Advancing Graduate Tracking and Alumni Relations in VET Schools Erasmus Project

Project Title

Advancing Graduate Tracking and Alumni Relations in VET Schools

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Quality Improvement Institutions and/or methods (incl. school development); Quality Assurance; Labour market issues incl. career guidance / youth unemployment

Project Summary

TRACKTION focuses on improving VET graduate tracking at institutional level. Tracking is commonly understood here as all systematic approaches that VET institutions put in place to record information on graduates, with regard to their learning progress, skills acquired, perceptions, routes into employment, self-employment, or further training. VET graduate tracking is part of a broader system that requires:

1) Creating and/or reinforcing VET Alumni Culture bearing in mind that “the ability to communicate with graduates is a precondition for tracking”

2) Recording information on VET graduates destination. Both with regard to entry of graduates into the labour market and their progression within it, perceived relevance of acquired skills and entry and progression into other education programmes.

3) Using tracking for evidence-informed institutional decision-making. Tracking helps VET providers to understand the impact of study programmes, as well as their relevance for the labour market.

General objective

– To improve VET schools understanding of “VET-to-work transition systems” (eg. impact of learning on VET graduates’ careers, labour market relevance)

Specific goals

-To establish a more coordinated and appropriate set of VET Graduate Tracking measures at VET-provider level.
-To increase institutional capacity to act on and use results for a variety of purposes, such as enhancing study programmes and alumni services
-To strengthen Alumni Culture in VET Schools

Number and profile of participants;
TRACKTION is a collective endeavour comprising 6 organisations from Spain (2), Estonia, Italy, Netherlands and the UK. In terms of expertise, the partnership shows a good balance including 3 VET Schools (Alfa College, PKHK, Cometa Formazione/Oliver Twist School), 2 intermediary organisations bridging policy and practice at regional level (VALNALON and TKNIKA) and a research-focused organisation (Education & Employers Tasforce).

Description of activities;
In exploring this interesting topic (Alumni relations + VET Graduate Tracking) , the project will address a number of interconnected themes:

1. Contextual conditions (system-level requirements at regional/national/european level)
2. Conceptual dimensions (employability, school-to-work transitions, employment and entrepreneurship)
3. Operationalisation issues (methodology and instruments already in place)
4. Quality issues (optimise the ways in which graduates’ feedback on their destination influences VET provision/systems and is mirrored back to enhance VET learners’ learning outcomes (“closing the loop” of the VET quality cycle ).

The project will result in 2 tangible outputs:
– A Tracking Protocol that simplifies data collection from Alumni (O1)
– A How-To-Guide “Building and Sustaining Successful Alumni Relations Programs in VET Schools” (O2)

methodology to be used in carrying out the project;

YEAR 1 (Sept 2017-Aug 2018). Recording information on VET graduates destination
A survey will be circulated among partners to take stock of Initiatives and Tools currently in use, obstacles and challenges ahead. Results will be collated in a baseline study that will be presented in June-July 2018. Impact evaluation framework will be defined and the identification of data requirements will precede Protocol Development

YEAR 2. (Sept 2018-Aug 2019) Creating and/or reinforcing VET Alumni Culture
A first version of the Protocol will be ready in Sept 2018. VET Schools will define an action plan to improve existing.provision of alumni services.VET Schools will select graduate sample for a first pilot test of the Protocol (O1) at 2 different points in time (eg. 2 and 6 months after graduation).

YEAR 3 (Sept 2019-2020). Using tracking for evidence-based decision-making
VET Schools will select graduate sample for second round of pilots. Quantitative and qualitative data on user perceptions will be collected for analysis. Release of final versions of protocol (O1) and How-to-Guide (O2). Evidence, learning insights and key policy messages disseminated in Project Website, Multiplier Events and Peer-Reviewed Journals

The project is expected to bring a better and broader understanding of school-to-work transitions and hence, schools will be in a better position to match supply and demand. Quality Assurance will be positively impacted as the project will support VET schools in improving actions around 2 of 10 European Quality Assurance in VET (EQAVET) quality indicators: Indicator “5 Placement rate in VET Programmes” and Indicator 6 “Utilisation of acquired skills at the workplace”. Learning insights will be shared with the members of the soon to be launched EC- initiative on graduate tracking to improve information on how graduates progress.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 118999 Eur

Project Coordinator

CIUDAD INDUSTRIAL DEL VALLE DEL NALON SA & Country: ES

Project Partners

• Pärnumaa Kutsehariduskeskus
• COMETA FORMAZIONE SOCIETA COOPERATIVA SOCIALE
• TKNIKA
• Stichting Christelijk Regionaal Opleidingen Centrum Noord- en Oost Nederland
• Education and Employers Taskforce