AN INTERESTING INTERNSHIP - CINOP

AN INTERESTING INTERNSHIPHOW EMPLOYERS’ ORGANISATIONS CAN TAKE THE LEAD

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SKILLS DEVELOPMENT IS ONE OF THE ISSUES EMPLOYERS’ ORGANISATIONS ARE DEALING WITH. ALTHOUGH IT IS AN OCEAN OF CHALLENGES, INSTITUTIONS AND PEOPLE INVOLVED, SKILLS DEVELOPMENT NEEDS A LOT OF ATTENTION. AFTER ALL, A COUNTRY THAT TEACHES ITS CHILDREN WELL CREATES A STRONG BASIS TO BUILD THE FUTURE UPON. LET’S FOLLOW CHRISTOPHE WHO FOUND OUT WHAT SKILLS DEVELOPMENT IS ALL ABOUT DURING HIS INTERNSHIP AT AN EMPLOYERS’ ORGANISATION.

PREFACE

The Federation of Baslacam Employers

3AN INTERESTING INTERNSHIP

Who is who? Meet the main characters

Christophe A young student who interns at the FBE

Mrs. Wiseman ExecutiveDirectoroftheFBE,theFederationofBaslacamEmployers

Mr. Welldone ChairmanoftheFBEandCEOoftheoldestandlargestbicyclemanufacturerofBaslacam,theBBC,theBaslacamBicycleCooperative

Mr. Jack OwnerofBBE,theBaslacBicycleExperience

Mr. Wheely DirectorofHUMLtd,HeavyUseMobility

Ms. Rennet ManagingDirectoroftheBaslacCheeseandDairyCooperative

Ms. Trap ChairwomanofthesectororganisationCBBS

Mr. Jackson Presidentofthetradeunion,UEB

Ms. and Mr. OwnersofasmallcompanythatrepairscomponentsofRoundhouse windmills

Mr. Wing AChinesemanagerofalargemanufacturerofwindturbines

Ms. Quichot Descendantfromanancientfamilyoftraditionalwindmilloperators

Mr. Sprocket GeneralmanageroftheBaslacCollegeofTechnology(BCT)

Ms. Grease DepartmentmanagerofMechanics,ElectronicsandAutomotiveoftheBCT

Samantha AstudentoftheBaslacCollegeofTechnologywhointernsat the BBE

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Abbreviations

BBC BaslacamBicycleCooperativeBBE BaslacBicycleExperienceBCT BaslacCollegeofTechnologyBEP BaslacamEducationalPlatformBNIS BaslacamNationalInstituteforStatisticsCBBS CooperativeofBaslacamBicycleSpecialistsFBE FederationofBaslacamEmployersHUM HeavyUseMobilityTVET TechnicalVocationalEducationandTrainingUEB TheUnitedEmployeesofBaslacam

AN INTERESTING INTERNSHIP 5

PREFACE 2

HOW IT ALL STARTED 6

ABOUTBASLACAM 7

DOING A LOT OF GOOD WORK 8

ABOUTCOMPETENCIES 8

AFORCEFULHANDSHAKE 10

ABOUTTHEORYANDPRACTICE 11

LIFELONGLEARNING 12

RAPID TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS 13

TEAMWORK AND INTERPERSONAL SKILLS 14

NEWBUSINESSMODELS 16

TRANSFERRING AND EXCHANGING KNOWLEDGEANDEXPERIENCES 17

WORKINGISLEARNING 18

PARTICIPATIONOFMEMBERS 19

PROTECTIVEANDHYGIENICCLOTHES 20

TACITKNOWLEDGE 21

AWARENESS OF DEVELOPMENTS 22

FUNCTIONS,TASKSAND COMPETENCIES 23

FOCUSGROUPS 25

SUSTAINABLEGROWTH 26

THE MAIN STAKEHOLDERS 28

ONTHEWAYTOCONCRETEACTION 29

COMMONINTERESTS 30

RESPECTINGTHERULESOFTHE GAME 31

EVERYBODYAWINNER 32

CREATINGALEARNINGCULTURE 33

LEARNINGCOACHES,LEADERSHIP ANDVISION 34

AN INTEGRATED DIDACTICAL CONCEPT 35

REFLECTING IMPORTANT PILLARS OF THEECONOMY 36

ACHIEVEMENTSCOULDBESHARED 37

CHANGINGTHECURRICULAMIGHT NOTBEEASY 38

MAKINGTHINGSCONCRETE 39

COMMONOBJECTIVES 40

INITIATEMAJORCHANGES 41

THERE IS ONLY ONE PLACE TO MAKETHISWORK 41

MAIN LIST OF TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS STORY 43

EXTENDED LIST OF TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS STORY 44

ENDORSED BY 47

TABLE OF CONTENT

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HOW IT ALL STARTED

AsastudentofEconomicsandBusinessattheBaslacUniversity,Christophewaslookingforaninternship.Hewasparticularlyinterestedinlabourmarketissues.Therefore,hisprofessoradvisedhimtoapproachtheFBE,theFederationofBaslacamEmployers.Although,untilthen,Christophewasnotveryfamiliarwiththeworkofemployers’organisations,hebecameexcitedwhenhevisitedthewebsite.FBErepresentedtheprivatesectorofthecountry.SomelargecompanieslikeBasfoodandtheBaslacEnergyCompanyLtdweredirectmembers.Butthemajorityofthemembershipconsistedofdominatingeconomicsectors,likeFoodprocessing,NewEnergyandManufacturing.Christopheknewwhathehadtodo.HewroteanapplicationlettertotheExecutiveDirector,Mrs.Wiseman.Itdidn’ttakelongforhertorespond.AftertwodaysChristophereceivedaninvitationlettertomeetattheFBEheadquarterinthecentreofBaslac.

AN INTERESTING INTERNSHIP

ChristophelivesinBaslacam.Anemergingcountrywithatropicalclimate.Baslacamhas23millioninhabitants,calledBaslaci,ofwhichnearly60%isyoungerthan25years.Thepopulationgrowthrateiscloseto3%.ThecapitalBaslac,with3millioninhabitants,hasthemostimportantharbouroftheregion.Goodsfromthethreeneighbouringcountrieshavetopassthroughthisharbour.Thereforethetransportationsectoriswelldeveloped,althoughthequalityofthehighwayandrailwaynetworksisratherpoor.Othersectorswithgoodperspectivesare;Cheeseproduction,WindmillManagementandBicyclemanufacturing.Thesesectorshaveahistoryofcenturies.

Baslacamisknownaroundtheworldforitstastefulhardgoatandsheepcheeseproducts,bothfordirecthumanconsumptioninthebusiness-to-consumersectorandforindustrialprocessing.Windmillsaretraditionallyusedtopumpthewaterawayfromlowlyingareas,togrindgrainsandtopowerautomaticsaws.ThislasttechnologyallowstheBaslacitoincreasetheproductionofwoodforconstructingwoodenhouses.Onecanthereforeeasilyunderstandthattheconstructionsectorhasalonghistoryofcraftmanshipaswell.

ABOUT BASLACAM

7

8

ChristophehadtowaitfiveminutesforMrs.Wisemantoarrive.Shewel-comedhimandofferedhimacupofcoffee.“TellmeChristophe,whydoyouwanttointernatFBE?”Christophewaspreparedforthatquestionandheansweredrightaway:“OurcountryhasalotofchallengesMrs.Wiseman.Technologyischangingrapidlyanditisarealchallengeforemployeesinourtraditionalsectorstokeepupwiththesedevelopmentsandacquirenewknowledgeandskills.Schoolsforvocationaleducationoffercurriculawhicharenotalwaysup-to-date.Ithinkthatanemployers’organisationisthebestplacetoanalysetheproblems,tostudythecausesin-depthandtodefinerecommendations”.

“IfullyagreeChristophe”,Mrs.Wisemanreplied.“Ourtraditionaleconomicsectorsdohavethepotentialtogrow.Butnewcompetenciesbecomemoreandmoreimportant.Thelackofnewcompetenciesamongbothemployeesandnewentrantshindersthisgrowth.IamconvincedyoucandoalotofgoodworkspendingafourmonthinternshipwithintheFBE.So,youcanstartnextMonday.Congratulations!”.

8

DOING A LOT OF GOOD WORK

ABOUT COMPETENCIES

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AN INTERESTING INTERNSHIP 9

ChristophewasthrilledabouttheideaofgettingstartedattheFBE.Hecouldn’twaittogetprepared.Thatiswhyhestartedtodosomedeskresearch.HefoundsomereallyinterestingstudiesoftheInternationalLabourOrganisation(ILO),theWorldEconomicForumandtheWorldBank.Theyprovedthatforeigninvestmentshadbeendoneinthefoodprocessingindustry,especiallyincheeseproductionandinwindmillmanagement.FurthermorehediscoveredthataDutchbicyclemanufacturerrecentlymergedwithacooperativeoftraditionalBaslacambicyclemanufacturers.Hewonderedwhattheobjectiveswereoftheseinvestments.Buthecouldguessthatitshouldbeamixtureofinnovation,lowcostproductionandmarketexpansion.AnationallabourmarketstudyoftheBaslacamNationalInstituteforStatistics(BNIS)showedthatthenumberofnewentrantsinthelabourmarketwasfivetimesbiggerthanthenumberofnewjobscreated.

“Newcompetenciesarebecomingmoreandmoreimportant.Thelackofnewcompetenciesamongbothemployeesandnewentrantshindersthisgrowth”iswhatMrs.Wisemanhadsaid.Christophedecidedtostudysometheoriesaboutdidacticstofindoutwhatwasmeantby‘competencies’.Helearnedthatthisisaboutknowledge,skillsandattitude.Knowledgeiswhatyoucanlearnbyheart.Likelearningaseriesofwordsinanotherlanguage.Butevenifyouknowalotofwordsbyheart,thisdoesn’tmeanyouareabletoactuallyspeakthelanguage.Thesamegoesfortechnologylikerepairingandmaintainingacheeseproductionprocessinstallation.Youcanlearnalotaboutvalves,crimp-fittings,stainless-steelandpumps,butifyoudon’tgetthechancetodetecttechnicaldefects,disassemblecomponentsandassemblespareparts,youwillnotbeabletodeveloptheseskills.Skillsareexpressedbyverbs.Theytellwhatyouactuallycandowiththeknowledgeyouobtained.Attitudeisaboutthepersonalvaluesandresponsibilityonedemonstrateswhilesharingobjectiveswithotherteammembersorcolleagues.Itisaboutbehaviour.Doesacolleagueshowupontime?Doeshehelphisteammateswhentheyneedhim?Doesheorganizehistoolboxinsuchawaythatotherscaneasilyfindthetoolstheyneed?And,perhapsevenmoreimportant;doesheshowrespectforothers?

Christopheconcludedthat-althougheverybodywasusingtheterm‘skillsdevelopment’-itwouldbebettertotalkabout‘competencedevelopment’.HewassatisfiedandfelthehadmadethefirststepstostartdoinghisinternshipattheFBE!

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ThatMondaymorninghewasthefirsttoarriveattheFBEheadquarter.Mrs.Wisemanshowedupsoonafterwards.“Youarelucky”,shesaid.“TodaywehaveaBoardmeeting.AndIhaveaskedthechairman,Mr.Welldone,tomeetyouandidentifyyourresearchquestions”.“ThatsoundsgreattomeMrs.Wiseman”,Christopheanswered.“Thismeetingallowsmetoexploredifferentpointsofview”.“YouarerightChristophe.Mr.WelldoneisCEOoftheoldestandlargestbicyclemanufacturerofBaslacam,theBBC.WhichstandsforBaslacamBicycleCooperative.Heknowsalotaboutthiseconomicsectorandabouttherapidchangeswhicharecurrentlytakingplaceallovertheworld”.

Mr.Welldonewasavitalpersonalityinhissixties.Heintroducedhimselfwithaforcefulhandshake.“YoumustbeChristophe?Well,itismypleasuretomeetyouandtowelcomeyouattheFBE.Thecompaniesinmysectoraresufferingfromalackofcompetenciesandtheemployers’organisationshoulddosomethingaboutit.Complainingisnotenough.Wefirsthavetofindoutwhatreallygoeswrong”.

“IagreewithyouMr.Welldone”,Christopheanswered.“Beforedefiningmyresearchquestions,itwouldbeveryusefultoquestionsomedecisionmakersinyoursector.LikecompanyownersofSME’sandproductionmanagers.Wouldthatbepossible?”“WellChristophe,Ithinkthatisaverygoodidea.Afterall,youcanstudyalotofscientificreports,butifyouarenotfamiliarwiththeday-to-daylifeinourcompanies,itwillremainabstract.Iwilldrawupalistwithnamesofpeoplewhowillbemorethanhappytoansweryourquestionsandgiveyouinformation”.

A FORCEFUL HANDSHAKE

AN INTERESTING INTERNSHIP 11

ABOUT THEORY AND PRACTICE

Afewdayslater,Christophewenttohisfirstinterviewbybike.Fortunately,mostofthebicyclemanufacturingcompanieswerelocatedinBaslac.So,hecouldworkveryefficiently.HisfirstmeetingwasatasmallcompanycalledBBELtd.Theowner,Mr.Jack,toldhimthatBBEstandsforBaslacBicycleExperience.“Istartedmyowncompanyabout15yearsago.Ihad10yearsofexperiencewithBBC.ThatishowIgottoknowMr.Welldone.Idecidedtostartmyowncompanyandgotspecializedinverysolidbicyclesformulti-purposeuse.BBEisemploying15technicians.BecauseweonlyhaveonesingleplantandwesellourproductsmainlyinBaslac,theyareresponsibleformanufacturingandrepairs”.

“Isee”,Christophesaid.“Whatkindofvocationaleducationdotheyhave?”“Letmesee”,Mr.Jackresponded.“Mostofthemfinishedthelocalcollegeformechanics.ButafterstartingtoworkwithBBE,theyneedatleastthreemonthstoacquiretherightskills”.“Istheschoolofferingapooreduca-tionallevel?”Christopheasked.“Iwouldn’tsayitispoor.Theteachersarequitegoodactually.Buttheyonlyteachfrombooks.Thestudentshardlyhavetheopportunitytoapplyinworkshopswhattheyhavelearnedintheory.Theschoolonlyhastwoorthreeoldweldingtorches.Theyarenotfamiliarwiththematerialsweareworkingwith.Likelightweightmetalpartsandcomposites.So,eveniftheyhadverygoodgrades,newemployeesneedthetimetogetacquaintedwiththematerialsandthetoolsweuse.Fortunately,someofourworkersareveryexperiencedandhavealotofpatience.So,theyhelptheirnewcolleagues”.

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LIFELONG LEARNING

“Thatsoundsverysatisfyingtome.Mr.Welldonehowevertoldmethatyoudohavesomeseriousproblemswithregardstoskillsdevelopment.Couldyoutellmesomethingaboutthat?”“Yes,itisnotonlythefactthatschoolsforvocationaleducationdonotpossessmodernequipmentandtools.Theinnovationsthattakeplaceinoursectorforceustogetacquaintedwiththem.

Forexample,nowadaysourcustomersaskforelectronicbikes.Ourworkersdon’thavetheskillstodesignsuchabike,nortoassemblethemotor.BBEispartofacooperativeofbicyclemanufacturers,theCooperativeofBaslacamBicycleSpecialists(CBBS).TheCBBSrecentlymergedwithaDutchmanufacturer,‘DeFietskeizer’.Theyarenowexploringthepossibilitiestoproducebicyclesinourplantsforbothlocalmarketandforexportpurposes.Ourworkersarenotreadyforthat.IjustreturnfromatriptotheNetherlandsattheirinvitation.Workersnotonlyneedknowledgeaboutmechanicsandelectronics.ICTisbecomingmoreandmoreimportantaswell.Thebatteriescollectinformationabouttheenergytheyuse,their actualpoweravailabilityandevenabouttheneedtobereplacedorrepaired.This‘bigdata’hastobereadbyalaptop.So,itisnotonlythenewentrantswehavetotrain.Mycurrentemployeesneedtoupdatetheirknowledgeandskillsaswell.Ifnot,BBEcannotkeepupwithnewdevelopments.Wemightloseourmarketposition.”ChristophethankedMr.Jackforhisinformationandpromisedtosharewithhimacopyofhisfinalreport.

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RAPID TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS

Christophewasimpressedbyhisfirstcompanyvisit.Heunderstoodthatrapidtechnologicalinnovationsrequirenewcompetenciesfromemployees.Butatthesamemoment,curriculaincollegesshouldgohandinhandwiththesedevelopments.Areteachersabletokeepupwiththesedevelop-ments?ThatwaswhathewaswonderingaboutwhenhereturnedtotheFBEheadquarter.

Mrs.WisemanunderstoodthatChristophehadmorequestionsthananswersafterthisvisit.ThatiswhyshetoldhimtogoandmeetMr.Wheely,thedirectorofalargecompanycalledHUMLtd.ThisstandsforHeavyUseMobility.HisbicycleswereknownalloverBaslacamandusedbyprofessionalbikeriderstotransportfruitandvegetablesfromthefarmers’locationtolocalmarketsandthefoodprocessingindustry.HUMLtdwasamemberofCBBSaswell.

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TEAMWORK AND INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

“Wearedefinitelythemostinnovativebicyclemanufacturerontheconti-nent”,Mr.WheelyclaimedwhenheshookhandswithChristophe.“Wel-comeinourcompany.WhatcanIdoforyou?”“Thankyouforyourtime Mr.Wheely”,Christophesaid.“Iwonderifyouremployeescankeepupwithnewtechnologicaldevelopments.Iunderstandinnovationgoesfastandthatyoucanonlymaintainyourmarketposition,orevengrow,iftheyhavetherightcompetencies”.

“Wellmyyoungfriend.Pleasetellmefirstwhatyoumeanbycompetencies”.“Ah,Icanimagineyouaskthatquestion.Peopleareusedtotalkingabout‘skillsdevelopment’.Butactually,weneedtoseparatebetweenknowledge,skillsandattitude.Becausethemixofthethreeofthemdetermineshowpeopleperformintheirjob.Togetherwecallthem‘competencies’.ThatiswhyI’drathertalkaboutcompetenciesand‘competencedevelopment’than‘skillsdevelopment’”.

“ThankyouChristophe.Thatmakessense”,Mr.Wheelyagreed.“Butthereismoretoitthanthat.Ifpeoplehavetherightcompetenciestheystillhavetoworktogetherwithcolleaguestoachieveteamresults.Therefore,Iwouldliketotellyouaboutteamdevelopment.Ourcompany-HUMLtd-employs250people.Wedistinguishawholeseriesofdepartments.Likedesign,engineering,manufacturing,sales,customerservices,sparepartsandrepairsand-ofcourse-themanagementofwhichIamincharge.Weconsiderthepeopleworkinginadepartmentnotjustlikeagroupofpeople,butasteams”.Christopheshowedhewasinterestedandindeedwantedtoknowmoreaboutthisapproach.“Ateamissomuchmorethanjustagroupofpeople.Thememberssharethesameobjective,theyhavecomplementaryskills-Iamsorry-competencies,theyparticipateactivelytoachievetheircommongoals,respecteachotheranduseinterpersonalskillstocommuni-cateandperform”.“Whatexactlydoyoumeanby‘interpersonalskills’Mr.Wheely?”Christopheasked.“Thosearetheskillsyouusetocommunicateinaclearwayandtoinvolveyourteammembers.‘Listening’mightbethemostimportantinterpersonalskill.Anotheroneisaskingquestions.

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Wecanaskopenquestions.Theyarequitegeneralandallowyoutostartaconversation.Like;‘whatdoyoulikeaboutourcountry?’But,onceyougetmoretothepoint,youcanaskclosedquestions.Onlyoneanswerispossible.Like;didyoureplacethefrontwheel?Theanswercanonlybeayesorno.Otherimportantinterpersonalskillsare‘summarizing’,‘convincingwitharguments’and‘showingrespect’.Ifpeoplecooperatinginagroupusetheseskillsinsuchawaythatproductivityandefficiencyimproveand1+1makesmorethan2,thenwespeakofateam.Sometimesinterpersonalskillsandcommunicationarecalledsoftskills.But,tobehonest,IthinktheyareessentialforconstructiveteamworkandthereforIdon’tliketheword‘soft’.Theyareasimportantasthecompetenciesyouareinterestedin.”

DECP16

NEW BUSINESS MODELS

Christopheunderstoodthatthebicyclemanufacturingsectorwasgoingthroughalotofrapidchangesanddevelopments.“WhatdoyouthinkaboutthefutureofyoursectorMr.Wheely?”“Well,thatquestionisnoteasytoanswer.ButIthinkthatHUMLtdwillshiftslowlyfromapurelymanufacturingcompanytoaserviceorganisation.Inthefuturepeoplemightnolongerownabicyclebutusethemondemand.Wewilldevelopapplicationsthatcanbeinstalledonsmartphones.Theappwillshowtheavailabilityandlocationsofouradvancedbicyclesalloverthecountry.Theusercanjustwalktotheclosestone,useittogofromoneplacetoanotherandleaveitatitsdestination.Remotesensoringwillallowourcontrolcentretoidentifywhichonesneedmaintenanceorupgrade.Thisapproachwillturnourbusinessfrommanufacturingintoserviceorientation.Youcanimaginethatatotallynewbusinessmodelrequirestotallydifferentcompetencies.”

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TRANSFERRING AND EXCHANGING KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCES

Christophehadtothinkthisover.Heunderstoodthatvocationaleducationandlifelonglearningwerenoeasyprocessestodesignandcarryout.TheteamworkMr.WheelywasreferringtonotonlyhadtodowithteamswithinHUMLtd,notevenonlybetweenteamswithinHUMLtd,butwithcooperationwiththeCBBSandtheDutchcompanyaswell.Afterall,technologicalaspectswereexchangedwhichallowedHUMLtdtoinnovateitsproducts.Butthismeantthatemployeesshouldlearnhowtoworkwithnewtechnologies.HowcouldHUMLtdmanage?

Mr.Wheelyexplained:“ThecooperationbetweentheDutchcompany‘DeFietskeizer’andHUMLtdisverygoodandintensive.OurdepartmentmanagershavepaidavisittotheDutchplant.Duringthatstudyvisittheyreceivedaninitialtrainingwhichintroducedthemintothemostmoderntechnology.Liketheapplicationofbatteriesinbicyclesandtheuseofsoftwaretoreadandinterpretdata.TwoDutchtrainersspentafewweekswithouremployeestoconductseveraltrainingprogrammes.Anddon’tforget:notonlytheDutchspecialiststeachus.OurnewDutchpartnershavelearnedquitealotthemselvesaswellfromourproductionemployeesabouthowtoreducethenumberofdisapprovedproducts.Whileworkingtogetheronthejob.Afterall,weareusedtoworkingwithlimitedresources.Andyouknowwhatweachieved?Wenowofferlowcoststandardelectronicbikestoourhomemarket.Justimagine.Alotofagriculturalproductsaretransportedbybikefromthesourcetothemarketplaceortoindustry.Thecyclistcarriesover150kilogrammesofproductsonhisback.Likebananas.Thismeansthathehastowalkuphillandthathisspeeddownhillcaneasilyreach70kilometresanhour.AlotofunnecessaryroadaccidentshappenyearlyinBaslacam.Ournewestmodel,theBasicBDPowerControl,deliversextrapowersupportgoinguphillandlimitsthedescendingspeedat25kilometresanhour.Thatiswhatwecallproductinnovationbycooperationandteamwork!”

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WORKING IS LEARNING

So,peopleincompaniescanlearnfromeachotheronthejobandbydesigningandcarryingouttrainingprogrammes.Teamworkandcommunica-tionareessentialtoperformandlifelonglearningisamust.Christophetookthetimetoworkouthisnotes.Hethoughthestartedtounderstand.

Aftervisiting5companiesthatwereallpartoftheCBBS,Christophehadagoodimpressionofthewholepicture.Thesectorhadalonghistory.Internalmarketwasgrowingandproductinnovationwasneeded.Betterproductsincreaseexportopportunities.Thewholebusinessmodelmightevenchangeintoaserviceorientedsectorinsteadofpurelymanufacturing.Betteradjustmentofcurriculainschoolsforvocationaleducationwasnecessarytoprepareyoungpeopleforlabourmarketcompetenceneeds.Thesecurriculashouldevenshiftconstantlytogetherwithrapidlychangingtechnology.Thereforteachers’knowledgeshouldberefreshedonaregularbasis.Employeesneededcontinuouslearningprogrammestokeepupwithtechnologicaldevelopments.Cooperationwithsimilarcompaniesinotherregions-worldwide-wasanopportunitytoimprovequality,innovation,productivityandefficiency.

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“Wellthen”,Mr.WelldoneconcludedwhenhewashavingameetingwithMrs.WisemanandsomestaffmembersofFBE.“Christophe,wethinkyoumadeagoodstartexploringtheimportanceofcompetencedevelopment.Actually,wenowalreadyseesomeopportunitiestotakeactionourselvesanddesignaprogrammetobridgethegapbetweenthecurriculaoftechnicalvocationaleducationandlabourmarketcompetenceneeds.Ofcourse,wecannotdoallthatbyourselves.Wewillneedthesupportandactiveparticipationofourmembers.Togethertheyofferalotofup-to-dateknowledgeandexpertise.Ijustwonderhowtogetthisorganised.So,weproposethatyourmainresearchquestionis:’what can an employers’ organisation do to achieve sustainable improvements in the field of competence development?’ “

Christophenoddedhisheadtoconfirm.Thisassignmentfeltalittlebitlikeaheavyloadonhisshoulders.Afterall,suchanimportantissuemeantalotofresponsibilityaswell.Mr.WelldoneunderstoodthatheshouldcoachChristophebycuttingthemainresearchquestionintodigestiblechunks.

“Isuggestyoufirststarttofindamethodtoanalysetheskillsgapwhichisperceivedbyemployers.IhavealreadymadeanappointmentforyouattheBaslacCheeseandDairyCooperative.Itonlytakesyou20minutesonyourelectronicbiketogetthere”.

PARTICIPATION OF MEMBERS

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PROTECTIVE AND HYGIENIC CLOTHES

Christophewasimpressedbythelooksofthefactory.HewaswarmlyreceivedbyMs.Rennet,theManagingDirectorofthecompany.

“Weemploy2.000peopleinthisplant.Butwedohavefivemoreplantsinotherprovincesofthecountry.Overall,weemployover6.000people.Ourcompanyproducespasteurisedmilk,buttermilk,milkpowderandallkindsofcheese.ThemilkproductsaresoldlocallyinBaslacam.But70%ofthecheeseproductsareexportedtomorethan40countriesworldwide”.Indeed,whodoesn’tknowthefamousBaslacamcheeseproducts?

Christophewasofferedaguidedtourofthewholefactory.Beforeenteringtheproductionfacilitieshehadtowashhishandsandputonsecurityshoes,protectiveglasses,earplugs,ahairnet,ahelmetandahygienicwarehousecoat.

Alltheoperatorswerewearingtheseprotectiveandhygienicgarments.

AN INTERESTING INTERNSHIP 21

TACIT KNOWLEDGE

“Justlookaround”,Ms.Rennetsaid.“Youwillnoticethatwedohavesomeoldequipmentinoneproductionhall.Butwerecentlyinvestedinnewpro-cessinstallationswhichyoucanseeinthesecondhall.Ouroperatorshavetobeall-round.Becauseweproduce24hoursaday,inthreeeighthours’shifts.Thesamegoesforthetechnicianswhohavetorepairtheequipment,ifnecessary,andreplacespareparts.Butofcourseitisbetterthattheycarryoutpreventivemaintenance”.

“Whatexactlydoyoumeanbypreventivemaintenance,Ms.Rennet?”Christopheasked.“Letmegiveyouanexample.Ourseniortechniciansareveryfamiliarwiththeoldequipment.Whentheyhearanirregularsound,theyknowwhat’swrongandtheymakesuretheproblemwillnotoccuragain.Now,thatiswhatwecallpreventivemaintenancebasedontacitknowledge.Bybeingveryexperienced,theyknowwhattodoinordertomakesurethattheequipmentdoesn’tfail,eveniftheyarenotabletoexplainexactlywhy.Butmakingsurethatournewestinstallationsdonotfailismuchmorecomplex.Theyhavetobeabletoanalysedatathatappearoncontrolpanels,resetandprogramsoftwareandcommunicatewiththeoriginalequipmentmanufacturer.Furthermore,theyhavetounderstandthebasicsoftheapplications.Whichmeanscheeseanddairyproduction,hygienicsandcleaning”.

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AWARENESS OF DEVELOPMENTS

“ThatisalotMs.Rennet”Christopheconcluded.“Howlongdoesittakefornewentrantstobeabletoreplaceaseniorcolleague?”“Now,thatisareallyinterestingquestionChristophe.Ittakesthemmonthsifnotyears.Afewweeksago,weorganisedameetingwithpeoplefromBracfood,alargecompanyinvolvedinallkindsoffoodproducts,andfourothercompaniesinthefoodsector.Weconcludedthatweshouldworktogetherwithschoolsforvocationaleducation.Becausetheteachersandstudentsarehardlyawareofwhathappensinmoderncompaniesandfactories.Don’tforget,wearetalkingaboutallkindsofdairyproducts,breadbakeries,cannedvegetables,meatprocessingandmore.Butthat’snotall.Weneedemployeeswhounderstandaboutfood,technicians,operatorsandsoon.Ideally,allinone.Weunderstandperfectlywellthatthatisnotpossible.Butwedothinkthatwecanhelpcollegestoadjustcurriculamoretowhatweneed.Andtoadapteverynowandtheninlinewithrapiddevelopments.Therefore,wetriedtodevelopamethodtoanalysethegapofskills.Or,shouldIsaycompetencies?”

ChristophewasverymuchinterestedintheresultsofthemeetingMs.Ren-netwastalkingabout.Thatiswhysheinvitedhimtothefollowupmeeting,whichtookplaceonlytwodayslater.

AN INTERESTING INTERNSHIP 23

FUNCTIONS, TASKS AND COMPETENCIES

“Welcomeeverybody”,Ms.Rennetsaid.“IwouldliketointroduceyoutoChristophe.HeisaninternattheBFEandhewantstofindouteverythingaboutcompetencedevelopmentandvocationaleducation.Fromthepointofviewofemployers,thatis”.Sevenpeoplesattogetheranddiscussedthequestionhowtoanalysetheskillsgap.Oneparticipantproposed:”Weshoulddrawupalistoffunctionsthatarereallycrucial”.“Iagree”,Ms.Rennetanswered.“Letusfirstbrainstormandidentifyatleasttenfunctions.Nextstepwillbetoselectashortlist”.Theparticipantstothemeetingwereexcited.Becausetheyfoundoutthat,althoughtheysometimeswereproducingratherdifferentproducts,theywerelookingforthesamekindoffunctions.Likepreventivemaintenancetechnicians,systemoperatorsandproductdevelopers.Thatwastheirshortlist.

Butwhatcouldbethenextstep?Christophedecidedtosharehisideas:“Perhapswecanfirstdefinethemostimportanttaskspreventivemainte-nancetechnicians,systemoperatorsandproductdevelopershaveineachofyourcompanies.Thenwecanconcludeiftherearesetsofgeneraltaskswhicharepartofthesefunctions,regardlessthecompanytheemployeesareworkingin”.

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ThegroupgotmoreandmoreenthusiasticanddivedintotheexercisethewayChristophehadsuggested.Andtheygotevenmoreenthusiasticwhentheyfoundoutthatitwasrathereasytolistthreetofivedominanttasks.“Wecanconcludethattherearemoresimilaritiesthandifferencesinwhattheydo.Now,letusgotothefinalstep.Thatistodescribethecompeten-ciesthatarerequiredforeverytask”.Althoughthiswasquitesomeworkandtheparticipantsneededtodiscussalottoagreeuponthecompeten-cies,Ms.Rennetwasveryhappywhenshecouldwrapupthemeeting.

“Ladiesandgentlemen.Iamconvincedwehavefoundastructuretoanalysethesetofcompetenciesthatgotogetherwithfunctions.Thisafternoonweidentifiedthreeimportantfunctions.Wedefinedthemaintasksandwelistedtheknowledge,skillsandbehaviouralaspectswhichareneeded.ThankstoChristophe!Withthispictureinmindwecandiscusstowhatextentcompetenciesareneededfornewentrants,experiencedemployeesandexperts.Thatallowsustoidentifytheskillsgap.Excuseme,thecompetenciesgap”.

AN INTERESTING INTERNSHIP 25

FOCUS GROUPS

Mrs.WisemanwaslostinthoughtwhenChristopheknockedatherdoor.“PleasesitdownChristophe.IjusthadaphonecallfromMs.Rennet.Sheexplainedhowsheandhercolleaguesmanagedtoworkoutasimplebutefficientstructuretoanalysethegapofskills.Andthatyoumadeasignificantcontributiontothat.Iamjustwonderingifwecanorganisefocusgroupsinothersectorsaswell.Itisobviousthatwehavetodoalotofwork.Buttheresultswillallowustoshareourknowledgewithteachers,Boardsofcolleges,theMinistryofEducationandotherstakeholders”.

“IthinkyouarerightMrs.Wiseman”,Christopheconfirmed.“Isuggestweinvitethedirectorsoftencompaniesinthewindmillsector.Ifwemanagetodothesameanalysis,wewillbeabletodefineanimprovementprogrammewiththem.Itcouldbeasteptowardsconcreteaction”.“IagreeChristophe”,Mrs.Wisemensaid.“Asapartofyourinternship,Iaskyoutotakethelead”.

DECP26

SUSTAINABLE GROWTH

Twoweekslatertheywereallthere.Ms.andMr.Roundhouse,ownersofasmallcompanythatrepairedcomponentsofwindmills.Mr.Wing,aChinesemanagerofalargemanufacturerofwindturbines.AndMs.Quichotwhodescendedfromanancientfamilyoftraditionalwindmilloperators.Theywereaccompaniedbyagroupofcolleagueswhowereactiveinthesamesector,mainlyinmanufacturingandmaintenanceofwindmills.

“Welcomeeverybody”Christopheopenedthemeeting.“ItismypleasuretospendtheafternoonwithyouidentifyingthemainchallengeswithregardstoskillsdevelopmentinthewindmillsectorandtodefinesolutionsthatBFEcaninitiate”.AseriesofinterestingdiscussionsfollowedandattheendoftheafternoonChristophecouldconclude:“Thesectorismovingawayalittlebitfromtraditionalapplicationslikepumpingwater,grindinggrainsandpoweringmechanicalsaws.MoreandmorewindmilltechnologyisappliedtogenerategreenenergywhichisdistributednotonlyinBaslac.Itevenreachestheoutskirtsofthecountrywhichallowspeopleinlowdevelopedruralareastohaveaccesstoelectricity”.

AN INTERESTING INTERNSHIP 27

“ThatistrueChristophe”,Ms.Quichotconfirmed.“Untilafewyearsago,poorfarmerscookedtheirmealsonlittlefires,ofteninthecorneroftheircabins.Thiswasnotveryefficient,badforpersonalhealthandfortheenvi-ronment.Nowcheapenergyandcontinuousavailabilityofelectricityallowsthemtoapplyallkindsofelectronicdevicesandequipment.Theexpertisetoconstructwoodensolidhousesnowhasreachedthem.Qualityoflifehasincreasedandnewjobswerecreatedbecauseneweconomicactivitieshavebeendeveloped”.

“Soinnovativewindmilltechnologybringsprosperity”Mr.Wingcontinued.“Butitisextremelyimportantthatourcollegesfortechnicalvocationaleducationandtrainingteachtherightskills.TheTechnicalUniversityofBaslacshoulddothesame.Wedon’twanttodependonforeigncompaniesandexpertsonly.Whentechnicalinnovationandproductdevelopmentisdonebyourowncompaniesandengineers,oureconomicgrowthwillbemorevariedandsustainable”.“Iagree”MsRoundhousereacted.“Weshouldnotforgettotransfertradi-tionalknowledgeandexpertise.Butinadditionwewilldefinitelyhavetoteachmodernissueslikeaerodynamics,powergeneration,energystorageanddistribution”.“Nottoforgetdigitalskills,networks,bigdataandtheinternetofthings”herhusbandadded.

DECP28

THE MAIN STAKEHOLDERS

“Sothesectorneedsengineers,all-roundtechnicians,mechanicsandspecialistsinvariousfields”Christophesummarised.“Whatcantheemployers’organisationdotomodernisetheeducationalsystem?”Mrs.Wisemansteppedforward.“IthinkIcangiveanoverviewofthemainstakeholdersinvolved.Thatisinthefirstplacethegovernment.TheMinistryofEducationisresponsibleforeducationpolicies.ThemostimportantbodyistheBEP.ThatistheBaslacamEducationalPlatform.Thisinstitutiondefinesthecurriculaandexamswhicharemandatoryateveryschoolthroughoutthecountry.TheBEPconsultantstalktothemanagementofcompanieseverynowandthen,buttheyhavetocoveralleconomicsectors.Someetingswithdecisionmakersinthewindmillsectorarenotfrequent.Bytheway,thesamegoesforcheeseproductionandbicyclemanufacturing.Thenwe’vegottheschoolsthemselves.Ifwefocusontechnicalcollegesanduniversitieswearetalkingaboutfiveimportantleadingcollegesandoneuniversity.ThemanagementandteachersdependonthelearningoutcomeswhichhavebeendefinedbytheBEP.Theyareallowedtoteachadditionalitems,butthisisontopofwhathasbeendefinedandmandatory.So,thisdoesn’tleavethemmuchtime.Besidesthat,teachersdon’thavemanyopportunitiestoupgradetheirknowledge.Infact,theyhardlymeetwithspecialistsincompanies.Andthenwearetalkingaboutthecompaniesinthedifferentsectors.WearesittingaroundthetablenowandIamconvincedthatyouexpressedverywellthedevelopmentsinyoursector.Butinfact,thisisthefirsttimewecouldrevealtheproblemsofskillsdevelopmentrelatedtothewindmillsector.Nottoforgetaboutthesameexercisewedidwithrepresentativesfromthefoodprocessingsector.AndChristophehasgatheredquitesomeinsightswithregardstobicyclemanufacturing”.

WhenMrs.Wisemanendedthemeetingtheyallfelttheyhadmadeanimportantstepforwardinmanagingtheircommonchallenge.

AN INTERESTING INTERNSHIP 29

ON THE WAY TO CONCRETE ACTION

“PleaseallowmeMrs.Wiseman”Christopheasked.“AmIrightthatFBEisrepresentingalotofcompaniesintheprivatesectorandthereforeisthevoiceofbusiness?Younowhavealotofinformationavailableaboutprob-lemsandcauses.Couldn’tyousharethiswiththeMinisterofEducation?”

“YesChristophe,youareright.WecanputthisissueonthestrategicagendaofFBEanddiscussourworriesandconcernsandevencomplaintswiththeMinister.Butourmessageswouldbesomuchstrongerifwewouldsharethemwiththetradeunionsanddefinepossiblesolutionsweagreeuponaswell.Apartfromthat,Iwouldliketosetupaconcreteproject,seeitasanexperiment,withagroupofmembercompanies,tobridgethegapofskillsourselves.Iamthinkingofadditionalpracticaltraininginoneofthesectorsyouhavebeenanalysing.Justtoshowthatemployersthemselvescanbepartofsolution.Butwedidn’treachthatstageyet”.

Mr.Welldone,whojustenteredtheconferenceroom,hadheardthelastsentencesofMrs.Wiseman.“WellChristophe”hesaidwithasmile.“Iseethatthenextchallengeofyourinternshiphasjustbeendescribed”.

DECP30

COMMON INTERESTS

Mrs.Wiseman,Mr.WelldoneandChristophesattogethertodiscussthepossiblescenario’stotakethenextstep.“Isuggestwefocusonthebicyclemanufacturingsectortostartwith.Theyarewell-organisedintheCBBSandtheindividualcompaniesareincreasinglyexperiencingthelackofcompetencies”,Mr.Welldonesaid.“Thatseemslikeagoodideatome”,Mrs.Wisemananswered.“IknowthechairwomanoftheCBBS,theCooperativeofBaslacamBicycleSpecialists,Ms.Strapprettywell.Wegraduatedtogetheratthebusinessschoolabouttwentyyearsago”.

“Iagree”,Mr.Welldoneadded.“AndIknowshehasagoodrelationshipwithMr.Jackson,thepresidentofthetradeunion”.“WhatisthenameofthetradeunionMr.Welldone?”,Christopheasked.“AsyouknowwehaveseveraltradeunionsinBaslacam,Christophe.ButthelargestoneistheUEB.TheUnitedEmployeesofBaslacam.Theyrepresent35%ofthework-ers,especiallyinindustry.TheothertradeunionsoftenfollowthepolicyofMr.Jackson.TheUEBandtheFBEhavecommoninterestswithregardstolabourmarketpolicyandcompetencedevelopment.Companiesneedwell-educatedandtrainedemployeesandworkersneedgrowingcompaniestoguaranteeemployment.IamsureMr.Jacksonwillbepreparedtodiscussaprojectinthisfieldwithus”.

AN INTERESTING INTERNSHIP 31

RESPECTING THE RULES OF THE GAME

Afewdayslater,Mr.JacksonwasattheFBEheadquarter.HeandMr.Welldoneweretalkingaboutsomeelementaryissueslikeminimumwagesandtheageofretirement.Ms.Straparrivedonlytenminuteslater,thuscompletingthekeypersonsforthatmoment.

“WellChristophe”,Mr.Welldonestartedthemeeting,“youprovedthatinthebicyclemanufacturingsectorwehavesomeseverechallenges.Oneofthestepstobridgetheskillsgapistosetupaprojectinwhichthecompa-niescooperatingintheCBBSjoinforces.Doyouhaveanysuggestionswhatwecandotomakethisconcrete?”

“ThankyouMr.Welldone”,Christopheanswered.“Ihavethoughtthisoverandoveragain.IthinkcompaniesshouldgiveinputtoTVETschoolsonaregularbasisabouttheirchangingcompetenceneeds.Establishinganadvisoryboardmightbeasustainablewaytodoso.Atthesametimethesecompaniesshouldofferinternshipstostudents,allowingthemtogetpracti-caltraining.Aguaranteednumberofinternshipscanbeavaluablecontribu-tiontothelearningprocessaspartofthecurriculum”.

“IamnotsureifIagree”,Mr.Jacksonreacted.“Untilnow,internshipsbasicallyhavebeencover-upsforcheaplabour”.“ThismightbetrueMr.Jackson”,Ms.Strapsaid,“butifwecandefinewhatawell-structuredhighendinternshipisabout,IamsureIcanconvinceourcompaniestorespecttherulesofthegame”.Mr.Jacksonnoddedthoughtfully.

“Christophe,canyouworkoutaprojectproposalwhichIcanusetoinformtheCBBScompaniesandtoaskfortheircooperation?”Ms.Strapasked.“Itismyhonour,Ms.Strap,todoin-depthresearchontheissueofintern-shipsandhowtoorganisethem.Itwillnottakemorethanaweek”.“ThatischallengingChristophe”,Mrs.Wisemansaid.“Butyouwillhaveyourownworkstationatourofficewhichallowsyoutofocus”.

DECP32

EVERYBODY A WINNER

Andachallengeitwas.Christophestudiedagreatnumberofarticlesonissueslikeformalandinformallearning,settinglearninggoals,learningonthejobandsoon.Themostdifficultpartofhisassignmentwastosetupaconceptwhichwouldhaveaddedvalueforallpartiesinvolved;thecompany,thestudentandtheschool.

Hismainthoughtwas;‘howtomakeeverybodyawinner?’Thelastdayofhisresearchhemanagedtocreateaproposalandapresentationtoinformtheworkinggroup.

“Welcomeeverybody”,Christopherstartedthemeeting.“Ittookmesometimetoputallthepiecesofthepuzzletogether,butIthinkImadetherightdecisions.AtleastIamreadytosharemyinsightsandthoughtswithyou”.

“Well,weareinterestedandcuriousatthesametimeChristophe”,Mr.Well-donesaid.“Goahead!”.Andsohedid.

AN INTERESTING INTERNSHIP 33

CREATING A LEARNING CULTURE

“Iwastoldthatstudentshavetheoreticalknowledge,buttheycannot gatherpracticalexperienceduetoalackofequipment,materialsandtoolsintheschools.Thesemeansareavailableinthecompaniesofthebicyclemanufacturingindustry.Ontheotherhandthecompaniesneedwell-edu-catedemployeesandtheyhaveexperiencedpeopleonboard.So,intern-shipsmightbetheanswertotheneedofgettingcompaniesandschoolsinvolvedwitheachother.

But,tomakethiswork,afewconditionshavetobemadeforthedevelop-mentofhighendinternships.Thefirstoneisthemostdifficultone.Thatistocreatealearningcultureinthecompany”.“ThatisinterestingChris-tophe”,saidMs.Strap.“Whatexactlyisalearningculture?”“Well,atleastthemanagementofthecompanyshouldbeconvincedthatlearninganddevelopmentofindividualcompetenciesiscrucialfortheteamresultsandcompanyperformanceandthereforepartofthecompany’shumanresourcestrategy.Itistooeasytosaythateverybodylearnswhileworking.Itistruethatpeoplelearnonthejob,butaninvolvedmanagementmakessurethatlearningisnotjustacoincidencebutacontrolledprocess.Thismeansthatlearninggoalsareconcretelysetintermsofcompetencies.Theselearninggoalsarediscussedwiththelearnerandhissupervisor.Thelearnercanbeastudentbutanemployeeaswell.Whileworkingandtryingoutnewthings,employeescansometimesmakemistakes.Theyarenotpunishedforthatbut,instead,thesemistakesareevaluatedinsuchawaythatonelearnsfromit”.

DECP34

LEARNING COACHES, LEADERSHIP AND VISION

“So”,Mr.Jacksonconcluded.“Alearningcultureisthefirstconditionforinternships.Isupposealearningculturedoesn’tjusthappen.Onehastodevelopit.Now,Iamcurioustoknowwhatthesecondconditionis”.

“YouareabsolutelyrightMr.Jackson.Developingalearningculturerequiresleadershipandvision.Therefore,thesecondconditionistoappointlearningcoachesinthecompany.Theseareexperiencedemployeeswhoaremoreorlessall-roundandknowthenetworksandregulationsofthecompany.Andwhatismore;theyliketoguideotherpeopleintheirlearningprocess”.

“Arelearningcoachespaidforthattask?”Ms.Strapasked.“Well,thatdepends.Beingappointedasalearningcoachcanbeperceivedasacomplimentandrecognitioninitself.Butsomecompaniesseethistaskasaspecialresponsibilityandgeneralextensionoftasksandthereforedefinethecombinationofbeinganexpertandlearningcoachasaseparatefunction.

AN INTERESTING INTERNSHIP 35

AN INTEGRATED DIDACTICAL CONCEPT

Thethirdconditiontodefineinternshipsistosetupalearningpathfollow-inganintegrateddidacticalconcept.Thismeansthatthestartingsituationofthelearnerisclear,learninggoalsaredefinedintermsofcompetenciesandthewaytoachievethesegoalsisdescribed.Inordertoknowthestart-ingsituationofthestudent,thelearningcoachhastobeacquaintedwiththecurriculumoftheTVETschoolandtheresultsandranksofthestudent.

Assignmentswhicharepartofthelearningprogrammeshouldneitherbetooeasy,nortoodifficult.Thetimelineisdescribedintermsofmilestones.Theseareevaluationmomentswherethelearningcoach,ateacherfromschoolandthestudentdiscusshisprogress.Inmyopinion,ahighendinternshipisaresponsibilityfromtheschool,thecompanyandthestudentandthereforrequiresfrequentinteractionbetweenteachersoftheschoolandthelearningcoachesofthecompany”.

Centre de Formation aux Métiers de l’Industrie (CFMI), Lomé, TOGO

DECP36

REFLECTING IMPORTANT PILLARS OF THE ECONOMY

“LetmecongratulateyouwiththisconceptChristophe”,Mr.Jacksonsaid. “Ifthisisthewaycompaniesworkoutinternships,Iwill,asrepresentativeoftheemployeesofBaslacam,supportandencourageit.Iamconvincedthatthiskindofinternshipsincreasesthechancefornewentrantstofindajob,eitherinthecompanythatofferedtheinternship,orinanothercompany.Afterall,ifthebicyclemanufacturingsectorisintheleadothercompanieswillbeconvincedthatqualityisguaranteed”.

“ThankyouMr.Jackson”,Ms.Strapanswered.“AndIcanimagineiftheCBBScompaniesguaranteeacertainnumberofinternshipseachyear,theschoolmanagementandtheBoardwillbemorethanhappytoadmittheinputofanadvisoryboardofthebicyclemanufacturingsector”.

“Iamexcitedtotakeactiononthisidea”,Mrs.Wisemanadmitted.“WewillstartwithanexperimenttogetherwiththeCBBSandshareourexperi-enceswiththefoodprocessingandnewenergysectors.Ifthingsturnoutwell,wecanupscalethenumberofcompanies,placementsandstudentsinvolved.Ifthefoodprocessingandnewenergysectorscanberepre-sentedintheAdvisoryBoard,theyperfectlyreflectimportantpillarsofoureconomytowardstheschool”.

AN INTERESTING INTERNSHIP 37

ACHIEVEMENTS COULD BE SHARED

Themeetinghadbeenwellprepared.Mrs.WisemanandMs.StraphadorganisedameetingwithallthemembersoftheCBBS.AmongthemwereMr.JackoftheBBELtd.andMr.WheelyofHUMLtd.Mrs.WisemanpresentedtheconceptwhichhadbeendevelopedbyChristophe.OnthePowerPointpresentationshehadaddedthelogosoftheFBE,CBBSandthetradeunionUEB.

Mr.Jacksonhimselfwaspresentaswellwithsomeofhiscolleagues.Obviously,fortheattendantsitwasclearthattheconceptofofferinghighlevelinternshipsinreturnforinfluenceincurriculumdevelopmentofTVETschoolswassupportedbyimportantorganisations.Theirimpactwouldnotonlyberestrictedtothisparticularsmallscaleproject.Achievementscouldbesharedwithothereconomicsectorsandwiththegovernment.Itmightevenbeagamechangerifemployers’andemployees’representativestogethercouldconvincetheMinisterofEducationandEmploymentthatvocationaleducationcouldbeorganisedhandinhand.

But“firstthingsfirst”Mr.Wheelysaid.“Ithinkitisagoodideatodevelopstructuralcooperationbetweenthebicyclemanufacturersandaregionalschoolfortechnicalvocationaleducationandtraining.AndIampreparedtoofferfiveinternshipseveryperiod.Butshouldn’tweinvolvetheschoolmanagementrightfromthestart?”

“You’reabsolutelyright”,Mr.Jackcontinued.“AsasmallenterpriseIcanonlyofferoneinternship.AndIwillbethelearningcoachmyself.ButitwouldbeusefultoinvitethemanagementoftheBCT,theBaslacCollegeofTechnology”.“Thatmakessense”,Mr.Welldoneadded.“IwillmakeanappointmentwiththeBCTshortlyanddiscussourproposition”.

DECP38

CHANGING THE CURRICULA MIGHT NOT BE EASY

AweeklaterMr.WelldoneandChristopheenteredtheBaslacCollegeofTechnology.TheywerewarmlywelcomedbyMr.SprocketandMs.Grease.

“Welcome,Mr.WelldoneandChristophe.IamMr.Sprocket,generalman-ageroftheCollege.IamhappytointroducetoyouMs.Grease,whoisthedepartmentmanagerofMechanics,ElectronicsandAutomotive.Iunder-standyouwantedtotalkaboutinternships?”

“ThatiscorrectMr.Sprocket”,Mr.Welldoneanswered.HeintroducedChris-topheandexplainedtheprocesstheyweregoingthrough.“IfIamrightthecompaniesthatareorganisedintheCBBSarepreparedtoguaranteeacer-tainnumberofplacementsforinternseveryyear?”Ms.Greasesummarised.

“Thatiscorrect”Christophesaid.“Ithinkthatthisoffersstudentstheoppor-tunitytoputintopracticewhattheyhavelearnedatschoolintheory.Theywillbeconnectedtoalearningcoachwhoisanexpert.Andthislearningcoachwillmeettheteachersonaregularbasis.Byofferingadidacticalconcepttheinternshipwillbepartofthelearningprocess.Theinternshipprogrammescanevenbeembeddedinthecurriculum.”

“Iamveryhappythatthebicyclemanufacturingcompaniesarepreparedtoofferandguaranteeinternshipprogrammes”Mr.Sprocketconcluded,“butchangingthecurriculamightnotbethateasy.Afterall,wedependonthedirectionsoftheBEP,theBaslacamEducationalPlatform.Itisthegovern-mentalbodywhichfollowsthepolicyoftheMinistryofEducation.Theytelluswhatwehavetodo.Thesecurriculaarefixed,justliketheexams.Butnevertheless,Iproposewestartwithapilotoftenstudentsinfourcompa-nies.Itisveryinterestingforourstudentsiftheycanworkwithup-to-dateequipmentandlearnfromexperts.Ourteachersmightbenefitaswell”.

AN INTERESTING INTERNSHIP 39

MAKING THINGS CONCRETE

“ThankyoufordoingthismeetingtogetherChristophe”Mr.Welldonesaid.“ImustadmitthatthisisthefirsttimeImetwiththemanagementoftheBaslacCollegeofTechnology.Itiscleartomethatthemanagementandtheteachersdonothavealotofopportunitiestogetacquaintedwithcompa-niesandtofollowtherapidchangestheyareexperiencing.Besidesthat,theycompletelydependontheinstructionsoftheBaslacamEducationalPlatform.Iunderstandwhytheskillsgapiswidening”.

“ItismypleasureMr.Welldone”,Christopheanswered.“IamveryhappytointernatFBE.ItistruethatIhavelearnedalotattheuniversity.Butparticipatingandcontributingtodevelopmentsinpracticemakeseverythingveryconcrete.AndthatiswhatIwantforthestudentsattheBaslacCollegeofTechnologyaswell.TheycanlearnalotwhileworkingatBBEwithMr.JackasalearningcoachoratHUMLtd.withoneofthetechniciansofMr.Wheelyasalearningcoach”.

“IagreeChristophe.Let’smakethishappen!”

DECP40

COMMON OBJECTIVES

AfewweekslatertenstudentsoftheBCTwereworkingintheworkshopsofseveralbicyclemanufacturingcompanies.Thelearningcoacheshaddecidedtoset-upaprogrammewhichcontainedthesameelementsforeachstudent.Likeapplyingadvancedweldingtechnologies,assemblingelectronicdevicesandapplyingcompositestoformcomponents.Thisallowedthemtoexchangeexperiencesandtoinvolveteachers.

Mr.Jackwascoordinatingthesharedinternprogrammesothelearningcoachescouldlearnfromeachotheraswell.Afterfourweeksofrunningtheprogramme,Ms.Greasevisitedthecompaniestogetherwiththreeteachers.“GoodmorningMr.Jack”,shesaid’.“Ihearthatoneofourstudents,Saman-thaisdoingherinternshipatyourcompany,BBE,andthatshemanagedtoassembleawholenewbicycle?”

“ThatistrueMs.Grease.Samanthaisextremelycuriousanddiligent.Weareasmallcompanyandthisallowedhertolearnandtaketheleadineverystepofthemanufacturingprocess”.Ms.GreaseandthethreeteachersfollowedMr.JacktothefinalassemblyhallandmetwithSamantha.“HowareyoudoingSamantha?”oneoftheteachersasked.“Iamdoingfineteacher”,Samanthaanswered.“AlthoughIknewaboutseveralcomposites,Inowhavebeenabletoworkwiththemandtoexperiencetheirtypicalproperties.Assemblingandconnectingtheelectronicsupportenginewascompletelynewforme,butIhaveworkedonfivebicyclestogetherwithMr.JackandnowIknowhowtodealwiththischallenge”.

TheteachersaskedalotofquestionstoMr.JackandSamanthawhocouldrevealalotofrecentinnovationsinbicyclemanufacturingprocesses.FinallyMs.Greaseconcluded;“Theseinternshipshaveahighaddedvalueforourstudentsandourschool.Inordertoguaranteethepilotwillprogresssuccessfully,IwouldliketoinviteMr.Jack,Mr.WheelyandMs.Straptocomposeasounding-boardasarepresentationoftheCBBS.ThesethreeteachersandIwillrepresentourschool.Ourcommonobjectiveistoimproveandupscaletheinternshipprogrammeandfinally,toupdatepartsofthecurriculaandreducethegapofskillswiththecompanies”.

AN INTERESTING INTERNSHIP 41

INITIATE MAJOR CHANGES

Mrs.Wiseman,Mr.WelldoneandChristophesattogethertoevaluatethedevelopments.“IamveryhappythatyoudeliveredthebuildingblockstoconnecttheBaslacCollegeofTechnologytothebicyclemanufacturingsectorinastructuralwayChristophe”,Mrs.Wisemansaid.

“Thatistoomuchhonour,Mrs.Wiseman,butIamsurethatFBEasanemployers’organisationistherightactortoinitiatemajorchangesinthefieldofcompetencedevelopment,moreinparticulartoreducetheskillsgapbyconnectingtheprivatesectortotheeducationalsystem.TheCoopera-tiveofBCTandCBBSisveryconcrete.Somecompaniesalreadyindicatedthattheywanttoofferstructuraljobstosomeoftheirinterns.Ms.GreaseofferstheopportunitytoherteacherstospendsometimeworkingintheCBBScompaniestogetacquaintedwithnewtechnologiesandMr.Jacksonisexploringthepossibilitiestomakeequipmentinthecompaniesavailablefromtimetotimeforlifelonglearningopportunities”.

“YouareabsolutelyrightChristophe”,Mr.Welldonesaid.“NextstepwillbetoupscalethepilotbyinvolvingtheCheeseproductionandWindmillsector.Itshouldn’tbetoodifficulttoconvincethedecisionmakersaboutthewin-win-winconcept.

OnlythreeweekslatertheprojecthadbeenexpandedwithinternshipsattheBaslacCheeseandDairyCooperative,BracfoodandvariousWindmillcompanies.Themanagerssattogethertodiscusstheirimpressions.Theywereallthere;Ms.Rennet,Ms.andMr.Roundhouse,Mr.Wing,Ms.QuichotandofcourseMr.JackandMr.Wheely.

THERE IS ONLY ONE PLACE TO MAKE THIS WORK

DECP42

“Ithinkthisconceptcontributestotheavailabilityofnewentrantswithbet-tercompetencieswhentheyenterthelabourmarket”saidMr.Wing.“Youareright”,Ms.Rennetagreed,“andwearewelcometoreinforcethesound-ing-boardoftheBTC!Thiswillhaveapositiveinfluenceontheinteractionbetweenoursectorsandtheschool”.Mr.Wheelynodded.

“Butthereshouldbeawaytousethelearninginfrastructurewedevelopedinfavouroflifelonglearningforemployees.AndwewillhavetocomeintocontactwiththeBaslacamEducationalPlatform.Ourworkwouldbemuchmoreeasyandnecessarychangeswouldbeimplementedsmoothlywhentheyunderstandtherelevanceofourwork”.“Iagree”Mr.Roundhousesaid.“Thereisonlyoneplacetobetomakethiswork”.Andtheyallconfirmed:TheFederationofBaslacamEmployers!

MAIN LIST OF TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS STORY

• High quality internships offer students the opportunity to apply their theoretical knowledge into practice

• Worldwide technology changes rapidly. Curricula in schools cannot always keep up with those changes

• Before drawing conclusions about a skills gap, it is good to make an analysis of problems and causes

• Curricula do not always go hand in hand with fast technological developments

• Employers’ organisations are able to analyse gaps of skills because their members have up-to-date knowledge regarding competence needs

• Companies and TVET schools should cooperate in order to reinforce each other

• If all stakeholders are involved, the chance to be successful will increase significantly

• The main stakeholders for competence development are the govern-ment, schools and employers

• Concrete actions, however small, can be more convincing than academic theories

• Internships might be the answer to the need of getting companies and schools involved with each other

• High end internships increase the chance for new entrants to find a job

• Internships allow students to put into practice what they have learned at school in theory

• Employers’ organisations can make things happen by taking the lead!

43AN INTERESTING INTERNSHIP

44

• High quality internships offer companies and non-profit organisations the opportunity to obtain up-to-date knowledge and to have access to schools and universities

• Emerging countries often do have a young population due to high population growth. The agricultural sector often dominates the economy. Related sectors might offer growth opportunities

• Companies and economic sectors that have the potential to grow need employees with competencies that answer these needs

• Labour market is about both new entrants and existing employees

• Their competencies are composed of knowledge, skills and attitude

• International reports are helpful, but regional and sectoral surveys are more concrete

• Schools do not have the equipment to gain practical experience

• New employees need time to get acquainted with specific technology of experienced colleagues

• The developments and application of new technologies such as materials and ICT are fast

• Even relatively simple products are becoming increasingly complex and require lifelong learning from employees

• It is not easy for teachers to keep up with fast technological developments

• A team is much more than just a group of people. The members have the same objectives, complementary competencies and participate actively

• Using interpersonal skills guarantees team performance

• Big data, digitization and smart applications lead to new business models

• Manufacturing, preventive maintenance and smart services are more and more integrated

• People learn from each other by exchanging knowledge and experiences

• People learn in the workplace while performing tasks and getting feedback from others

• Involving members and applying a structural method is required to conduct a skills gap analysis

• Respecting safety rules are a must for both employers and employees

• Respecting safety rules is part of a very important competency: working attitude!

• Tacit knowledge is related to a lot of experience and is valuable

DECP

EXTENDED LIST OF TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS STORY

AN INTERESTING INTERNSHIP 45

• Tacit knowledge alone is not enough to be prepared for future developments and competence needs

• Even very complete curricula cannot meet all competence needs of companies

• Functions have tasks. Tasks can be performed if a number of competencies are there

• Even if the companies are different, some functions do have quite some tasks and thus competencies in common

• Technology is developing constantly in almost every sector, just like the applications. Employers can identify these changes in an early stage

• School for vocational education are the key to (sustainable) economic growth and employment

• Frequent and constructive interaction between the main stakeholders is necessary to define, upgrade and adjust curricula on a regular basis

• Sharing insights and statements with trade unions makes messages towards the government much stronger

• Employers’ organisations and trade unions often have common interests

• Social dialogue is more effective than emphasizing endless disputes

• Companies should give input to (T)VET schools on a regular basis about their changing competence needs

• At the same moment these companies should offer internships to students which allow them to get practical training

• Competence development is about the question; ‘How to make everybody a winner?’

• A major condition is to create a learning culture in the company

• Developing a learning culture requires leadership and vision

• The second condition is to appoint learning coaches in the company

• The third condition is to set up a learning path following an integrated didactical concept

• A high end internship is a responsibility from the school, the company and the student

• The concept of offering high level internships in return for a say in curriculum development of TVET schools will be supported by important organisations

• Achievements can be shared with other economic sectors and with the government

• The internship programmes can be embedded in the curriculum

• Sharing challenges and objectives encourage to cooperate and share solutions

• Once a start has been made every next step will be more easy to take!

DECP46

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AN INTERESTING INTERNSHIP 47

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TheDutchEmployers’CooperationProgramme(DECP)inaninitiativeoftheDutchMinistryofForeignAffairsandemployers’organisationVNO-NCW.DECPstrengthensemployers’organisationsinemergingcountriessotheycanimprovelocalbusinessclimate.DECPdoesnotprovidefunding,butoffersadvice,workshopsandnetworks. Ateamof(Dutch)expertsworkstogetherwithemployers’organisationsin22countries

inAfrica,AsiaandLatinAmerica.JoinusatDECP.nl.