1. Gabriele Abermann Split, 24 October 2018
Quality Framework for Traineeships abroad – How to meet the needs of students as well as the world of work
Gabriele Abermann
Split, 24 October 2018

2. Quality in Context of Traineeships 1
What does quality mean for you?
How do you recognize that you have achieved quality?

3. Quality in Context of Traineeships 2
ECA definition „fitness for purpose“
The institution's internationalisation plans ensure the achievement of its internationalisation goals …they are designed in such a way that achieving the intended internationalisation seems realistic.
Aerden, A (2017). The Guide to Quality in Internationalization. 2nd Edition. ECA, p. 30.
WHY – motivation of Higher Education Institution (HEI) / study programme for organizing transnational traineeships
WHAT – intended and achieved outcomes
HOW – support and verification of achievement
WHO - stakeholder involvement and roles and responsibilities

4. WHY - Trends for Future Workplace Environments
Agility, adaptability and collaboration to address uncertainty and disruption
Culture of safety, abundance, importance of risk-taking and innovation
New leadership mind-set that rewards innovation, experimentation and customer- centric design thinking
Required skills: negotiation, resilience, systems thinking
Bersin, J. et al. (2017) The organization of the future: Arriving now 2017 Global Human Capital Trends.
Image source:

5. WHY - Skills Developed through International Experience
CIMO (2014). Faktaa. Facts and Figures. Hidden Competences. Helsinki: Centre for International Mobility., p.21,26

6. WHY – Impact of Transnational Traineeships on Graduates‘ Career Prospects
9 % of mobile students who did a work placement realised a start-up
30 % planned to do so
48% could envisage that

7. WHY – Motivation for HEIs
An additional role of the higher education organization providing the intern-ship is to supplement the work experience with an academic component in which the student is guided through the concrete experience and reflective observation stages of learning in order to make these connections and formulate thoughtful applications for their experiences in the “real world”.
Malerich, J- (2009). The Value of International Internships in Global Workforce Development ,Arizona State University, p hevalueofinternationalinternshipsinglobalworkforcedevelopment_malerich.pdf

8. WHY – Motivation for HEIs
By understanding study exchanges as an instrument to develop entrepreneurial cognition, universities can improve the effectiveness of their entrepreneurship strategy, e.g. by offering entrepreneurship and business development classes before or after the exchange experience. Similar implications can be drawn for entrepreneurs and organizations that seek to improve the entrepreneurial capabilities of their staff.
P. Vandor & N. Franke, See Paris and… found a business? The impact of cross-cultural experience on opportunity recognition capabilities, Journal of Business Venturing, 31:4 (July 2016), p. 401

9. WHY – Impact of Cultural Diversity on companies

10. WHAT – Intended and Achieved Outcomes
What do the students now know and understand better?
What can they now do better?
Integrated and connected to overall curriculum outcomes how does it contribute towards the qualification profile
Related to discipline and contextualized subject-specific and generic skills placement environment
Realistic and verifiable what can be achieved in 2 / 3 / 6 months? > how do we know that they have actually achieved this?

11. HOW – Quality Instruments
Support structure as defined in European Policy statement (EPS) as the basis of the ECHE
Compliance with ECTS principles
Erasmus + Learning agreement for traineeships
Certificate for traineeships

12. Skills Gap in International Experience
80 % of Erasmus students thought they had improved their transversal skills
52 % of Erasmus students actually showed a skills gain
Difference of 28% between subjective perception and objective assessment
Image source: Pixabay creative commons licence
Brandenburg, U. (2014). The Erasmus impact study. Effect of mobility on the skills and employability and the internationalization of higher education institutions. Brussels: European Commission.

13. HOW – Support Structures
Information
Preparation
Administrative AND
Academic
Experience and reflection
Activities
Guidance / mentoring
Connection to study and future career prospects
Reintegration support
Articulation of competence to future employers
Monitoring and improvement
Image source: pixabay commons licence

14. WHO – Stakeholder Commitment and Involvement
National (agency) level
Institutional level
Administrative level
Study programme level
Traineeship providers’ level
Image source: Beelen, J. (2017). Presentation at DAAD Workshop on Internationalization of Curriculum, Berlin. ..

15. WHO – Roles and Responsibilities 1
National agencies:
information on programme
dissemination of benefits
Training opportunities
HEI management:
overall internationalization strategy including action plans / qualified staff / sufficient resources
Ensuring monitoring of effectiveness and impact
Traineeship providers
Integration into organization
Cooperation with HEIs on learning outcomes
Foto: Gabriele Abermann

16. WHO – Roles and Responsibilities 2
IO / career offices / related services:
support for administration and organization
Academics:
Integration of transnational traineeships into curriculum development
Defining contribution to qualification profile and credit recognition
Defining learning outcomes and securing their achievement in cooperation with services / traineeship providers / strategic partners …
Foto: Gabriele Abermann

17. So what is your role? And how (much) do you contribute to the quality of transnational traineeships?

18. Foto: Gabriele Abermann

19. Let‘s put the quality of our graduates into focus and actively support their skills gain
Thank you