Context

1. International Meeting on Education and Business Cooperation in EU Neighbouring Countries ETF Turin, 29-30 March 2010Ulrike Damyanovic

2. Context • Conclusions of the Council and the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States on enhancing partnerships between education and training institutions and social partners, in particular employers in the context of LLL (12 May 2009) • Commission Communication on University-Business Dialogue (2 April 2009) • Communication on New Skills for New Jobs (16 December 2008) • Sector wide support programs, policy frameworks in the countries and the Torino Process

3. TorinoProcess Key objectives • Provide a concise, documented analysis of VET reform in each country, including identification of key policy trends, challenges, needs, good practices and opportunities • Support countries’ evidence-based policy making and planning process • Inform ETF’s recommendations to the Commission for programming external assistance Deliverables • Short and shared country reports, as well as cross-country, regional analysis of VET.

4. Study education-business cooperation Objectives • To map and analyze the situation and to provide recommendations for promoting and/or enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of co-operation • Synergy with EU intergovernmental and international similar initiatives Target Groups • Education, business and social partner representatives from 29 partner countries and territories.

5. Study education-business cooperation Outputs • Country reports that highlight barriers and success factors and provide recommendations how to address problematic areas • as well as • Four-regional and a cross-country report Timing • 2009 – spring 2011

6. Methodology and Timing • Collection and analysis of information sources through desk research ( from March 2010 onwards ) • International Meeting on 29-30 of March 2010 in Turin for representatives from partner countries and territories and of international bodies and networks active in the field • Focus groups and structured interviews with relevant players from the world of education and work ( between March and June 2010 ) • Drafting of reports ( April-June 2010 ) • Validation of reports ( June-July 2010 ) • Drafting of Regional Reports ( July-Dec 2010) • Drafting of Cross Country Report ( July-Dec 2010 )

7. Focus Groups Suggestions for institutions to be invited: • Ministry of Education • Ministry of response for tertiary education • Ministry of Employment/ Industry • National Tempus office/ relevant Tempus project • The rectors conference • A tertiary education institution • The national VET council • A Vet institution • A business federation • An (small or large) enterprise • A trade union • A student organization • And when applicable NGO active in the field and parent association • Other relevant bilateral or multilateral donor active in the area

8. Higher Education & VET Reference Group • To support the implementation of the study and validation • Content input during the study implementation on relevant document produced • Written feedback on findings of the regional reports • Comments on the written peer-review of the final cross country report

9. Areas to be Explored

10. CONTEXT/POLICY • Socio-cultural/political and socio-economic context, including acceptance and perception of the benefits of education business dialogue; • National policies/strategies, legal framework for cooperation.

11. STRUCTURES/METHODOLOGIES/APPROACHES • Governance structures and support structures at national, regional and local levels; e. g multipartite bodies for policy making and policy monitoring and review, bilateral agreements and arrangements for education and training development, implementation and evaluation/certification. • Implementation: Modes and methodologies of formalized and non formalized cooperation between public and private education and business at different educational levels or economic sectors. • Results and good practice: shared occupational standards and curricula, internship/work based learning and apprenticeship schemes, shared ‘planning’ of supply (competencies and geographical coverage) and shared funding, outcomes for education and business.

12. CHALLENGES • General obstacles for cooperation, with particular reference to policy making • Obstacles for implementation on different education levels, business structures and sectors • Specific constraints for different target groups (Family businesses, micro-enterprises and informal sector, learners, parents) – need for new models and tailor-made approaches.

13. RECOMMENDATIONS • Support for education and business at policy level. • Support for education and business at implementation level. • Capacity development for both levels (policy formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of cooperation/partnership etc.).

14. Annotated structure for focus groups/interviews derived from the analytical framework

15. CONTEXT/POLICY • Is there a tradition and acceptance of education/business cooperation? Provide examples how traditions impact on education and business cooperation? • What have been the drivers that have influenced the tradition? What are the common interests and what are expectations? • Is education and business cooperation included in policies and/or in strategies at national/regional/local/institutional levels? • If yes, please provide examples policies/strategy/legal framework. What are their strengths/weaknesses? • How comprehensive are they implemented in terms of educational levels, economic sectors; territorial coverage? • How consistently are the frameworks applied? • What support is being provided, if any by donors? • To what extent are EU policies inspiring education/business cooperation?

16. STRUCTURES/METHODOLOGIES/APPROACHES • What governance structures have been put in place to facilitate regular cooperation between education and business across levels of education, sectors, territories? • What incentives are in place? Can you provide examples (including financing, accreditation etc. Is it ad-hoc cooperation or systemic and who is most active (e.g. big companies, professional post secondary and tertiary education)? • What are the outcomes for education at different levels (financing, trainers etc.)? • What are the outcomes for business? Provide examples from economic sectors for successful modes and tools for improved supply definition and its provision the world of work (i. e. technology transfer, apprenticeship schemes, TNA, round tables). • What are the outcomes for the learners and does it increase their employability?

17. CHALLENGES • Provide examples when employers or others have demanded changes in educational policies and has it led to changes? • To what extent are successful sector initiatives like cooperation in ICT adaptable to other economic sectors? • Implementation: Is partnership sustainable and what are the main success criteria for this? • What are conflicting interests that impede cooperation in different economic sectors or on different educational levels and what approaches/methodologies have been found or could be identified to overcome them?

18. RECOMMENDATIONS • What would be the main further recommendations for education and business cooperation in terms of policy framework; structures and methodologies? • What would be the main further recommendations for education and business cooperation for implementation at different educational levels or economic sectors? • What would be capacity development and overall support measures for policy formulation and implementation?

19. Thank you