Cooperation between higher education institutions and businesses by Marianne van Loenhout Policymaker at Dutch Royal Metaalunie

2 Agenda Royal Metaalunie Training Fund OOM Situation in the Netherlands Associate degree in the Netherlands Metaalunie and cooperation Metaalunie and Associate degree Investigation of needs Discussion

3 Royal Metaalunie Royal Dutch Association for small and medium sized companies in the metal industry > 13,000 members; 140,000 employees # employees per member: 1 – 100, average of 15 Companies are engaged in –Construction –Mechanical engineering –Machining –Agricultural mechanisation, etc. Promotion of collective and individual interests

4 Training Fund OOM Training, Education and Development Fund for the Metal Industry Sector Fund filled by wage payment (0,6 %) and european subsidies PTT (max 375 euro pp py, max 50%) and LWB (max 2000 pp py, max 2 years) Compensation for internships, also for higher education (max 125 pp pw) Project: describing illustrations of higher educated professionals in the metal sector

5 Situation in the Netherlands

6 Associate Degree in the Netherlands Shorter Higher Education. We call it the Associate Degree Intermediate level (5) in the EQF It is still a pilot, so only certificate and no formal degree yet. 2010? More and more Ad’s started. Extra step in higher education Based on needs of labour market Part of a bachelor, 120 ects

7 Metaalunie and the cooperation Associate degree Knowledge institutions like the laser-application centre with a university Finding employers for internships Knowledge transfer Some examples…

8 Metaalunie and the Ad Interested in Ad because of: –Growing need of higher educated people –More influence in higher education –Shorter period(s) of education –Makes metal industry more interesting This happened so far –Investigation of needs of the labour market –Agreement with some higher education institutions –More Ad programs

9 Investigation of needs Programs needed for: –Management, businessmen –Production/project leading in engineering –Commercial technical functions –Intellectual level is needed (problem solving, communication skills, etc.), not 4 years of higher education. Why now? Quality: –Developments in the market –Technological developments (ICT) –Cooperation with / outsourcing to other companies –Professionalising Why now? Quantity: –Job vacancies –Retirement –Company sales

10 What do we want? Flexibility Different target groups: –young students from vocational secondary education (and from general secondary education) –employees with several years of experience Assessments for employees Tailor-made education E-learning or other solutions for spreading the education throughout the country

11 Some difficulties With autonomy of institutions Promotion of Ad versus need of employees right now Members not very interested in LLL –Short term vision –Afraid of loosing their employees to their neighbours –No possibility for function growth within the company

12 In short Focus on maximum flexibility More interaction with the industry: –Content of the educational program (i.e. techniques, competences, case studies) –Organisation (i.e. evening study, tailor-made education, pr) –Exchange of people and knowledge

13 Examples

14 Discussion When more Ad’s are granted, how do we cope with that as an employers organisation? Examples? How are employers organisations involved in (shorter) higher education in your countries ?

15 Thank you for your attention. More information: