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Ghid publicat de celebra retea CSR Europe, pe care companiile il pot folosi pentru a-si evalua calitatea si eficienta programelor de stagiu oferite.
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Towards Quality Internships & ApprenticeshipsIntroducing the Quality Internships & Apprenticeships Assessment (QIA-A) tool
An Enterprise 2020 initiativeEuropean Business Campaign on Skills for Jobs
Table of Contents Executive summary 1Introduction 2
1 Context: Quality at the heart of the debate oninternshipsandapprenticeships 3
2 QIA-A:Atooltobenchmarkthequalityofinternships /apprenticeshipswithincompanies 4
3 Initialresults:Strengthsandweaknessesofcurrentpractice 9
4 Conclusionsandnextsteps 11
Annex: The European Quality Charter on Internships & Apprenticeships 12
Table of Contents Executive summary 1Introduction 2
1 Context: Quality at the heart of the debate oninternshipsandapprenticeships 3
2 QIA-A:Atooltobenchmarkthequalityofinternships /apprenticeshipswithincompanies 4
3 Initialresults:Strengthsandweaknessesofcurrentpractice 9
4 Conclusionsandnextsteps 11
Annex: The European Quality Charter on Internships & Apprenticeships 12
Internships and apprenticeships are seen as a useful tool to smooth the transition from education-work for young people in Europe. Alongside the debate on how to increase the capacity of employers to offer this type of workplace experience, comes the concern on how to ensure their quality. This is reflected in recent initiatives such as the European Quality Charter on Internships & Apprenticeships (2010), the European Commission’s Quality Framework on Traineeships (2013), the European Alliance on Apprenticeships (2013) and the Global Apprenticeship Network (2013).
Inresponsetogrowingexpectationsfromsocietyandpolicymakersforcompaniestoensurethequalityoftheirinternshipsandapprenticeshipsschemes,CSREurope,Microsoft,ImprontaEticaandtheEuropeanYouthForum(YFJ)developedtheQualityInternships&ApprenticeshipsAssessment(QIA-A)tool,apracticalbenchmarkassessmenttoolthatallowsanygivencompanyto:
1. Identifywhetherithasthenecessaryprocesses inplacetoassurethequalityandeffectiveness ofitsinternship/apprenticeshipschemes
2. Compareitsresultswithothercompanies,to identifybestpracticesandareasforimprovement
QIA-AisbasedontherequirementsoutlinedintheEuropeanQualityCharteronInternships&Apprenticeships,(“theCharter”),developedbytheYFJ.Itfocusesontenkeyindicatorsforinternships/apprenticeshipsaspartofeducationandsixadditionalindicatorsforinternshipsoutsideofeducation.Together,theassessmentagainsttheseindicatorsprovidesabalancedpictureofthequalityoftheinternships/apprenticeshipsacompanyoffers.
Thetoolgroupstheindicatorsunderfourkeyareas ofperformanceandrelatedbusinessprocesses:
1. Governance2. Recruitment3. Qualityoflearning4. Labourconditions
Companiesparticipatinginthebenchmark assessmentreceivedanaveragescoreof84%againstanidealsituationof100%,whichshowsthat(large,multinational)companieshavemostofthenecessaryprocessesinplacetooffermeaningfulandqualitativeinternships/apprenticeships.However,somepoints stillrequireongoingattention.Mostimportantly:
• Providingafaircompensationforworkperformedoutsideofworkinghours;
• Preparingsupervisorsfortheirrole;
• Givinginterns/apprenticestheopportunitytodiscusstheirprogressandpotentialjobopportunitiesduringintermediateappraisalmeetings;
• Developingguidelines/policiesforhowinternships/apprenticeshipsshouldbestructuredacrosstheorganisation.
CSREuropeanditspartnerswillfurtherendeavourtoincreasethequalityofinternshipsandapprenticeshipsthroughdifferentactivitiesandprojects.Thiswillhelpcompaniestoguaranteeagoodpathwayforyoung peopletowardsjobsandemployment.
Executive Summary
1
Introduction
In April 2013, CSR Europe, Microsoft, Impronta Etica and the European Youth Forum (“YFJ”) started a collaborative project to improve the quality of internships and apprenticeships within business. Central in this project stands the development of the Quality Internships & Apprenticeships Assessment (QIA-A) tool. QIA-Aaimstohelpcompaniesunderstandand improvethequalityoftheirinternship/apprenticeship schemes,bybenchmarkingthemagainstpeersand therequirementsoftheEuropeanQualityCharter onInternships&Apprenticeships(“theCharter”). Ithasbeentestedwith15companiestodate.
Thecurrentreportservestopresentthetool andtheresultsoftheinitialbenchmark.
2
Internships1 and apprenticeships are increasingly common practice in Europe to facilitate young people’s transition from education to work. According to a recent Eurobarometer study2, about 46% of EU citizens aged 18-35 have done an internship and 26% an apprenticeship in their past. Besides providing young people with practical, real-life experience in the workplace, these work immersions also bring concrete benefits for companies in terms of an increased access to talent and an enhanced employer reputation.
Despitethesebenefits,concernshavealsobeenexpressedregardingtheworkingconditionsduringcertaininternships/apprenticeships,aswellasregardingtheireffectivelearningcontentandoutcomes3.TheaforementionedEurobarometerstudyshowssixoutoftenrespondentsdidnotreceiveanyfinancialcompensationduringtheirlastinternshipandmorethanoneinfourdoesnotbelievetheirexperiencewasorwillbeusefulinfindingajob.
Totackletheseissues,anumberofinitiativeshaverecentlybeenlaunchedtoimprovethequalityofinternships/apprenticeshipsandpromotebestpractice.Afewexamplesare:
1. In2010,theYFJcameoutwiththeEuropean Quality Charter on Internships & Apprenticeships4,adocumentthatlaysbasicprinciplesforinternshipsandapprenticeshipstobecomeavaluableandqualityexperienceforyoungpeople.IthasbeendevelopedinconsultationwiththeEuropeanTradeUnionConfederation,YFJ’smemberorganisationsandotherNGOs.Itiscurrentlysupportedby14MembersoftheEuropeanParliament,aswellascompaniesandorganisationswhosignasacommitmenttostrivetoimplementsuchqualitystandardsintheirworkplace.
2. TheCharteralsoservedasanimportantinputfor theEuropeanCommissionindraftingitsproposal for a Council Recommendation on a Quality Framework for Traineeships5,whichwasacceptedbytheCouncilon10March2014.Thedocumentoutlinesacommonsetofprinciplestobeincludedinnationallegislationorpractice,whichtogethershouldensuretheminimumqualityofthesocalled“openmarket”internshipsthattakeplaceoutsideaformaleducationalcontext.
3. Onthe2July2013,DGEmployment,SocialAffairsandInclusionandDGEducationandCulturejointlylaunchedtheEuropeanAlliance for Apprenticeships6.Thetwocoreactivitiesunderthisinitiativeare:
A Buildingupanetworkofambassadors(professionals) tosupportSMEsinincreasingthenumberandquality ofapprenticeshipsofferedand;
B Gatheringpledgesfromawidevarietyofstakeholders toimprovetheaccesstoandsupplyofapprenticeships, andtoincreasetheirqualityandattractiveness.
4. Similarly,inDecember2013,theInternationalOrganisationofEmployersandtheBusinessandIndustryAdvisoryCommitteetotheOECD,withthesupportoftheInternationalLabourOrganization,launchedtheGlobal Apprenticeship Network7.Theaimofthisnetworkistoforgeacoalitionofcompaniesthat:
A Offerinternships/apprenticeships;
B Sharebestpractice;
C Advocateforanimprovedsocialstatusof apprenticeshipsand;
D Buildcapacitytoestablishnational/regionalnetworks.
AgainstthisbackgroundandaspartoftheEuropeanBusinessCampaignonSkillsforJobs8,CSREuropelaunched aprojectnamed“Quality Internships & Apprenticeships” inApril2013,incollaborationwithMicrosoft,ImprontaEticaandtheYFJ.ThemainaimofthisprojectwastotranslatetheCharterintoapracticalassessmenttoolonthestatusofacompany’sinternships/apprenticeshipsrelatedprocesses.Thecurrentreportfocusesontheworkthathasbeendonetodevelop/deploythisassessmenttool,whichwasnamedtheQuality Internships & Apprenticeships Assessment (QIA-A).
Footnotes1 The words ‘traineeship’ and ‘stage’ are often used interchangeably with the word ‘internship’. 2 EUROBAROMETER, The Experience of Traineeship in the EU, November 20133 EUROBAROMETER, The Experience of Traineeship in the EU, November 2013, p.5; DG EMPL, Apprenticeship supply in the Member States of the EU, January 2012, p.12.4 The full text of the Charter has been taken up in Annex. Website: http://qualityinternships.eu/support/. 5 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2013:0857:FIN:EN:PDF 6 http://ec.europa.eu/education/policy/vocational-policy/alliance_en.htm 7 http://www.global-apprenticeships.org/ 8 http://www.csreurope.org/skills-jobs
Context: Quality at the heart of the debate on internships and apprenticeships1
3
A. Objective and scope of QIA-A9
TheaimoftheQIA-Atoolistoallowanygivencompanytoidentifywhetherithastheprocessesinplacetoassurethequalityandeffectivenessofitsinternship/apprenticeshipschemesandtobenchmarktheirperformanceagainstpeersandtherequirementsoftheCharter.
Thefollowingdefinitionsareusedforinternshipsandapprenticeshipsinrelationtothetool:
• Apprenticeships arework-orientedtrainingsthatarepartofvocationaleducationandtraining(VET)andthatformallycombineperiodsofpracticalworkexperienceataworkplacewithperiodsoftheoretical/practicaleducationfollowedinaschoolortrainingcentre,andwhosesuccessfulcompletionleadstonationallyrecognisedqualifications10;
• Internshipsarework-basedlearningopportunities,either takingplaceaspartofformaleducation(withinternshavingastudentstatus)oroutsideofformaleducation(alsoaftergraduation),duringwhichapersonspendsaperiodoftimeinanenterpriseororganisationtoacquirespecificcompetenciesrequiredbythelabourmarket11.
Whilealltypesofinternships/apprenticeshipsarecovered12 byQIA-A,adifferentiationismadebetweeninternships/apprenticeshipstakingplaceaspartofeducation/trainingandinternshipsoutsideofeducation.Generally,thereisconsensusthatmoreissuesarisewiththelattertype.Thereforeanadditionalsetofcriteriaisappliedtotheseinternships.Thiswillbefurtherexplainedinthenextsection.
B. Structure & methodologyThe QIA-A tool consists of two parts:
1. Aquestionnairewhichtranslatestherequirements oftheCharterintopractical‘yes’/’no’questions.
2. Ascoringmechanismthatallowsthedifferent companiestakingpartintheassessmenttobe comparedwithoneanotherandevaluatedagainst therequirementsoftheCharter.
A. QuestionnaireThe framework of the questionnaire (see figure 1) consists of four layers:1. Onthemostgenerallevel,itidentifiesfour key areas
thatarerelevantforthequalityofaninternshiporapprenticeshipfromacompanyperspective.Theseare: Agovernance,Brecruitment,Cqualityoflearningand Dlabourconditions.
2. Subsequently,eachofthesefourareasisbroken downintoanumberofkey indicatorsthattogetherprovideabalancedpictureoftheoverallqualityofaninternshiporapprenticeship.Acoresetof10indicators(‘coreindicators’)appliestoalltypesofinternships/apprenticeships(withinandoutsideofeducation),while6‘additionalindicators’areconsideredspecificallyrelevantforinternshipsoutsideofeducation.
3. Inanextstep,eachoftheseindicatorsisassessedbyoneormorepractical and process-related ‘yes’/’no’ questions,whichcorrespondtotherequirements outlinedintheCharter.
4. Finally,whereaquestionstilloffersroomforinterpretation,additional criteriaareprovided,tohelptherespondentdecidewhetheraquestionshouldbeansweredwith‘yes’or‘no’.
B. Scoring methodologyThescoringmethodologyrestsontheassumptionthateachkeyindicatorcanbeattributedthesameweightinensuringthattheinternship/apprenticeshipbringsrelevantlearningoutcomesandisconductedinaqualitativeworkingenvironment.
• Eachindicatorcanreceiveatotalmaximumscoreof‘1’;
• Togetherthisaddsuptoatotalmaximum scoreof‘10’forthecoreindicatorsand‘6’fortheadditionalindicators;
• Eachindicatorisbrokendowninoneormorequestions.Foreachquestion,ascore‘0’isawardedforeach‘no’andascorebetween‘0,25’and‘1’toeach‘yes’,dependingonthenumberofquestionsunderthatindicator.
9 http://www.global-apprenticeships.org/
10 Definition based on the Erasmus + Programme Guide (p. 255): http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/documents/ erasmus-plus-programme-guide_en.pdf
11 Definition based on the Charter (p.1) and the Erasmus + Programme Guide (p. 159).
12 It could be discussed whether schemes such as ‘management traineeships’ or ‘(young) graduate programs’ that aim to fast-track recent graduates with high potential into management positions also fall under the common denominator of Internships. This type of schemes is usually based on a 2-3 year rotational system within the company, during which the person completes different projects in different departments, countries or content areas. As the employment offer and benefits for this type of internships is sometimes better than for entry-level positions, they are not considered a relevant target group for QIA-A.
QIA-A: A tool to benchmark the quality of internships/apprenticeships2This material is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/deed.en_US.
4
PART 1: CORE INDICATORS
AREA KEy INDICATOR QuESTION TO ASSESS whEThER ThE COmPANy hAS A SPECIfIC PROCESS IN PlACE
ADDITIONAl CRITERIA
GOvErnAnCE
1. Multi-stakeholder approach
A Does your company partner/engage with at least one of the following stakeholders to develop the content/framework of the internships/apprenticeships offered:
• Educationalinstitutes• Trainingprovidersoremploymentagencies• Socialpartners• Employerrepresentativebodies
(tradeassociation,ChamberofCommerce)
• Atleastengagingwiththestakeholder(s)fortherecruitmentof candidates
2. Policy/guidelines B Doesyourcompanyhaveapolicy/setofguidelinestoinform thewayinternships/apprenticeshipsareorganised(eitherat HQorofficelevel)?
• Written(setof)document(s)oronlinetool(s)
• Containingclarifications/instructionstostreamlinetheprocedurefor aninternship/apprenticeship(and/oranythingrelatedtoit)across theorganisation
rECruITmEnT3. Transparency of information in recruitment
C Are the following elements clearly communicated during the recruitment process:
• Jobdescription• Lengthoftheinternship/apprenticeship• Detailsaboutremuneration/reimbursementofcosts
• Thefutureintern/apprenticehaseasyaccesstothisinformation (e.g.informationprovidedontherecruitmentwebsite,duringan interview,indocuments/emailssenttotheperson)
• Theinformationisprovidedbeforethepersonformallyagreestodo theinternship/apprenticeship,whetherornotthisisconcludedby signingawrittentypeofagreement
• Allthreepointsmentionedinthequestionarecovered
QuAlITy OF lEArnInG
4. Qualified supervisor
D Istheintern/apprenticeprovidedwithacompanysupervisor(s)duringhis/herinternship/apprenticeship?
• Dedicatedpersonthatsupervisestheintern/apprenticeontheactual(content)workhe/sheisdoing
E Doesyourcompanyprepareasupervisorforhis/herrole assupervisor(e.g.specifictraining)?
• Anytypeofsupportspecificallytailoredtoworkingwithinterns/ apprentices(training,handbook,regularworkinggroup,briefing sessions,detailedbriefingemail)
• Systemtoensureeverysupervisorreceivesthissupport/preparation
F Istherealimittotheamountofinterns/apprenticesthatcan beassignedtoonesupervisor?
• Lookingatthepractice,thereisarule(establishedorunspoken)tolimitthenumberofinterns/apprenticesthatcanbeassignedtoonesupervisor
G Istherealowerlimittothenumberofyearsofexperience asupervisormusthave?
• Lookingatthepractice,thereisarule(establishedorunspoken)toassigninterns/apprenticesonlytosupervisorsthathaveaminimumnumberofyearsofrelevantworkingexperience.Thiscanalsobelinkedtoacertainposition(e.g.linemanager,teamleader,…)
Figure 1: Outline of questionnaire, including core indicators in part 1 and additional indicators in part 2.
5
PART 1: CORE INDICATORS (Continued)
ArEA KEy IndICATOr QuESTIOn TO ASSESS whEThEr ThE COmpAny hAS A SpECIFIC prOCESS In plACE
AddITIOnAl CrITErIA
QuAlITy OF lEArnInG
5. Regular interaction with supervisor
H Arethereregularmeetings(minimumonepermonth) betweentheintern/apprenticeandthesupervisor(s)?
• Ameetingisinterpretedasamomentwheretheintern/apprenticehastheopportunitytodiscusstheworkhe/sheisdoingwiththesupervisor(e.g.dailyinteraction,weeklymeeting)
6. Complaints channel
I Doestheintern/apprenticehaveaccesstoacomplaints channelincaseofanyissuesoccurringduringtheinternship?
• Acomplaintschannelisadedicatedperson/toolthepersoncanreverttoincaseofproblems(e.g.dedicatedcontactpointinHR,anonymoushotline,…),otherthanthesupervisor
• Thepersonisclearlyinformedabouttheexistenceofsuch achannelatthebeginningoftheinternship
7. Process to ensure personal development
J Istheintern/apprenticeprovidedwithlearningobjectives atthebeginningoftheinternship?
• Clearlydefinedlistoftechnical/personalcompetenciestheintern/apprenticeisexpectedtoacquireduringtheinternship/apprenticeship
• Clearcommunicationofthoseobjectivestotheintern/apprentice
• Definitionoflearningobjectiveshappensbefore/atthebeginningoftheinternship/apprenticeship
K Doesyourcompanyofferatleastoneintermediateappraisalmeetingwiththeintern/apprenticetomonitorprogress againstthelearningobjectives?
• Dedicatedmeeting(otherthanregularmeeting/timeofcontactbetweenthepersonandthesupervisor)
L Attheendoftheinternship/apprenticeship,doesyourcompanyofferperformanceevaluation,includinge.g.strengthsandareasforimprovement?
• Dedicatedmeeting/proceduretoevaluatetheinternship/apprenticeshiptowardstheendoftheperiod(preferablyassessingperformanceagainstlearningobjectivesandto providefeedbackontheperson’spersonalcompetencies)
6
PART 1: CORE INDICATORS (Continued)
ArEA KEy IndICATOr QuESTIOn TO ASSESS whEThEr ThE COmpAny hAS A SpECIFIC prOCESS In plACE
AddITIOnAl CrITErIA
lABOur COndITIOnS
8. Written & legal agreement
M Doesyourcompanyofferawrittenandlegallybindingcontract,stipulating:
• Lengthoftheinternship/apprenticeship• Detailsaboutremuneration/compensation• Descriptionoftasks
• Anytypeofwrittenagreement(e.g.offerletter,projectplan,adaptationofanormalemployeecontract,…)thatissignedbyboththecompanyandtheintern/apprentice,andthatisnotinconflictwithnationallabourlaw
• Allthreepointsmentionedinthequestionarecovered
9. Fair compensation
N Doesyourcompanyofferadditionalcompensationforworkperformedoutsideofstandardworkinghours,e.g.overtime?
• Thereisasysteminplacetotrackovertime
• Interns/apprenticesreceiveadditionalcompensation accordingtotheovertimetheyhaveperformed
O Areinterns/apprenticesreimbursedorotherwisecompensatedforcostsincurredduringtheinternship/apprenticeship?
• Interns/apprenticesreceivereimbursementofanytypeofexpensetheyhavetoincurbecauseofwork-relatedactivities(e.g.travelexpenses,businesslunches/dinners,attendanceofpaidevents,…)
• Forinternships/apprenticeshipspartofeducation,interns/apprenticesreceivereimbursementforadditionallivingexpensesincurredbecauseoftheinternship/apprenticeship(e.g.costsrelatedtowork-hometravelasopposedtonormaltransportexpenseswhenthepersonisfollowingcourses;ifnecessary,housing)orafixedamountthatrealisticallycan coverforthis
10. Transparent communication regarding relevant rights/duties
P Istheintern/apprenticeinformedatthebeginningoftheinternship/apprenticeshipofhis/herrelevantrightsandduties,including:
• Health&Safetyrisks• Socialandlabourrights• Responsibilitiestowardstheorganisation
• Allthreepointsmentionedinthequestionarecovered
7
PART 2: ADDITIONAl INDICATORS
ArEA KEy IndICATOr QuESTIOn TO ASSESS whEThEr ThE COmpAny hAS A SpECIFIC prOCESS In plACE
AddITIOnAl CrITErIA
rECruITmEnT
1. Public advertisement A Isthepositionpubliclyadvertised? • ‘Publiclyadvertised’denotesthatthekeyinformationabout thepositioncanbefoundonachannelthatisaccessiblebythe generalpublic(e.g.thecompany’sjobsite,arecruitmentportal,…)
2. Reasonable quantity of interns/apprentices
B Isthereadefinedlimittothenumberofinternsyourcompanyemploysatthesametime?
• Thelimitcanchangeovertime(accordingtointernalcapacity),butshouldbeaspecificcap(e.g.maximum10%ofFTE).
3. Enabling a job transition
C Doesyourcompanyprovidetheinterntheopportunitytodiscusstheoptionofbeinghiredasapermanentemployee?
• Eitherthepersonisinformedduringtherecruitmentwhetheranopportunityforpermanentemploymentcanbeofferedaftertheinternship/apprenticeship,orthishasclearlybeendiscussedbeforetheendoftheinternship/apprenticeship
D Incasetheinternisnothireduponcompletionoftheinternship,doesyourcompanysupporthim/herinanywayinthetransitiontofindingpermanentwork?
• Anyactivitythatcanhelpthepersonmoveforwardprofessionallyisaccepted(e.g.providethestakeholderthatsentthepersonwithfeedback/advisefortheorientationoftheperson;letter ofrecommendation;supportinCV-writing;…)
QuAlITy OF lEArnInG 4. Reasonable length E Doesthelengthoftheinternshipfallwithinthescopeof2-6
months?• Noneedforadditionalcriteria
lABOur COndITIOnS
5. Fair remuneration
F Areinternsentitledtoremuneration? • ‘Remuneration’denotesafixed,monthlyincome
G Istheremunerationinlinewiththenationallegislation? • Noneedforadditionalcriteria
H DoestheremunerationexceedtheEUpovertylineof60% medianincomeornationalminimumwage?
• TheEUpovertylineof60%medianincomeforeachcountry istakenfromthemostrecentEurostatnumber.
6. Access to social security systems
I Istheinternincludedinthefollowingsocialsecuritysystems:
• Healthsecurity• Unemployment• Pensionsystems
• Allthreepointsmentionedinthequestionarecovered
8
Initial results: Strengths and weaknesses of current practice3
Initial results
Onthebasisofthisquestionnaire,structuredinterviewshavebeenconductedwith15companies13fromsevendifferentindustries:basicmaterials(1),consumergoods(2),financials(3),healthcare(2),industrials(5),technology(1),andtelecommunications(1).ThepeopleinterviewedwereallHRprofessionals,overseeinginternships/apprenticeshipsatinternational(e.g.EMEA),nationalorofficelevelfortheircompany.Ofthecompaniesinterviewed,13offeredinternships/apprenticeshipsaspartofeducation,onecompanyofferedinternshipsoutsideofeducationexclusively,andoneofferedacombinationofthetwo.
Eachofthecompaniesthatparticipatedinaninterviewreceivedanindividualcompanyreport,basedonthescoringmethodologyoutlinedaboveandshowingtheirresultsagainsttheotherparticipants.
Theaggregatedresultsofthe15participatingcompaniesareprovidedbelow.Sinceonlytwocompaniesofferedinternshipsoutsideofeducation,theseresultswillnotbeanalysedhere,asthesampleistoolimitedtobeofvalue. Theaverageperformanceofcompaniesis84%,withonecompanyachievingthehighestpossiblescoreof100%(see figure 3).Thismeansthat,onaverage,companiesarenotlackingprocessesundermorethan2ofthecoreindicators. Lookingatthespecificprocessessupportingtheindicators,figure4showsforeachquestionhowmanycompaniesreporttohavethespecificprocessthequestioninquiresaboutinplace. well-established processes
Allcompaniesreporttohavefollowingprocessesinplace:
• Partneringwithstakeholders(atleastforrecruitmentpurposes);
• Providingclearinformationaboutthetaskstobeperformed,thelengthoftheinternship/apprenticeshipsandtheremuneration/compensationthepersonwillreceiveduringtherecruitmentprocess;
• Havingadedicatedsupervisorforeachintern/apprentice.Allbutonecompanyalsoindicatetheintern/apprenticeregularlyhastheopportunitytodiscussthecontentoftheworkhe/sheisdoingwiththesupervisor.Mostoftenthishappenseitheronadailybasisorinaweeklyorbi-weeklymeeting.
Additionally,forthemajorityofprocesses(75%),atleast80%ofthecompaniesinterviewedreporttohavetherequiredprocessinplace.
Footnotes13 of those companies are large multinational company members of CSR Europe; 3 are members of Impronta Etica, a CSR Europe National Partner Organisation in Italy.
Figure 3: Overall performance across participating companies core indicators
A. Partnering with stakeholders 151515
1414
1313131313
1212
3 6 9 12 15
119
85
C. Clear comm. in recruitmentD. Dedicated supervisor(s)
H. Regular mee ngs w. supervisorJ. Learning objec ves
F. Limited amount/supervisorL. Final evalua on
M. ContractO. Expense reimbursement
P. Clear commun on on rights/du esG. Experience of supervisor
I. Complaints channelB. Policy/ guidelines
K. Intermediate appraisalE. Support to supervisor
N. Compensa on over me
Figure 4: Number of companies that have the required process in place. The colours indicate to which area the process belongs: governance (blue), recruitment (purple), quality of learning (red) and labour conditions (green).
9
0
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Best
in c
lass
Low
est S
core
B
98%
C
98%
D
95%
E
93%
F
88%
G
84%
H
83%
I J
83% 83%
K L
76% 76%
M N
72% 72%
O
63%
A
100%
Totalscore(sum
ofa
llindicators)
Companies
Average 84%
Initial results: Strengths and weaknesses of current practice (Continued)3
processes that are often weak or lacking:
Figure4alsoshowsthatanumberofprocessesarelesswellestablished,namely:
• Fewcompanieshaveasysteminplacetotrackwhetherinterns/apprenticesdoovertimeandtocompensatethemaccordinglyiftheydo.Inthiscontext,someofthecompanieshavestatedthatinternsarenotallowedtoworkoutsideworkinghoursandthatsupervisorsmonitorthiswell.Whilethisapproachmayworkinspecificcases,thisisnotseenasastructuredprocessthatcanensureinternsinthatorganisationwillnotworkoutsideworkinghoursingeneral.
• Onlyhalfofthecompaniesindicatetohaveaprocessinplacewhichmakessurethatallsupervisorsarepreparedtoworkwithinterns/apprenticesspecifically(forexamplethroughdedicatedtraining,ahandbook/manualorcontactswiththeHRdepartment).Companiesthatdonotprovidethiskindofsupportoftenindicatethatsupervisorsarepeoplewithacertainlevelofsenioritythathavegonethroughpeoplemanagementtrainingandarethereforeconsideredcapabletoworkwithinterns/apprenticesaswell.However,sinceinterns/apprenticesmayhavespecificneedsorcharacteristicsthataredifferentfromfull-timeemployees,thisisnotseenasasufficientpreparationforthesupervisor.
• Inanumberofcases,ithasalsobeenindicatedthattherearenospecificmeetingssetbetweenthesupervisorandtheintern/apprenticeduringthetimethepersonisworkingatthecompanytoevaluateprogressagainstlearningobjectivesandtoprovidefeedbackontheperson’sskillsandcompetencies.Mostcompaniesdohaveafinalevaluationmeetingattheendoftheinternship/apprenticeship,however.
• Finally,itisalsosurprisingthatfewcompanieshaveapolicyorasetofguidelinesinplacetostreamlineinternships/apprenticeshipsacrosstheorganisation.
B. QIA-A results against the Charter
TestingtheQIA-Atoolwith15companiesinCSREurope’snetworkalsopresentedanopportunitytogainfeedbackontherequirementsoftheCharterinapracticalcompanycontext.
Overall,itcanbesaidthatfewelementsinthequestionnairewerecontestedbyparticipantsintheinterviews,indicatingthattheoverallframeworkisgenerallyaccepted.Twopointscouldbetakenintoconsideration,however,inthefurtheruseanddevelopmentoftheCharter:
1. Thedecisionwhetherornottoincludeinterns/apprenticesoutsideofeducationintosocialsecuritysystemsislargelyinfluencedbythenationalcontextandpractice.Insomeinstances,companiesdonothavethedecisionpowertoincludeinterns/apprenticesinallthreesystemsthatarementioned(asthisisregulatedbynationallegislation)orarealsonotofferinginclusioninthesesystemstoregularemployees.Therefore,itisrecommendednottoincludethisasasetrequirementintheCharter.
2. Itcouldbeconsideredtoreplacetheterm‘contract’byamoreflexibleterm,suchas‘agreement’(whichisalsousedbytheEuropeanCommissioninitsQualityFrameworkforTraineeships).Reactionstothetermcontractwerethatitraisestheexpectationthataninternship/apprenticeshipagreementshouldbemoreorlessconformtoacontractofferedtoregularemployees,whilesomeflexibilityisrequiredforinternships/apprenticeships.Thisisespeciallythecaseforinternshipsthattakeplaceinashorttimeframe(e.g.summerinternships),astheadministrativeburdenshouldbekeptlowhere.
C. policy recommendations
Finally,therespondentsofthequestionnairehavealsobeenaskedwhethertherewereanypointsinthequestionnairethatwouldcausetheircompanytostop/avoidhiringinterns/apprenticesiftheywouldbecomecompulsorybylaw.Whilearoundtwothirdsofparticipantsexpressedthattheydidnotseeanypointsthatwouldbeproblematic,threegeneralconcernsregardingpotentialfuturepolicydevelopmentsareworthwhilementioninghere:
1. Regardinginternshipsaspart of education (and in one casealsoapprenticeships),itwasadvocatedthatpolicy makers should not strive to put minimum wages in place.Inthisphaseofayoungperson’seducation,companiescanbenefitinmanywaysfromemployinghim/herforalimitedperiodoftime,butitalsorequiresacertaininvestmentinthepersonbythecompany.Itshouldthereforebeleftuptothecompanytoevaluateifthereshouldbeaformofremunerationinvolvedornot.
2. Whilethecompaniesinterviewedwouldnotrespondnegativelytowardsanattempttoputthequestionslistedinthequestionnaireintonationalframeworks,theywouldbeconcernedifthiswouldincreasetheadministrative burden toomuch(e.g.ifeachinternshipwouldneedapprovalfromasocialpartner).Ifmonitoringtoolswouldbeputinplace,theadviceistokeepthemassimpleaspossible.
3. Throughdifferentfundsandinitiatives,theEuropeanCommissionistryingtoincreasethecapacityforinternships/apprenticeshipsinthememberstates.Animportantwarninghereisthat,ifnationalquotaortargetswouldbeputinplace,thisshouldincludesupporting measures to ensure companies can maintain the level of qualityoftheschemesprovidedtointerns/apprentices.
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Conclusions and next steps
About the project4
In light of growing attention to the quality of internships and apprenticeships in the public and policy debate, the QIA-A tool provides a useful framework for companies to evaluate where they stand in this regard. While the majority of processes described in the QIA-A questionnaire are well-established among the companies interviewed, some points require ongoing attention. These are, most importantly:
• Providingafaircompensationforworkperformedoutsideofworkinghours;
• Preparingsupervisorsfortheirrole;
• Givinginterns/apprenticestheopportunitytodiscusstheirprogressandcompetenciesduringintermediateappraisalmeetings;
• Developingguidelines/policiesforhowinternships/apprenticeshipsshouldbestructuredacrosstheorganisation.
Additionally,theengagementwith15companiesaroundthequalityoftheirinternships/apprenticeshipshasalsobroughtafewinterestingremarkstothesurfacethatcanhelptheYFJandpolicymakerscontinuetheirworkonestablishingbetterqualityframeworks.
• RegardingtheCharter,itisrecommendedthattherequirementregardingsocialsecuritysystems(forinternshipsoutsideofeducation)shouldbetakenoutofthedocumentandthattheterm‘contract’wouldbereplacedby‘agreement’;
• Whendevelopingfuturelegislationregardingqualityinternships/apprenticeships,policymakersshouldkeepthefollowingpointsinmind:minimumwagesshouldneverbecompulsoryforinternshipsaspartofeducation;legislativemeasuresshouldnotincreasetheadministrativeburdenforcompanies(toomuch);andapushforanincreasedcapacitytoprovideinternships/apprenticeshipsshouldnotgowithoutaccompanyingmeasurestomaintainthequality.
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The Quality Internships & Apprenticeships assessment tool has been developed as part of CSR Europe’s collaborative project “Quality Internships & Apprenticeships”, co-led with member organisations Microsoft and Impronta Etica, and in partnership with the European Youth Forum.
TheprojectispartofCSREurope’sEuropeanBusinessCampaignonSkillsforJobs.Thegoalofthecampaignistostrengthenbothpathwaystojobs(strengtheningtherelationshipbetweenbusinessandeducationproviders)andworkplaceinnovation(optimisingworkersemployabilitythroughoutcareers).Byshapingmulti-stakeholderlearningnetworks,supportingtherightpolicyframeworkatEuropeanlevelandmakinggoodpracticevisible,CSREuropeaimstoinspirecompaniesandpartnerstojointhemovementandmagnifytheimpactofSkillsforJobssolutionsacrossEurope.
FormoreinformationabouttheEuropeanBusinessCampaignandtheproject,contactLiesbeth Reynders at lr@csreurope.org
disclaimer
CSR Europe maintains a policy of not acting as a representative of its members, nor does it endorse specific policies or standards. The views expressed in this report are those of its authors and not necessarily those of CSR Europe’s members or those of the leaders of the collaborative project.
Annex: The European Quality Charter on Internships & Apprenticeships
more information on the European Quality Charter on Internships & Apprenticeships can be found on the dedicated website: www.qualityinternships.eu/about ThefulltextoftheCharterreadsasfollows:
preamble
Giventhat:
• Transitionphaseforyoungpeoplefromeducationtothelabourmarkethasbecomeincreasinglydifficult;
• Youtharedisproportionatelyaffectedbyunemploymentandfacestructuralchallengesinfindingquality,stableemployment,andtoearndecentincome;
• Earlylabourmarketexperiencesuchasinternshipsandapprenticeshipsareusefultofacilitateyouthaccesstolabourmarket,toeasethetransitionbetweeneducationandemploymentandtodeveloplabourmarketrelevantskills1;
• Notallpupilsorstudentshavethepossibilityandthenecessaryfinancialmeanstotakepartinqualityworktrainings(apprenticeships&internships)aspartoftheschoolcurriculaanduniversityprogrammes,includingthosethataretakingplaceabroad;
• Ismountingevidencethatworkplacements(internships)outsideformaleducationarefrequentlyreplacingqualityemploymentforyoungpeople;
• Lackofclearqualityguidelinesunderminesthemainpurposeofinternshipsandapprenticeshipsaseducationalopportunitiesthatgivepracticalskillstoyoungpeople;
• Thereisaneedformoreresearchandlabourmarketmonitoringinthisarea.
Weurgealltheprovidersofinternshipsandapprenticeshipstocommittoqualitystandardsandtoapplyaclearandcoherentcodeofconduct,leadingbyexample.
WeurgeEuropeancountries,Europeaninstitutionsandsocialpartners2tocommittoestablish(orwhereapplicablereinforcealreadyexisting)legalqualityframeworksforinternshipsandapprenticeships.
Wecalloninternshipandapprenticeshipprovidersandpublicdecisionmakerstoadoptasystemofcertificationandtoensuretherecognitionoftheknowledgeandskillsacquiredthoughinternshipsandapprenticeships.ImplementationofthisCharterdoesnotconstitutevalidgroundstoreducethegenerallevelofprotectionaffordedatnationallevel.
Article 1
Weareconvincedthatinternships and apprenticeships shouldbe primarily a learning experience and believe that:
• Internships/apprenticeshipsshouldneverleadtojobreplacement;
• Wellorganisedinternships/apprenticeshipshelpyoungpeopleacquirepracticalexperienceandaddpracticalskillstotheknowledgeandqualificationsthathavebeenpreviouslyacquiredthrougheitherformalornonformaleducation;
• Internships/apprenticeshipshelptoorientateoneselfprofessionallyandalsowidenone’sperspectivesofdifferentsectors;
• Internships/apprenticeshipsproviderecognisedworkingexperiencethatdevelopstheskillsofyoungpeopleandelevatestheirprofessionalcapacity;
• Internships/apprenticeshipsshouldbecarriedoutunderguidanceofacompetentsupervisorandhaveaccesstorobustevaluativeandcomplaintschannelstomonitorprogressandqualityoftheinternship/apprenticeshipexperience;
• Interns/apprenticesshouldbeinformedatthebeginningoftheirinternship/apprenticeshipexperienceoftheirsocialandlabourrights,workersrepresentatives,theirresponsibilitiestotheorganisation,anyhealthandsafetyrisksposedtothemthroughthepositionorattheworkplaceandareprovidedtherelevantsocialprotectionaccordingly.
Footnotes1 This Charter defines apprenticeships as work oriented trainings that are part of vocational education and training and that are solely school-based programmes or combined school and work- based programmes, both carried out in the formal education system bringing credit points. This Charter defines internships as either:
A part of higher education that brings credit points where interns have a student status, access to services like student loans, student housing, health insurance, scholarships etc.
B taking place outside formal education (also after graduation) that do not bring credit points for the diploma. Some of these internships do not have a legal status or may even be considered illegal.
C and any other form of similar work experience that is offered to young people as a work based learning opportunity.2 EU Social Partners, in their Inclusive labour markets agreement, signed in March 2010, already committed themselves for more and better traineeships and apprenticeships.
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Article 2
Webelievethat internships (as part of higher education) and apprenticeships should meet the following criteria:
• Existenceofawrittenandlegallybindingcontractbetweentheeducationalinstitution,intern/apprenticeandhostingorganisationoutliningthemainprinciplesoftheinternship/apprenticeship,includinghowmanycreditpointsthiswillcontributetothediplomaoftheintern/apprentice;adescriptionoflearningobjectivesandtasksshouldbeattachedtothecontract;
• Lengthandtasksoftheinternship/apprenticeshipcorrespondtospecifiedlearningobjectivesthataresharedwiththestudentatthebeginningofhis/herinternship/apprenticeship;
• Guidancethroughouttheinternship/apprenticeshipperiodbyasupervisor(s)trainedspecificallyfortherole;
• Therightoftheintern/apprenticetoreceivereimbursementofcostsincurredduringtheinternship/apprenticeshiporrighttoreceivefood,housing,andpublictransportationticketsinstead;
• Decentremunerationforworkcarriedoutadditionaltotherequirementsoutlinedintheinternship/apprenticeshipcontract,includingcompensationforovertime;
• Clearevaluationcriteriaoftheinternship/apprenticeshipperiod.
Article 3
Webelievethatinternships taking place outside/after formal education should ideally not exist however where they exist they should meet the following criteria:
• Existenceofawrittenandlegallybindingcontractoutliningthelength,remunerationoftheinternship,adescriptionoflearningobjectivesandtasksshouldbeattachedtothecontract;
• DecentremunerationnotbelowtheEUpovertylineof60%medianincomeornationalminimumwage,ifmorefavourable,inaccordancetothetaskswhichareperformedbytheinternandtoworkinghours(overtimeshouldbeadditionallycompensated).Internshipremunerationshouldberegulatedeitherinlaworcollectiveagreementsinaccordancewithnationalpractice;
• Useofinternshipsshouldbelimitedtopupils,studentsandveryrecentgraduates,lengthofinternshipsperiodshouldberestrictedtoareasonableandfixednumberofmonths;
• Reimbursementofcostsincurredduringtheinternship;
• Inclusionoftheinterninthesocialsecuritysystem,especiallythoseofhealth,unemployment,pensionsystems;mid-termevaluation,discussionofthepossibilitiestobehiredasapermanentemployeeduringtheinternshipperiodandafinalevaluationattheend oftheinternshipperiod;
• Limitednumberofinternsperinternshipprovider;
• Transparentadvertisingthatincludesadetailedtaskdescriptionandworkingconditions.
Article 4
Weurgethecompetentstakeholderstoprogressively develop the following support and monitoring policies for a better implementation of quality internships:
4.1 Legal framework and recognition of skills
• Internshipsshouldbegivenaplaceinthenationallegislationandemployersshouldbeprovidedassistancetoanylegalenquiriesrelatedtotheimplementationprocess;
• AttheEuropeanlevelthereshouldbemechanismsinplacetopromotetheexchangeofbestpracticesintheareaandtheimplicationofthemaincriteriathatdefinequalityinternships;
• NationalandEuropeansystemsforcertificationandrecognitionofknowledgeandskillsacquiredthoughinternshipsshouldbeinplacetofurthersupporttosmoothintegrationofyoungpeopleinthelabourmarketandsupportyouthlabourmobility.
4.2 Monitoring and statistics
• Statisticsshouldbeavailableoninternships,nationallyandatEuropeanlevel,withaspecialfocuson:thenumberofinternshipsavailable,theaveragelengthofinternships,thesocialbenefitsbeingmadeavailableforinterns,theallowancespaidtointerns,theagegroupsofinterns;
• Anoverviewshouldbeavailable,nationallyandatEuropeanlevel,onthedifferentinternshipschemesandtheirplacewithinthelegalsystems.
4.3 Partnerships
• Nationalpartnershipsrunbetweenschools,universities,civilsocietyorganisationsandthesocialpartnersshouldbeencouragedandsupported;
• Morecareerdevelopmentloansandinvestmentintrainingbyemployersshouldbeencouragedandsupported;
• Schoolsshouldprovideassistancetotheyoungpeoplewhentheyarelookingforasuitableapprenticeship;
• Studentandpupilorganisations,tradeunionsshouldbeavailabletoprovideassistancetointernsthroughouttheinternshipperiod.
FormoreinformationaboutCSREurope,itsnationalpartnerorganisationnetworkortobecomeamemberpleasecontactStefanCrets,ExecutiveDirector, at sc@csreurope.org
CSR Europe RueVictorOudart7 1030Schaerbeek Brussels Belgium
www.csreurope.org Twitter @CSREuropeOrg Tel: 003225411610 Fax: 003225028458 Email: info@csreurope.org
Published:July2014
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