Supporting cooperation of education and business – the case of vocational education in Poland Agnieszka Rybińska Educational Research Institute, Warsaw Vilnius, 4-5 July 2013

About our Institute The Educational Research Institute (IBE) - a research centre, located in Warsaw. Operating since 1952, since 2010 a research institute upon the Research Institutes Act of 30 April Its activities are supervised by the Minister of National Education. conducts interdisciplinary research in the functioning and effectiveness of the education system in Poland. involved in Polish and international research projects, develops reports and expert opinions, performs advisory functions in the area of educational research.

Five key research areas of the Institute  Core curriculum and didactics of major school subjects  Psychological and pedagogical foundations of education  Sociological and legal aspects of education policy  Economics of education  Education and the labour market

Context of the research ■Evaluation of the measure 9.2 Human Capital OP which aims at strengthening the attractiveness and quality of schools and institutions offering vocational education and thus to raise the ability of students for their future employment ■Implemented in 16 regions of Poland, ■Applying beneficiaries: all entities, except for individuals ■Target groups: pupils of vocational schools and institutions offering vocational education (except for schools for adults), schools, educational institutions, social and economic partners, employers ■As for 31 May 2012 total of applications submitted for about 185% of the budget.

Main co-financed acitvities Extra tutoring classes, lessons aimed at development of key competences Development of cooperation between schools and employers, labour market institutions, including organisation of internships and apprenticeships at workplaces for pupils, vocational training including practical supervision Pedagogical &psychological care and counsellingEducational and vocational counsellingModernisation of teaching programmes in schoolsEnhancement of teaching infrastructureDevelopment of new forms of teaching and assessment of pupils’ work

3 phases of the research Phase 1Phase 2Phase 3 Fall 2012August-December 2013January-March 2014 Diagnosis of 505 projects completed by end 2011 from the perspective of school- business cooperation, with a special focus on the sustainability of the cooperation Case studies of schools cooperating with local businesses aimed at identifying factors stimulating sustainable cooperation Identification of best practices, developing of the final report Report by external consortium contracted by IBE (LBS&Propublicum Inst.) – source of data for the presentation IBE

Phase I aim: Identification of projects which are focused on school-business cooperation. Main questions: I.What is the current number of schools and vocational training centers, which -are collaborating with industries, -have implemented development programs? II. What forms of cooperation between schools and employers can be identified? research methods:Analysis of documents, phone interviews (CATI) sample: N=507 (projects launched in the period December 2011) Response rate – 76% (n=387) respondent:Representatives of applying institutions or schools representatives period: Fall 2012

Structure of surveyed beneficiaries (N = 387)

Project beneficiaries Schools ■Mostly school complex (56%), 36% individual schools ■Mostly technical schools (85%), vocational schools in 56% of projects ■In general public schools (only 6% non-public) Pupils ■93% of projects with activities addressed directly to pupils ■In 34% of projects special groups of pupils were addressed (pupils with learning problems, pupils from rural areas, gifted pupils, disabled, pupils at risk of social disfunction)

Types of projects (N = 387)

Educational and vocational counselling ■Introduced in approx. 50% of projects ■Mostly addressed to all pupils from a given school (71%) ■If addressed to specific groups, then most frequently to pupils with learning problems (40%) or from rural areas (33%). ■Average number of pupils who benefitted from the counselling – around 60% ■81% of projects comprising this component continued this activity after the project end

Sustainability of cooperation with businesses – The percentage of respondents confirming that the activities cofinanced by 9.2 measure are continued after the project end

Phase I – preliminary findings The percentage of cooperating entities can be assessed as low, although this type of projects was often promoted. Any form of cooperation with entrepreneurs comprised 38% of final beneficiaries, 1/10 of projects resulted in more than one form of co- operation. Most activites carried out by schools with cooperation with business were continued. Projects did not give a strong impetus to initiate school-business cooperation. 45% to 75% (depending on the type of project) were the results of previous activities carried out jointly with businesses. Projects were very positive in terms of the scale (large number of pupils eligible and benefitting from the projects, increased scope of cooperation)

Phase II aim: To identify factors stimulating sustainable cooperation between schools and business How to foster the cooperation of vocational schools with local labour market with the public intervention? Who should be best supported? research methods:Personal interviews (IDI) sample:25-30 case studies respondent: school directors, employers, representatives of local labour offices, representatives of self-government, school graduates period: Fall 2013

„Quality and effectiveness of education - strengthening of institutional research capabilities.” The project is co-financed by the European Union under the European Social Fund Educational Research Institute Górczewska 8 Str., Warsaw, Poland phone.: (22) , mail: Thank you for your attention