Working Room 2 Coffee Table 1: Policy makers

1. Working Room 2 Coffee Table 1: Policy makers Moderator: BaşakYavçan (Turkey) Rapporteur: Ardiana Gashi (Kosovo) Policy makers from Albania, Kosovo and Turkey

2. Main points that stem from the report and found interesting • Diversity across schools with regards to standards, drop out, satisfaction although the same curricula in Turkey and this brings an issue relevant for the quality assurance • Kosovo: Recommendation for functioning of parents’ and students’ council • More information for and awareness students so they can contribute to social inclusion: they get along together • Albania: Surprised with low share of students enrolled in VET schools so a need to study why such a low enrollment rate in VET system

3. 1 & 3: Policies for education and training, employment and social welfare are insufficiently ‘joined up’ and co-ordinated Cooperation between ministry of education and labour/economy and other social stakeholders To support students in taking professional practice in companies/apprenticeships: example in Kosovo there are Centres of Competence which could be used for professional practices How to do it: There is a legal framework and strategies have been developed which highlight the need for a cooperation between economy and VET schools • Monitoring needed on the extent of internships: Turkey has a monitoring tool to record internship information which can be seen by Ministry, school, parents and employers • Incentives needed • Employers list skills that they need for each occupation • Sectoral committee important: • Schools that work closely with industries prove to be successful • In Kosovo as well occupational standards involves employers but employers are not

4. 1 & 3: Policies for education and training, employment and social welfare are insufficiently ‘joined up’ and co-ordinated How to do it: • In Kosovo as well occupational standards involves employers but employers are not included in assessment • Assessment in Turkey: done by employers and not by schools • VET graduates once they get the diploma they are allowed to start up a business • Even though curricula are centrally done schools invite businesses and based on their proposals they do adjust curricula: this is done to adjust to local needs • Government pays for social insurance for each interns and employer is obliged to pay only one third of the minimum wage • Companies take up interns as a way for them to have a say when curricula are designed • In Turkey there are some incentives for companies if they employ VET students

5. VET schools are often comparatively under-resourced and unattractive for people from socio-economic disadvantaged students and those with special needs • In Kosovo following up a research on 10 schools collected information from students, parents and municipalities. Schools proposed a need for trainings and Ministry of Education supported trainings on how to work with persons with special needs. In Kosovo Centre of Competence organized courses on language, reading and writing and the VET school identified these cases • A guidance Centre they track students from the primary school and evaluate whether they are to go to the regular or special VET school. The centre also detects very intelligent students and they guide parents where to take students • Regular VET schools offer more time for students with special needs • All information can be tracked in e-school • More advise and coordination • Socio-economically disadvantaged students: government scholarship for some students and in Kosovo for RAE • For informal education; children coming from households that receive social assistance are exempted from payment for the course

6. 4. Students not that satisfied with learning facilitators, context and contents • Further research to asses the satisfaction of students with learning facilitators, context and contents • No tracking mechanism in place that would evaluate teaching • Turkey undertakes an OECD teachers and school principals survey TALIS which is done every four year • Project in 50 schools to assess teachers, administrators: a pilot project not yet conducted • For content: survey with employers; incorporation of employers during design of programs and this information could be passed to students

7. 5. Policies to address drop out • Males are more likely to drop out • In Turkey secondary school is obligatory so families will be punished/fined if their children drop out • New track Open-VET for drop outs so they can • If a student fails two years in a row than they have to enroll in Open VET school • It lasts 4 years and at the end student gets a diploma • Up to age 23 years old • To follow up students in order to identify potential drop outs and work with them in order to prevent the drop out • Ensuring councelling as a preventive measure in all schools • Fusion program for dismissed students

8. One result achieved Agreed that Kosovo Ministry of Education will contact the Ministry of National Education in Turkey to ask for placement of VET students in Turkey companies for professional practice