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AN INTERESTING INTERNSHIPHOW EMPLOYERS’ ORGANISATIONS CAN TAKE THE LEAD
DECP2
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
DECP
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”.
DECP12
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.
AN INTERESTING INTERNSHIP 13
RAPID TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS
Christophewasimpressedbyhisfirstcompanyvisit.Heunderstoodthatrapidtechnologicalinnovationsrequirenewcompetenciesfromemployees.Butatthesamemoment,curriculaincollegesshouldgohandinhandwiththesedevelopments.Areteachersabletokeepupwiththesedevelop-ments?ThatwaswhathewaswonderingaboutwhenhereturnedtotheFBEheadquarter.
Mrs.WisemanunderstoodthatChristophehadmorequestionsthananswersafterthisvisit.ThatiswhyshetoldhimtogoandmeetMr.Wheely,thedirectorofalargecompanycalledHUMLtd.ThisstandsforHeavyUseMobility.HisbicycleswereknownalloverBaslacamandusedbyprofessionalbikeriderstotransportfruitandvegetablesfromthefarmers’locationtolocalmarketsandthefoodprocessingindustry.HUMLtdwasamemberofCBBSaswell.
DECP14
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.
AN INTERESTING INTERNSHIP 15
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.”
AN INTERESTING INTERNSHIP 17
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!”
DECP18
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.
AN INTERESTING INTERNSHIP 19
“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
DECP20
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”.
DECP22
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”.
DECP24
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
Colophon
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December2020
AN INTERESTING INTERNSHIP 47
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COOPERATING WITH 22 PARTNER ORGANISATIONSFOR A BETER BUSINESS CLIMATE
TheDutchEmployers’CooperationProgramme(DECP)inaninitiativeoftheDutchMinistryofForeignAffairsandemployers’organisationVNO-NCW.DECPstrengthensemployers’organisationsinemergingcountriessotheycanimprovelocalbusinessclimate.DECPdoesnotprovidefunding,butoffersadvice,workshopsandnetworks. Ateamof(Dutch)expertsworkstogetherwithemployers’organisationsin22countries
inAfrica,AsiaandLatinAmerica.JoinusatDECP.nl.