Vita Žunda Q-Placements project manager QP Train-the-Trainer Workshop Riga, October 13-15

Full Title: «Q-Placements: VET-Enterprise Cooperation for Quality Assurance of VET Placements and Apprenticeships: Introducing Q-Placements Model» «Q-Placements» stands for «quality of placements», i.e., quality of apprenticeships or other kinds of work-based learning

Project partners and countries: P1, Baltic Bright, Ltd., Management Coordinator (Latvia) P3, National Centre for Education (Latvia) P4, MBO Raad, Dutch Association for Vocational Training and Adult Education (the Netherlands) P0, Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Latvia) P5, Center RS za poklicno izobraževanje, Institute of the Republic of Slovenia for vocational education and training (Slovenia) P2, Official Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Terrassa (Spain)

Backround: VET quality issue Labour market relevance > Work-based learning Quality of work placements, apprenticeships, internships largely influences the quality of VET as a whole; How to ensure the quality of VET work placements?

Assumption: Quality is determined by 2 groups of factors How the system is built (legislation, incentives, mechanisms of motivation); VET QA systems Skills and attitudes of people involved; Quality of communication and cooperation between VET and Host companies; between VET tutor and trainee, between host company tutor and trainee.

Aims of Q-Placements project: To improve the quality of national and transnational work placements through: 1) Better cooperation between VET and enterprises/host companies; 2) Better skills of tutors from VET and host companies to provide support and guidance for trainees before, during and after placements;

Target groups of Q-Placements Project: VET tutors supervising VET work placements and Tutors in host companies supervising VET placements; Quality managers of VET, management of VET institutions, management of host companies; Stakeholders supporting VET quality, policy makers

Donors of Inspiration Baltic Training Programme Project – my personal experience What was key to success? Quality of guidance, good cooperation HansaVET Project Training VET teachers/supervisors of placements/coordinators of mobilities to provide guidance - How to support VET students in placements - How to find host companies (match-making) - How to make cooperation successful

Donors of Inspiration Q-Placements project, Q-Placements network initiated by Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Terrassa, Spain Q-Placements Handbook BPV Protocol, the Netherlands

Synergies of thinking: Quality of VET placements: Quality of cooperation: 3 parties/partners, 3 stages

Quality of guidance 3 partners: Support/guidance provided to - VET trainee from/by: - VET tutor (placement supervisor) - Host company tutor (mentor/supervisor) during 3 stages: -before placement -during placement -after placement

The main tasks of Q-Placements project: Joint Training Programme for Tutors from VET and Tutors from Host companies Joint Training workshops in partner countries

Q-Placements project steps 1-2 Step 1: Preparation and analysis Q-Placements Handbook: what do we take from it? Step 2: Developing Training methodology, Guidelines for joint training of tutors from VET and Host companies; European Train-the-Trainer Workshop for trainers from partner countries > Lead Trainers The training methodology will be adopted by each partner country or adapted for each partner country

Q-Placements project steps: 3-4 Step 3: Joint training workshops for tutors from VET and in partner countries Tutors from VET and tutors from host companies are trained together; They improve skills of cooperation, mutual communication, agree on better procedures, more effective guidance for VET trainees; Collecting feedbacks and recommendations; Step 4: Testing and mainstreaming Trained tutors are testing the approach, their new skills with actual VET students in placements Seminars with policy and decision-makers

Expected outputs: Overview of current quality assurance of VET placements in Latvia, Netherlands, Spain, Slovenia; Joint training programme for tutors fromVET and Host companies tutors for ensuring higher quality of placements; Trained tutors from VET and from Host companies in Latvia, Nehterlands, Spain, Slovenia; Lead-trainers for new trainings Recommendations, proposals for improved procedures, policies, etc;

Our Progress so far: Step 1 Needs Analysis Results of the survey see at section «Outputs» Overview of VET QA systems, quality assurance of work placements; Good practices EQAVET

Problems to be addressed Examples Your case descriptions Talking about motivation; Latvian regulations on organizing VET placements: «The trainee must be introduced to the goals of the work placement....»

Our Progress so far: Step 2 Developing a Joint Training Programme.... EU level Train-the-Trainer Workshop Using the best expertise of partner countries; Lead-Trainers who can develop national training programmes and manage workshops in the Netherlands, Spain, Slovenia, Latvia We are here!

Q-Placements contact information: Website: Project manager: Vita Žunda