Ingrid Berglund Stockholm University, Dept. of Education ingrid.berglund@edu.su.se

1. Introducing an apprenticeship pathway in Swedish VET- chances and difficulties in workplace learning Ingrid BerglundStockholm University, Dept. of Education ingrid.berglund@edu.su.se Johannesburg, 23 April 2013

2. Swedish Upper Secondary school – 3 year programs (post 16). After 2011 a more diversified system was introduced. 2011 Appren-ticeship pathway School-based VET programs School-based VET programs Enhancing employability Raising the quality Improving the throughput

3. Swedish Apprenticeship Education- fundamentals • Apprenticeship differs from models of apprenticeship in for example Austria, Denmark and Germany. • Apprentices are not employed – they are students • Apprenticeship is (by the politicians) directed towards students who risk to fail in school

4. Swedish Apprenticeship Education- regulations • At least 50% of the curriculum content has to be carried out at workplaces • A contract for every apprentice shall be signed prescribing the curriculum content that is intended to be realized at the workplace • Trilateral talks between teacher, apprentice and workplce supervisor are proposed. • The teacher has got the responsibility to: • follow-up and mark students • continuously inform students about their progress

5. Follow-up study of the national pilot project2008/09 – 2010/11 • The study was commissioned by the Swedish National Agency for Education. Focus was on pedagogical aspects of apprenticeship • Interviews and informal conversations with teachers, apprentices and supervisors. In total 100 hours of audio-recorded data, 40 visits to workplaces and 54 interviews in 11 schools from geographically various areas • Three VET-programs were selected: • Building and construction (95 % men, apprenticeship tradition) • Health and care (90 % female, tradition of clinic supervision) • Business and administration (65 % female, 35 % men)

6. Findings

7. School Workplace Border

8. Possibilities • School and workplace have complementary functions • Recognition of potentials at school and workplace • Investigation of what can be provided by school and workplace respectively (school/workplace curriculum)

9. New school establishment • Many (independent) schools offering apprenticeship education was established • Commonly the schools where not prepared to give school-based education • Lack of workshops and equipment for vocational education at schools • VET-teachers where not qualified for apprenticeship education

10. Workplaces as educators • 80% of the curriculum content in vocational courses has to be carried out at workplaces • The production at the workplace sets the limit for what is possible to learn • Narrow production ↔ curriculum content • Rotation between workplaces or not • Supervision is not made explicit – lack of supporting structure for supervision • Supervisors is commonly not aware of their commitment

11. School to workplace • Workplace is provided by school/teacher or brought by the apprentices themselves • The successful/competent apprentices: • understand the culture of the vocation • have vocational experiences • show their interest for the vocation and the workplace

12. Limitations • A shortage of workplaces • The vocational ”culture” sets limitations • The apprentice’s behaviour ”social competence” is not good enough – assessed by teachers and supervisors • The apprentice does not want to stay at the workplace or is sent back to school by the workplace supervisor