Please describe the case in detailIn particular please consider (a)Objectives of the intervention; (b) Tools used to achieve the project goals; (c) Methodologies applied;
We collect the feedback of satisfaction with knowledge and competences from different stakeholders: employers, mentors of work-placement, graduates and students (with work-placement and gained competences, with subjects and lecturers, with college and study process, about workload according ECTS) with surveys and focus groups meetings.
To meet the needs of WOW, we check the relevance of teaching and learning process and outcomes with the surveys for employers and mentors of work-placement yearly and with graduates after final exam and every second year after graduation.
Employers, mentors in companies and graduates are the most important source of information about quality of our study programs and gained goals. We use different ways of collecting feedback (surveys, meetings, visits in companies, students reports and focus groups) with the objective to improve the education provision so it fits the labour market needs.
We collect the feedback of satisfaction with knowledge and competences of students and graduates from employers and mentors with the help of students who gives questionnaire to their mentors and to the employers (chief of human resources or directors) during their obligatory work-placement (1o weeks each study year) with the survey which was constructed in the project Impletum 2008-2011 (proposed and checked by our institution and QA commission of Skupnost VSŠ RS).
We analyse the data, prepare the report and share the results with WoW during the meeting employers. During focus group meeting we discuss their needs and prepare action plan for improvement with the objective to improve the education provision so it fits the labour market needs.
We focus specially on the fields where we find the biggest discrepancies between the opinion from mentors and employers on one side and student/graduates on the other side.
We discuss competences which are needed in WOW and on basis of that we plan activities and accents in curricular and extracurricular activities (courses).
For instance: Some years ago, employers and graduates reported that they need more linguistic knowledge in English/German and advanced knowledge of computer programs. According to their remark we pay more attention to those subjects, provide initial course of foreign languages for students, advanced courses in foreign languages and informatics for students, graduates and employees in the organisations in our region.
During meetings with the employers, we check which skills will future employees need and try to offer those to our students.
Employers are satisfied with graduates (Mean=4.6 on 5-level scale, Std=0.6), with students (Mean=4.7 on 5-level scale, Std=0.5), and have fulfilled expectations with graduates (Mean=4.1 on 5-level scale, Std=0.8).
Students are satisfied with work placement and acquired competencies (Mean=4.2 on 5-level scale, Std=0.4). They are most satisfied with competence for administrative work and handling with documents, offers and paper work (Mean=4.8), the least with communication with costumers (Mean=3.4).
Students are satisfied with subjects (Mean with different form 4.6 to 4.8). The most useful knowledge during work placement is ICT, business communication and marketing. They would need more knowledge of computer’s programs, accountant, taxes and foreign languages for more successful work during work placement.
What resources are required for the case?Consider human resources, financial resources, infrastructure, in-kind resources and any other type required.
The person responsible for students affairs publish the surveys and the mentors of work-placement collect and analyse datas. A focus group meeting is organised by headmaster and mentors of workplacement and extra courses are organised by lectureres. From financial point of view we only need resources for award for lecturer all others is part of regular job of emloyees.
What are the enabling factors making this case successful?Consider institutional support, environmental/social/political factors, etc.
We have a lot of suport of school leaders, lecturerer and especially WOW (they feel involved and contribute to teaching process).
Why do you consider this case to be good/best practice?Please consider that a best practice must (a) have a clearly defined objective to increase the connection with the World of Work, (b) address the target groups of the project, (c) be replicable and sustainable, (d) have clearly demonstrated evidence of effectiveness in increasing the connection with the World of Work
The objective is to meet the needs of WOW and it focuses on two groups - graduates and employers. We are checking appropriateness of learning outcommes and try to provide graduates wuth the good competences to start working independenly soon after graduation. Results help to improve graduates possibilities and chances to find a job.