Job Skills as a moving target for VET providers and programs

1. Job Skills as a moving targetfor VET providers and programs A new way of dealing with dynamics in labour demand and craftsmanship By Nico van den Berg BenPO, Policy & Staff Development

2. Overview • Context, approach and workshop introduction • 3 workshops in 3 different sectors • Beauty care • Installation technology • Builders’ merchants (wholesale trade) • 2 tools for transparancy • Sector map (jobs context) • ‘Skillsmanager’ (job content)

3. JS Toolbox goal:Sustainablequality in VET programs The better match to make • In the right amount of workers • With the right knowledge and skills on the right mastery level The challenge at stake is • (how) to get a grip on future needs… • in dialog with relevant stakeholders?

4. A modest approach • Predicting is hard and getting harder (ifnotimpossible) So: • Education: It’s good to keep a somedistancebut… • the mutualcommitment must grow… (partnership) • to keep the gap as small as possible (responsibility) • Dialog: Be sure to knowwhatyou’retalkingabout • A welldefined scope (sector and region) • A clear and common view • on the type and level of jobs at hand • on the craftmanship • ondynamics • (and oneachothers’ intrest and expertise)

5. A pragmatic choice • Engagement • > we chosearticulated issues and urgent situations • Quantitativeimpotence • > we couldonly provide roughfiguresfor context • Qualitative power • > we had strongargumentsforbetter content of craftsmanship • Up to date qualifications • Up to date VET materials

6. Three workshops • Professional qualifications • Public and private VET programs for beauty care specialists • Relevant core knowledge and differentiation for project leaders in installation technology • Material • Updating VET materials for builders’ merchants

7. Workshop 1Redesign of beauty care qualifications • Agenda • Bottle necks in VET programs • Trends and changes • Redesign of VET programs • Partners • Branche representatives • VET representatives (public and private) • Teaching and examining professionals

8. Beauty care jobs • Beauty care is a branche on its own, between hairdressing and pedicure. • It concerns over 10.000 professionals, working in ± 9.000 beauty parlors

9. Beauty care job content(inner circle = level 3, outer circle = level 4)

10. Beauty care dynamics • Market pull • growingdemandwithhigherexpectations • newclients (male, young, old and darkskinned) • Technology push • New products, methods, techniques and machines • Biggeraddedvalueon a wider range • Bigger context • Fromclassical beauty care towards “full service” • Bigger professional dilemma’s • Clientdemands, technicalpossibilities, socialacceptance, economicalriscs, etc.

11. Beautycare problems • Too many students with too little to offer for too little jobs • Big differences between public and private • Private programs for older inflow • Public programs for young school leavers • Too much tot do in too little time on level 3 • Too much differentiation in level 4 • Lacking possibilities towards higher education

12. Beauty care results (1) • Onequalificationstructureforboth public and private programs withanequalvalue of the diploms in bothvarieties. • A cleardifferencebetween core programs and additionalspecialisationcourses • Anextendedbasic/level 3 program of 3 years • A new allround/level 4 program of 1 year • A choice of 4 extra specialisationsonboth level 3 and 4

13. Beauty care results (2)

14. Workshop 2Projectleaders installationtechnology • Agenda • Establishing job core and variation • Defining a (new) core VET program and specialisations • Partners • Association of technicalengineers • VET providers (3 technicaluniversities) • Business representatives (nationalcoverage)

15. Installation jobs • In total it concerns around 60.000 workers in about 4.000 organisations • About 5% (3.000) works as projectmanager

16. Projectleader dynamics • Overlap/integration of technical fields • A wider range of knowledge and understanding • Flexibility in human resources • Changing roles and responsibilities • From type of product to type of business (Advice, commerce, operations) • Need for more soft/general/social skills • “The project is the business”

17. Projectleader VET problems • Reluctant/retracting government • Growing number and diversity of programs • Each university has its own program • Differences in name, in core and in specialisations • Emphasis on general competencies (at the expense of specific professional knowhow) • Qualitative mismatch between business expectations and VET supply

18. Projectleader content (findings) • Professional identity • abstract ándsocialorientation, accuracy, extraversion and autonomy • Mainbehavioralcompetences • Analysis, presentation, persuasion, collaboration, customer focus and creativity • Main technical knowledge and skills • Mechanical engineering • Fields:Sanitary, heating, air conditioning, production, distribution • Themes: Sound, heat loss, cool load, energy performance and efficiency • Electrical engineering • Fields: Power engineering, data/telecom/ict • Themes: Voltage drop, short circuit protection, lighting and power behavior, dimensioning supply, power systems and block diagrams, emergency power, frequency control, data transfer, bus systems, risk management, power quality • General issues • System integration, measurement and control, information technology • Project and process management

19. Different learning time ratios • Lower levels ask for more maths and fysics • Higher levels ask for more ‘soft’ skills • as long as presented in a technical context! • The vocational attention is the same

20. Workshop 3Updating learningmaterialsforbuilders’ merchants • Agenda • Review of learningmaterialsfor all levels(concerning the application and processingof products in building components) • Partners • Branche representatives • Industry and suppliers • VET program developers and teachers

21. Builders’ merchant jobs • It concerns around 10.000 workers in about 600 organisations • 50% works in a technical annex commercial job • 30% works in logistic jobs (with client contacts)

22. Building trade job content • Logistics • Storage and transport: a matter of just in time and just enough • Commercial skills • Product selection and cost awareness • (thinking like a contracter) • Civil engineering • Construction • Physics • Legislation/regulations • Application and processing of products in building components/phases) • foundation and floors • internal walls • outside walls • (pitched) roofs • Finishing (installations, kitchen, bathroom, tiling floors and walls)

23. Building dynamics • Housing and building market is stuck • New buildings > renovation • Air pollution/trafficcongestion • Both a building and transport problem • Sustainability • In labour, products, energy, etc. • Failurecosts put pressureonmargins • Rapid product development • New products • Changing (and critical) application and processing criteria

24. Merchants problems • The structure of the programs is good and clear but: The devil is in the details • VET providers seek input for up to date knowledge • Product suppliers seek a platform for distribution of their knowledge

25. Workshop findings • A lot of details needaddition and correction • Specificthemes and issues • neutrality and objectivity of information • lackingknowledgeconcerning foundation • lackingeuropeanstandards and regulations • lackingattention to acousticisolation • lackingattention to ventilation • somenew and someoutdatedmethods and products

26. 2 Frames of reference • A “sectormap” providing a context for • types and levels of professions/jobs • careers and functionalmobility • corresponding VET programs • statisticsforlabour and education • ‘Skillsmanager ‘ JOB profiles for transparancy in • tasks • competences (knowledge and skills) • mastery level • impact of innovationson all threeaspectsabove

27. Make your own ‘sectormap’ • Choose a type of business • Distinguishthree types of jobs on 3 levels • Fill the matrix with… • jobs • theirquantities • the mobilitybetweenthem • demand of newemployers(annualreplacement and growth) • and the VET programs to supplythem

28. ‘Skillsmanagement’ is about… Innovations/changes Professional Persoon Employer Professional behavior Professional behavior Competencies Tasks Means Vocationaleducation and training, professional development

29. skills knowledge Personal and professional qualities changebility importance higher past generalcompetences attitude, values, moralstandards, ethics personality, psysical and mental capabilities, character, convictions, self-image, motives, … lower present

30. VET programs program 1 program 2 Jobs program 3 guidance knowledge skills attitudes characteristics innovation 1 innovation 2 innovations innovation .. innovation n The model of the WEB application job 1 job 2 job 3 workprocess task 1 task 2 task .. task n

31. Make your own job profiles • Take a range of jobs • Try to fill in the 2 tables

32. Future needs? • What are the (dominant) trends and innovations? • consequences for tasks • consequences for (level of) knowledge and skills • Which consequences do they have? • for your VET program(s)