013, the CPD of a teacher can be carried out as practical work (placement) in a company or organisation and in the field taught by the teacher. During the placement, the teacher is released from the teaching.

According to the new law, VET teachers are obliged to participate in CPD to maintain their professionalism. At the same time, the management of every VET school is obliged to give regular feedback to teachers on their contribution and competences; to support the teachers’ professional and individual development; and to provide opportunities for CPD including work placements in the companies. School management is also responsible for development and applying exact procedures and requirements for placement in the companies.

According to the data available in academic year 2013/2014 (see Appendix: CEDEFOP News website) 80% of all VET teachers had participated in CPD during the last three years and 10% of VET teachers started their placement in companies in 2013. In 2016 the proportion of VET

4 teachers who participated in the teacher placement scheme is 8% (Taimsoo, 2016, CEDEFOP report).

Other reforms have been done to link the world of work and the world of education. The schools can hire professionals from the labour market as teachers if they have necessary competences and meet the actual needs of the school. In this context the competences of the candidates are more important than the formal education of the teachers. However, the competences of professionals from the labour market have to be evaluated continuously and CPD provided if necessary.

CASE 4: AUSTRIA In Austria there is a different but very effective way of linking VET (BMHS) teachers with the world of work. Austrian VET teachers, with the exception of teachers of general education subjects, should have preliminary practice in business. When they apply for a job of a VET teacher they must prove that they have at least three years of relevant professional experience after successful completion of the matura and a diploma examination from a vocational high school. This mechanism assures that VET teachers have very good knowledge of the new technologies and skills required in respective occupations at least at the start of their careers. When a VET teacher starts to teach (s)he is included in Continuing Education and Training (CET) programme. VET teachers are in principle obliged to attend (CET) programmes, with no legal specifications laid down regarding their duration. CET is provided by the university colleges of teacher education and is mostly provided in colleges. However in numerous subjects, the latest technological developments can only be acquired and learned in “real businesses”. Therefore, university colleges of teacher education also organise on-the-job trainings for teachers in the business sphere, i.e. the teachers participate actively in the production process or in business management.

CASE 5: UNITED KINGDOM

Various models of providing placement of VET teachers are used in the UK. It is usually provided within partnerships between VET and business established to support the CPD of teachers and trainers. Employers are connected to schools and colleges through local Education Business Partnerships (EBPs), which may also arrange professional development placements for teachers. EBPs allow teachers to gain insights into how subject areas are translated into business environments and practice. These placements typically last for a half day or a full day. Teachers of science, technology, engineering, arts, math (‘STEM-subjects’) get support from the national Teacher Industrial Partners’ Scheme (TIPS) which arranges placements at local employers. These placements are provided in a package together with face to face and online CPD delivered by the National Science Learning Network. One of the goals of TIPS scheme is also to help teachers understand engineering occupations and help them to guide their students to enrol in VET. Scottish teachers have the opportunity to undertake short placements in businesses to update and develop their knowledge of specific industry related issues through the Excellence in Education through Business Links programme.

In Wales, CollegesWales established a Teaching and Learning Network in 2012 with the aim of improving the quality of teaching and learning in Wales. The network meets once per term to discuss key developments in pedagogy, share good practice, including links with industry,

5 and support projects that aim for excellence in teaching and learning. The network has shared good practice developed through the supported experiments projects funded by the Welsh Government’s Quality Improvement Fund (QIF), and through national conferences on teaching and learning.

Lecturers in Northern Ireland have the possibility to participate in the Lecturers into Industry scheme that provides a link between education and industry in Northern Ireland. Lecturers are invited to return to the workplace for six to twelve weeks and to update skills and knowledge about working practices, technologies and business management, and develop effective partnerships with industry. This is also thought to build confidence and credibility in the classroom.

According to the Review of Teachers’ Placements in Business and Industry (Ireland, 2002), which includes various placement schemes, teachers’ placements have positive impact and outcomes on teachers, schools, students and employers. Teachers reported on increased confidence; motivation and self-esteem; increased technical knowledge: development of teaching materials and hands-on experience. Schools reported on dissemination activities; creation of school-business relationships and new management techniques. Students benefitted from improved teaching materials and resources; improved teaching methods and more accurate careers information. Employers thought that placement was a cost-effective way of staff development; cost-effective consultancy; enables improving the image of the business in the community and that through placement scheme they had better opportunity to influence education.

CASE 6: AUSTRALIA

The education system in Australia is decentralised and this refers also to CPD and VET teachers’ placement schemes which differ from state to state. Beside placement schemes various forms of linking VET and industry exist, including short events (Teachers into Industry - Professional Development Day for Teachers, 2016). At least in some states VET teachers’ placements are well established, widespread and have an important role within CPD system. In this report we will focus on the teacher placement scheme in Queensland: ‘Teacher Placements in Industry –TPI’. TPI are work placements which provide an opportunity for teachers in all sectors, not just VET, to update their knowledge through working in the ‘world of work’. TPI, can last up to 6 months and is included in the broader process of teachers’ CPD. Experience shows that quality and effectiveness of TPI largely depend on:  Integrating the placement within the broader process of CPD.  The support of the school management - principals (including organisational support).  The quality of preparation phase, i.e. identifying teacher’s needs in cooperation with school management and identifying a company where teacher can learn the skills (s)he needs most.  Good cooperation with the company which needs to be sensitive to teachers’ needs.  The opportunities after the placement, i.e. whether the teacher has an opportunity to integrate new knowledge and skills into the teaching process.

The government has developed detailed procedures which school principals, teachers and employers have to follow when they plan and implement individual teacher placement (Teacher placement in industry – Procedures, 2016). Procedures regulate eligibility criteria, application procedures, responsibilities of all involved partners and activities which need to be

6 accomplished prior, during and after the placement. Procedures steer partners to organise the placement according to the experiences of best practices (Wheelahan, 2010). Schools can use various funds to cover the costs of teachers’ placement: school own budget, industry, professional associations, teacher and other associations, funds managed by state departments, Commonwealth government funds and higher education authorities.

Appendix: Relevant sources and websites

Project: 2016 Demonstration Project in Montenegro: VET teachers as learners in industry sector – VETtLIS

DELIVERABLE 3:

VET TEACHER PLACEMENTS - Relevant sources and websites

Sasa Niklanovic August 2016

7 EU LEVEL Cort, Pia et.al. PROFF – Professionalisation of VET teachers for the future. Cedefop Panorama Series. Luxembourg, Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 2004. file:///C:/Users/Uporabnik/Downloads/5156_en%20(1).pdf

Professional Development for VET Teachers and Trainers. Cedefop, 2016 http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/publications-and-resources/publications/9112

FINLAND

Finnish National Board of Education. Quality Management Recommendation for Vocational Education and Training. Helsinki, 2008. http://www.oph.fi/download/47655_quality_management_recommendation_for_vocatinal_ed ucation_and_training.pdf

Frisk, Tarja. Guide for Implementation of Vocational Teachers’ Work Placement Periods. Finnish National Board of Education, Helsinki 2014. http://www.oph.fi/download/155764_guide_for_the_implementation_of_vocational_teachers _work_placement_periods.pdf

Teachers in Finland: Opestusshallitus Utbildningsstyrelsen, 2013 http://www.oph.fi/download/156282_opettajat_suomessa_2013.pdf

SLOVENIA Dvig poklicnih kompetenc učiteljev (Improving the Vocational Competences of Teachers). Slovenian Ministry of Education, Science and Sport and Institute of the Republic of Slovenia for Vocational Education and Training (CPI), 2015. http://www.cpi.si/files/cpi/userfiles/projektno-sodelovanje/DvigKompetenc_zgibanka_splet.pdf

Dvig poklicnih kompetenc učiteljev – Povzetek (Improving the Vocational Competences of Teachers - Summary). Slovenian Ministry of Education, Science and Sport and Institute of the Republic of Slovenia for Vocational Education and Training (CPI), 2015. http://www.cpi.si/files/cpi/userfiles/projektno-sodelovanje/kompetence_povzetek_out.pdf

Dvig poklicnih kompetenc učiteljev – Poročilo o izvedbi programa (Improving the Vocational Competences of Teachers - Report on the Programme Implementation). Center za poklicno izobraževanje – CPI (Institute of the Republic of Slovenia for Vocational Education and Training (CPI), Junij 2015. http://www.cpi.si/files/cpi/userfiles/projektno-sodelovanje/kompetence_porocilo_out.pdf

Javni razpis za sodelovanje srednjih poklicnih in strokovnih šol v programu „Dvig poklicnih kompetenc učiteljev v letih 2016 in 2017“ (Public tender for participation of VESt schools in the programme 'Improving the Vocational Competences of teachers). Slovenian Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, 01.07.2016 http://www.cpi.si/files/cpi/userfiles/projektno- sodelovanje/ESS/JAVNI_RAZPIS_DPKU_2016_2017_scan.pdf

8 Razpisna dokumentacija - Javni razpis za sodelovanje srednjih poklicnih in strokovnih šol v programu „Dvig poklicnih kompetenc učiteljev v letih 2016 in 2017“ (Tender Documentation - Public tender for participation of VESt schools in the programme 'Improving the Vocational Competences of teachers). Slovenian Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, 01.07.2016 http://www.cpi.si/mednarodno-sodelovanje/ess-mizs.aspx

ESTONIA Taimsoo, R. Supporting teachers and trainers for successful reforms and quality of vocational education and training: mapping their professional development in the EU – Estonia. Cedefop ReferNet thematic perspectives series, 2016. http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/publications-and-resources/country-reports/supporting- teachers-and-trainers-successful-reforms-and-7 Estonia - reform of curricula in vocational education and training. Retrieved on 31.8.2016 from the CEDEFOP News website: http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/news-and-press/news/estonia-reform-curricula-vocational- education-and-training

AUSTRIA Wagner, Elfriede. Supporting teachers and trainers for successful reforms and quality of VET – mapping their professional development in the EU – AUSTRIA. ReferNet Austria, 2015. file:///C:/Users/Uporabnik/Downloads/AT_TT_article_EN_final.pdf

VET schools and colleges in Austria. Federal Ministry of Education and Women’s Affairs, General Directorate for Vocational Education and Training, Adult Education and School Sports, 2015. http://www.abc.berufsbildendeschulen.at/upload/2233_E_Gesamtbrosch%FCre.pdf

GREAT BRITAIN Ireland, Eleanor et.al. Professional development – a review of teachers’ placements in business and industry. NFER, 2002 www.leeds.ac.uk/educol/documents/00003547.doc The Teacher Industrial Partners’ Scheme – TIPS. Retrieved on 30.08.2016 from the website: https://www.biochemistry.org/Portals/0/Education/Docs/TIPS%20Flier_2015_16_FINAL.pdf The Teacher Industrial Partners’ Scheme – TIPS – Why should teacher get involved. Retrieved on 30.08.2016 from the website: http://ondemand.imeche.org/on-demand/detail/tips-why-should-teachers-get-involved Torjus, Abusland et.al. Supporting teachers and trainers for successful reforms and quality of VET – mapping their professional development in the EU – United Kingdom. ReferNet UK, 2016. https://cumulus.cedefop.europa.eu/files/vetelib/2016/ReferNet_UK_TT.pdf WISE – A campaign to promote women in science, technology and engineering. Retrieved on 30.08.2016 from the website: https://www.wisecampaign.org.uk/inspiration/2015/08/babcock-hosts-teacher-placements-to- bring-the-work-of-industry-into-the-classroom

AUSTRALIA Teacher placement in industry. http://education.qld.gov.au/students/placement/work/teacher.html

9 Teacher placement in industry – Procedures. Queensland government, Department for Education and Training. Retrieved on 31.8.2016 from the website: http://ppr.det.qld.gov.au/education/management/Pages/Teacher-Placements-in-Industry.aspx Teachers into Industry - Professional Development Day for Teachers. Local learning and employment network of Murray Mallee region. Retrieved on 31.8.2016 from the website: http://www.mmllen.com.au/what-we-do/teachers-into-industry

Wheelahan, Leesa et.al. The quality of teaching in VET - final report and recommendations. LH Martin Institute, Melbourne 2010. http://www.lhmartininstitute.edu.au/research-and-projects/research/1-study-on-the-quality-of- teaching-in-vet

10