Science and Technology Policy The Dutch approach Beatrice Boots Platform of Science and Technology

Presentation outline 1) Problem setting 2) Skills mismatch and the approach of the Platform of Science and Technology 3) Case study (1): public-private partnerships in vocational and higher education 4) Case study (2): Jet-Net 5) EU STEM Coalition 6) Questions and discussion

1. Problem setting

Problem setting Traditional jobs are changing and fading as a consequence of technological innovations Close to 60% of employment growth since the 1990s has been in the form of non-standard work (temporary, part-time, self-employed) – OECD (2015) 47% of all jobs in the US will be automated by 2034. – Frey & Osborne (2014) Degrees that give the highest return on investment are engineering, computer science and math – World Economic Forum (2016) Persisting skills shortages in STEM fields in spite of high unemployment levels in many EU Member States is slowing down growth in the EU – European Parliament (2015)

Skills Mismatch Key question: how to (re)develop the education system to equip youngsters with the right tools and ‘innovation skills’ (STEM, entrepreneurship, creativity) to succeed in this new reality?

What are innovation skills What are innovation skills? – various definitions European Commission (2014) - creativity - entrepreneurial skills - risk taking adaptability - innovation capacity - problem solving skills - skills related to effective teamwork - sharing information and knowledge 21st Century skills – SLO (NL)

2. Skills mismatch and the approach of the Dutch Platform of Science and Technology since 2002

Less people interested in science & technology

Example: The Netherlands Lisbon Strategy (2000): European goals for more science & technology National Deltaplan (2002): in 2010 15% more STEM-students graduate from higher education than in 2000 Establishment of national STEM Platform

The Dutch Approach: Talent Pipeline Chain approach: from primary to higher education Performance agreements with every school. Funding/subsidies dependent on results Guiding “compass” & expertise: cooperation schools & businesses, study & career advice, more context in curriculum, target groups (e.g. girls), coop with universities, etc.

Inflow STEM students

The Dutch Approach > 2013 Technology Pact: supporting 5 regions with expertise and assistance Public private partnerships between education and business (institutionalized in “Centres”) Regional stimulation of Science & Technology in primary, secondary education, vocational education based on regional partnerships

Contributing to a solution Triple Helix approach Collaborating with and providing context for educational institutes By business involvement With government support

3. Case study: public private partnerships in vocational and higher education in the Netherlands

Education system at a glance Vocational education: ISCED2011 levels 2-4 (equivalent to Certificate of vocational matura), two types: Full-time at school with internships Four days work-based learning, one day at school Universities of applied science: ISCED 2011 level 6 (Professional Bachelor’s)

Challenges High rates of dropouts Insufficient talent development A lack of cross-disciplinary studies Inflexible education system to meet the needs of students and the labour market Not enough (qualified) teachers

Public-private partnerships Total national goverment investment 2011-2017: € 200 million Triple helix partnerships, co-investment requirement of 2/3rd: € 400 million (in-kind and in-cash) Aimed at economy priority sectors (mostly STEM / STEM-cross-sectoral oriented) Involves most VET/UAS institutions in the Netherlands and over 3000 businesses. 

Aims Solving skills mismatch Contribute to innovative strength of businesses Life long learning E.g. Redesigning education with business Students work on innovation projects Employees participate in Centres

Key features in governance PPPs define their own scope and activities (within the overall aim of bridging the skills gap) Participation and investments of triple-helix obligatory to acquire government finance, active government support Focus on learning and monitoring: recursive learning oriented cycle, room for experimentation and innovation Within 5 years a self-sustaining partnership without additional funding of government

Critical success factors Sense of urgency: involvement of regional/local governments, businesses and education Alignment of policies: avoid contradicting exisisting national education regulation (i.e. curricula, oversight, quality checks) Commmitment and Give it time, provide expertise, focus on improving and monitoring (it takes > 5 years to build a self-sustainable ppp)

4. Case study: Jet-Net

Jet-Net – Youth and Technology Network November 2002

Cooperation within Jet-Net Educational Institutions Government Industry LONG TERM VISION

Goals and Procedure Goal: Promote the flow of students to higher STEM Education ‘4 out of 10 STEM workers’ Dual approach: 1.Adding context to the teaching of the STEM-subjects  lower barriers 2.Showcasing career prospects in industry and technology  increase attraction

Main characteristics 1-to-1 collaboration school and company Curriculum plays a central role 80-20 principle (DIY)

National Events Girlsday Career Day Meet the Boss Webcast

Conditions for succes Commitment of the school and company: human resources, time and initiative Direct link school and company Embedding activities in the curriculum Convert enthusiasm to professional approach Let students experience by doing-it-themselves Natioanal and regional

Results Jet-Net in 13 years 95 Jet-Net companies and 42 Partners 600 activities every year 185 active Jet-Net schools >60.000 students per year 91 schools on the waiting list

5. EU STEM Coalition

National STEM strategies based on the triple helix approach have proved to be a successful tool in addressing the skills mismatch

What is the EU STEM Coalition? A learning community Exchanging good practices between organisations and countries with STEM strategies Supporting others who are willing to develop such a strategy in order to challenge the skills mismatch on national level

EU STEM Coalition - objectives Good practice sharing – between existing national STEM platforms Peer to peer coaching – to support the establishment of new national STEM platforms Community building – between national platforms, connecting parties on a national level, on European level between platforms and supporting organisations

No ‘one size fits all’ Formulating a national STEM strategy is a top down and bottom up proces: Fitting the states’ needs and key characteristics Key questions: How is the relationship between education and industry? How is the relationship between industry and government? What sectors are located in the country? Mostly large companies or SMEs? What skills are most needed? (STEM wide, IT, entrepreneurship)

EU STEM Coalition - Partners National Platforms 2. National Partners Denmark Hungary Estonia Greece Belgium (Flanders) France The Netherlands Ukraine

EU STEM Coalition - Partners 3. Supporting partners CSR Europe ECSITE (science centers) FEANI (engineers) Jet-Net Jet-Net.dk ThinkYoung

Thank you for your attention further questions: b.boots@deltapunt.nl