Professional & Students mobility the COMETT experience & lessons as a food for thoughts

1. Professional & Students mobilitythe COMETT experience & lessonsas a food for thoughts Yves Boisselier MAC-Team aisbl Intl Association for the Multi-Actors Cooperation

2. COMETT in a nutshell • Ancestor of Leonardo programme: C I : 86 – 89 / C II : 90 – 94 • Cooperation University-Enterprise: COMETT II • Networks = 205 UETPs • Mobility = • Student placements: • CII: 32,000 Students - 80MECU - 17,000p.yr - 6mth - 430ECU/mth • Leverage: 36,000 Students – 120 MECU – 19,000p.yr 30,000 Enterprises (1/2 SMES) • Young graduate students • Staff mobility • Vocational Training seminars/curricula • Accompanying measures  positive actions EUE-Net - Feb 08 - MAC-Team - Student placements, Lessons from COMETT - food for thoughts

3. Context to remember • Starting point of mobility schemes • Borders and even-more incompatible legal-social systems • Very low or inexistent student placement culture: • In enterprises • In educational environment (as well, was not general) • In institutional structures (social security, visas, working permit, fiscal matters, ...) • Slow communication modes EUE-Net - Feb 08 - MAC-Team - Student placements, Lessons from COMETT - food for thoughts

4. 9 C.II mobility recommendation axes • Protection of the experience & the “Acquis” • Field structures & Network • Pool system • Programme animation • Curricula: duration, linguistic + cultural +... preparation • Contractual management • Financial issues • Complementarities and synergy between programmes • Removal of mobility barriers EUE-Net - Feb 08 - MAC-Team - Student placements, Lessons from COMETT - food for thoughts

5. 1. Protection of the experience & the “Acquis • Implementing a natural behaviour towards European placement takes time • Not “destructuring” existing networks & structures used to it or mastering it  from scratch again!! • Roles of institutional + EC to sustain and support experience developed on previous actions • Valorisation des Acquis EUE-Net - Feb 08 - MAC-Team - Student placements, Lessons from COMETT - food for thoughts

6. Need to create/relay on an efficient network motivated on student mobility management. This network: Quick reaction at field level + tools/actions + sufficient autonomy. Open structures + proof of animation & management of wide European mobility. Mobility actions = NOT the only activity of this network. Not only mobility for the sake of mobility. Privileged access to complementary initiatives. 2. Field structures & Network EUE-Net - Feb 08 - MAC-Team - Student placements, Lessons from COMETT - food for thoughts

7. 3. Pool system • To be preferred and encouraged: • nearly impossible to identify flows 6/12mths ahead • optimising the volume of information (at EU + region + country levels) with time reaction. • Too rigid initial definition  blocking factor + impede quality. • Quick anwser/reaction to field needs level. • Better service offer to Enterprises  easier penetration in Enterprises/Enterprise language/concerns EUE-Net - Feb 08 - MAC-Team - Student placements, Lessons from COMETT - food for thoughts

8. 4. Programme animation • Based on “positive actions” results • Mutual understanding of the network + regular F2F meetings/networking • Network image  “house-style” • Communication & management tools • right from the start of a programme  unify before organisations invest independently & massively • Could also be used for project submission + results dissemination + contractual managemen: ↗ Quality • Training: management + good practices exchange EUE-Net - Feb 08 - MAC-Team - Student placements, Lessons from COMETT - food for thoughts

9. 5. Curricula: duration, +... preparation • Enterprise survey: • best ROI  6mths could be up to 12 mths. • flexibility: In 2 periods + part mandatory curricula. • flexibility: combine periods in home or other countries • Linguistic & cultural training: • Ensure basic linguistic/cultural knowledge/level • Include administrative & practical knowledge before • Technical/sector/business preparation • Combine remote support and link U-E EUE-Net - Feb 08 - MAC-Team - Student placements, Lessons from COMETT - food for thoughts

10. 6. Contractual management • On-going amendments + adaptation embed flexibility • New comers: stronger accompaniment + empowerment • Pool management to be encouraged • Customized sized of individual grants • To manage contracts over 2 years academic years at least EUE-Net - Feb 08 - MAC-Team - Student placements, Lessons from COMETT - food for thoughts

11. 7. Financial issues • Keep grant level – no spreading out (quality placement linked to life conditions) • Paying the total subvention at the beginning • Institutional costs possibility on each placement • Co-funding & leverage effect • +50% and spontaneous • Proof of interest from students & enterprises • Need for EU support  recognised coordination point. EUE-Net - Feb 08 - MAC-Team - Student placements, Lessons from COMETT - food for thoughts

12. 8. Complementarities & synergy between programmes • Links with RTD programmes especially to ↗ and accelerate transfer to SMEs/SMIs • Other programmes deal with mobility  networks synergies at field operators (not to create a unique operator to optimise & increase dissemination +) • Links with national or regional programmes: leverage effect + increase consistency with EU and between countries/region EUE-Net - Feb 08 - MAC-Team - Student placements, Lessons from COMETT - food for thoughts

13. 9. Mobility barriers • Several studies on barriers to mobility • To encourage Member states to implement solutions • With the support of the field operators/structures • Several cases of law adaptation + MPs involvment to work on a European student status • ↘ legal or social risks • Explore possibilities of Alumni EUE-Net - Feb 08 - MAC-Team - Student placements, Lessons from COMETT - food for thoughts

14. Other mobility: Young graduate • 6 to 24 mths – industrial project – studies ended • Only 1 call: 14 placements – 6850 ECUavg. • 10/14 in SMEs – 10mths avg. 6/14 employed • 85% links U-E sustained beyond the placement • High North-South transfer • 100% projects: exploitable & positive results for the Enterprise • Difficulties/recommendation: • Lack of information • No pool procedure • Should allow application of students ending their studies • Encourage preparation of PhDs/Thesis in enterprises. EUE-Net - Feb 08 - MAC-Team - Student placements, Lessons from COMETT - food for thoughts

15. Other mobility: Staff exchanges • UE or EU – 2to 12 mths – technology related • 800/1800 staff exchanges – 4.5mths – 7,500 ECU • 68% from Universities • 65% SMEs • Difficulties: • Lack of information • Minimum duration too long for EU • Administrative costs for placement search + replacement EUE-Net - Feb 08 - MAC-Team - Student placements, Lessons from COMETT - food for thoughts

16. Which model for the placements? • Clear accompaniment for the U and for the E? • How? Does size of the Enterprise matters? • What to “mutualise”? Which competences and where? • Towards standard regulations? • Optimal duration (points of view of students & enterprises) • Sandwich placements? Types of placements? Sabbatical? • Pool managed by large companies, federations, unions, alumni? • Role/objectives of the placement? • Contributions to ECTS/ECVET or validations? • VAE of U & E accompanist? VAE of Students? • Links with career development? • Multi-periods? Market & business support? U(s) support to business content? E(s) support to U/Curricula development? • ... EUE-Net - Feb 08 - MAC-Team - Student placements, Lessons from COMETT - food for thoughts

17. Thank you for your attention! MAC-Team aisbl International non-profit Association for the Multi-Actors Cooperation Yves Boisselier President +32 485 800 009 yb@mac-team.com EUE-Net - Feb 08 - MAC-Team - Student placements, Lessons from COMETT - food for thoughts