ICT Cert background study in Estonia Mart Laanpere, Mari Plakk Centre for Eduational Technology ( Tallinn University (

Roadmap for my presentation The components of the study Employer survey Results of employer survey Alumni survey Results of alumni survey Discussion Conclusions

Mart Laanpere, Tallinn University, 3 The components of background study in Estonia We prepared three components for the study: Employer survey questionnaire, plan and sample (40 companies) Alumni survey questionnaire, plan and sample (2000 and 2004 graduates of TP) Delphi study questionnaire, plan and sample (5 experts, both policy and academic)

Mart Laanpere, Tallinn University, 4 Employer survey 13 respondents: one > 1000 employees, two 101…1000, three 25 …100, seven w. < 25 2/3 of employed TC specialists have professional qualification certificate 11 companies are concerned about increasing local competition in TC sector, only 2 perceive international competition 9 respondents report significant influence of this competition to company’s employment situation 9 companies have hired new TC specialists during 2005, all together 149 new employments 6 companies report job openings for TC specialists

Mart Laanpere, Tallinn University, 5 Employer survey: results Employment policy for TC specialists: –Main factors: experience, certificates, languages, recommendations –Main methods: open calls, internal career paths, direct contacts with vocational schools Leaving the job: –The main reason: to local competitor (leaving abroad is not significant reason yet among TC specialists) Professional training: –7 companies report increase in training during 2005 –Training costs vary from 0 to 2000 EUR per person –Almost 3/4 of training costs go to outsourced training

Mart Laanpere, Tallinn University, 6 Employer survey: results Reasons for increasing professional training: Adoption of new technology Expectations of company’s Quality Management Syst. Changes in legislation Providers of professional training: Foreign training companies Kehtna MTK, IT College, TTU, Invicta Tallinn Polytechnic - to lesser amount Important professional training topics: Generic skills of ICT & other digital technology Communication systems, cabling Communicating with clients

Mart Laanpere, Tallinn University, 7 Employer survey: results Employers’ satisfaction with the skills of new employees: –Good: ICT skills, cabling systems, “soft skills” –Bad: mechanics, electronics, communication technology In-house training for new employees: –Soft skills –Communication/transmission technology –Cabling systems Courses for all employees are mainly: long courses that lead to qualification, short specific courses, apprenticeship training

Mart Laanpere, Tallinn University, 8 Alumni survey 16 respondents (8 from 2000, 8 from 2004) Only one is has non-TC job, 11 work in TC sector, 4 continued their studies 6 have found their job thanks to practical placement or school contacts 7 would manage to work in English-speaking organisation, only 2 in Finnish-speaking 2004 graduates are more satisfied with their professional training, especially in ICT skills and electronics

Questions? Thanks to Hans Põldoja for the presentation template!