Country Mapping - Estonia

Mapping cooperation mechanisms in Estonia between

employers and vocational education and training

providers in the ICT sector

Astangu Vocational Rehabilitation Centre

Liina Teesalu, Triin Juss & Kerli Tamme

Tallinn, Estonia, 2014

Mutual Learning on Skills for the ICT Labour Market for People with Disabilities

This publication is supported by the European Union Programme for Employment and

Social Solidarity – PROGRESS (2007-2013). The information contained in this publication

does not necessarily reflect the position or opinion of the European Commission.

Table of contents

I. Mapping practices at national level ..................................................................... 3

1. Definitions in national context. ................................................................................ 3

2. Services provided in Astangu Vocational Rehabilitation Centre ............................. 6

3. Current situation in the ICT field in Estonia ............................................................. 8

4. Existing cooperation mechanisms ........................................................................ 10

5. Results.................................................................................................................. 15

6. Hindrances ........................................................................................................... 17

7. Suggestions and recommendations for the future ................................................ 18

8. Summary .............................................................................................................. 20

II. Selection of good practices in Estonia ............................................................. 21

1. Training of employers - Astangu Vocational Rehabilitation Centre ...................... 21

2. Mentoring programme - Astangu Vocational Rehabilitation Centre ...................... 25

3. MTÜ Abikäsi: Provision of training and mediation on the open labour market ...... 29

4. Maarja Village: Collaborating in VET provision ..................................................... 33

List of interviewed stakeholders ................................................................................ 36

References: .............................................................................................................. 37

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I. Mapping practices at national level

1. Definitions in national context.

Person with special needs – definition.

The definition used in Estonia for a disability is based on the relevant UN convention

and is worded in the Estonian Social Benefits for Disabled Persons Act as follows:

disability is the loss of or an abnormality in an anatomical, physiological or mental

structure or function of a person which in conjunction with different relational and

environmental restrictions prevents participation in social life on equal bases with

others.

ICT employers

The main employers in the ICT sector present in Estonia are: Playtech, Skype,

Ericsson Eesti AS, Elion Ettevõtted AS, Arvato, ByteLife Solutions OÜ, EMT AS,

Baltic Computer Systems, Swedbank, Nortal AS, Net Group, LinxTeleCom etc.

Vocational education and training (VET) in Estonia

A total of 41 vocational education institutions are currently providing vocational

education in Estonia. 26 of them are also attended by people with special needs. The

total number of learners in all vocational education institutions in the academic year

of 2013/2014 was 25,699, including 888 learners with special needs.

The following vocational education institutions provide education in the ICT field:

1. Haapsalu Vocational Education Centre – computers and computer networks

(secondary education and basic education), Astangu Vocational

Rehabilitation Centre

2. Ida-Virumaa Vocational Education Centre – software and database

administration (secondary education and basic education); ICT project co-

ordinator (secondary education)

3. Institute of Information and Computer Technology – software and

database administration, multimedia (basic education)

4. Kehtna School of Economy and Technology – computers and computer

networks (basic and secondary education), software and database

administration (basic and secondary education)

5. Kuressaare Regional Training Centre – software and database

maintenance (basic education), software development (secondary education),

information graphics designer (secondary education)

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6. Lääne-Viru Applied Higher Education Institution – software development

(secondary education)

7. Narva Vocational Education Centre – computer sciences (software and

database administration, software development support technician (secondary

education)), audiovisual and other media (multimedia (basic and secondary

education))

8. Pärnumaa Vocational Education Centre – computers and computer

networks (basic education and secondary education)

9. German Technological School of Pärnu – software developer, interactive

media designer (secondary education)

10. Rakvere Vocational School – computers and computer networks (secondary

education) software and database administration (secondary education)

11. Sillamäe Vocational School – software and database administration,

computer attendant (basic education)

12. Tallinn Polytechnic School – telecommunication equipment specialist,

computers and computer networks (basic education), multimedia (web

specialist) (basic and secondary education)

13. Tallinn Transportation School – software and database administration

(basic and secondary education)

14. Tartu Vocational Education Centre – IT systems specialist (basic and

secondary education), multimedia (web specialist) (secondary education),

software and database administration (secondary education), – people with

physical special needs can study under an individual curriculum, software

development support technician (secondary education)

15. Viljandi Joint Vocational Secondary School – computers and computer

networks (basic education)

16. Võrumaa Vocational Education Centre – IT systems specialist (basic

education), telecommunication specialist (secondary education)

17. Väike-Maarja Training Centre – computers and computer networks (basic

education)

The positions available in the ICT sector are the following: Information technology

specialist, setter (plastic processing equipment), electronics product assembler,

process engineer, programmer, electric switchboard assembler, dispatcher, system

administrator, car cabling binders assembler, IT technician, web designer, developer,

project manager, technical writer, consultant, IT systems analyst, data warehouse

specialist, business software consultant, IT user support attendant, application

administrator, international relations advisor, user interface specialist, service

administrator, IT manager, product specialist, business unit manager, assistant,

information system administrator, online store specialist, large client manager,

designer, sales representative, translator, communications technician, design

engineer, customer support specialist, IT auditor, quality specialist.

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Policies and legislation on employment, education and training of people with

disabilities

Based on the data of Statistics Estonia, as of 1 January 2013 there were 137,710

people with disabilities in Estonia (i.e. 10.7% of the population), including 56,214 men

and 81,496 women. In the year 2012, a total of 9,500 disabled people of employment

age were employed. The majority were working in the private sector (7,600 people).

The employment rate of disabled people of employment age has increased by a few

percentage points in recent years, but it is still very low – 22.5%. 29,600 people

among the people with disabilities were inactive. 3,200 people with disabilities were

unemployed (Statistics Estonia).

The Equal Treatment Act entered into force in the year 2009, prescribing the

employers’ obligation to apply measures which enable people with disabilities to

reach workplaces and participate in work activities.

Pursuant to § 11 of the Equal Treatment Act, employers are obliged to take

appropriate measures concerning people with disabilities. Subsection (2) of the same

provision states that employers shall take appropriate measures to enable a person

with a disability to have access to, participate in, or advance in employment, or to

undergo training.

Similarly, § 101 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act obliges the employer to

create suitable working and rest conditions for employees with disabilities. For that,

the work, work equipment and workplace of a disabled employee shall be adapted to

his or her physical and mental abilities. Adaptation means making the building,

workroom, workplace or work equipment of the employer accessible and usable for a

disabled person. This requirement also applies to commonly used routes and non-

workrooms used by employees with disabilities.

The Estonia Unemployment Insurance Fund provides the following services upon

hiring people with disabilities or a longstanding health disorder:

1. adaptation of work rooms and work means;

2. free use of auxiliary technical means needed for working;

3. working with a support person;

4. help with an employment interview;

5. partial compensation of an employee’s re-training expenses;

6. practical training (practice instructor’s fee shall be paid to the

employer).

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2. Services provided in Astangu Vocational Rehabilitation Centre

Until now, Astangu Vocational Rehabilitation Centre has provided the opportunity to

obtain the profession of a software and database administrator in the ICT field. Study

level: level 4 of the Estonian professional qualification framework, including a

vocational secondary education.

Target group: The curriculum of software and database administration is open for

people with special needs who have obtained basic education under a national

curriculum and whose health state enables them to work in the profession of a

software administration. People who already have secondary education can also

attend that curriculum. The important aspect is that their health state does not hinder

them from studying and later working in the field of software and database

administration.

In the autumn of 2014, after receiving the labour market’s input concerning the

expectations of employers, two new professions related to the IT field will be opened

at Astangu.

Profession software developer – The main work of a software developer

consists of writing software source code. A software developer writes the

source code pursuant to a design developed and agreed beforehand. A

software developer’s main work tasks are service level administration,

designing a product or a project, designing, planning and developing an

application, integrating and testing a system, commissioning a solution,

preparing documentation, assessing and hedging risks, improving a process

and administrating information security.

Profession accountant – The work of an accountant is recording and

documenting the economic events of a business enterprise, a public institution

or a non-commercial institution, and preparing its reports and declarations. An

accountant deals with cost accounting and budgeting and helps analyse the

economic entity’s activity. In addition to accounting know-how, this profession

also provides knowledge required for secretary and personnel management

work, project management or entrepreneurship.

Support services at Astangu Vocational Rehabilitation Centre

Student home – Our student home offers housing and care services for

learners living further away from Tallinn.

Supportive rehabilitation – Our rehabilitation team supports a learner for the

entire duration of studies, developing his or her capacity for work and activities

and increasing his or her independent living. An individual development plan is

prepared in co-operation with the learner, people close to him or her and his or

her support group; the development plan details the rehabilitation activities

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needed to support the studies and is based on the team’s evaluation of the

learner’s development and skills. The learner’s development and needs are

evaluated with development interviews twice a year and, if necessary,

changes are then made and new objectives are set. The team includes

various specialists whose aim is to support the learner’s studies, improving the

learner’s capacity for work and activities and increasing his or her independent

living.

Transport – Learners of Astangu Vocational Rehabilitation Centre have the

opportunity to use a bus adapted to people with disabilities. Based on

individual agreements and needs, the bus can also be used for travelling to

practical training bases, for study trips, etc.

Interpretation into sign language – For people with deafness or hearing

difficulties, interpretation into sign language is provided in study classes,

therapies, practical training and other activities if necessary.

Preparation for work life and support when working

In addition to teaching practical work skills, our Centre also prepares the learners for

active and successful competition in the labour market. If necessary, our graduates

and alumni receive help in finding employment, support in adapting to their work and

in solving any problems occurring in their work relationships. Our career shaping

classes focus on choice of profession and topics related to work and working; visits

to enterprises are organised. Learners gain actual work experience from practical

training. We also offer support and advice to their employers.

Learners in the IT field at the Astangu Centre (statistics)

38 people have studied in Astangu over 5 years – 84% of them (32) men and 16%

(6) women.

The average age of learners is 27.5 years among men and 23.5 years among

women; the overall average age of learners is 25.5 years. The youngest learner was

16 years of age and the oldest was 45 years of age.

26% of learners have mental health disorders, 66% of learners have physical health

disorders and 8% of learners have other disabilities (stammering, asthma; epilepsy;

loss of hearing).

Learners with a physical disability can be divided into two categories – disabilities

with prenatal causes and stemming from a disease of musculature or joints (24% of

learners); physical disabilities resulting from a trauma (42%). 52% of learners have

basic education, 16% have secondary education, 29% have professional/vocational

secondary education and 3% have higher education.

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32% of learners have no prior work experience, 68% of learners have prior work

experience; 12% of the latter have been working in the IT field.

3. Current situation in the ICT field in Estonia

4,000 enterprises are active in the field and 45% of employees are working in 8 large

enterprises. Half of the 17,000 employees are working in higher-level positions as

managers, programmers, or developers. The sector’s employees are highly

predominantly men: the share of male employees is 80% (Kallas, 2013).

According to Statistics Estonia, the ICT sector employed 18,122 employees in the

year 2011, making up 4.6% of all employees in Estonia (Jürgenson et al., 2013).

Forecast of labour demand; balance of supply and demand in the ICT sector

A forecast of labour demand in the ICT sector has been prepared, taking into account

the labour force proportions thus far and the sector’s future scenarios. It was found

out that depending on the sector’s growth scenario, 2,661-4,456 additional

employees in positions requiring ICT training in the ICT sector will be needed until

the year 2020. Yet, only about half of all ICT specialists are currently working in the

ICT sector, so the relevant labour force demand is also very strongly influenced by

the need for ICT specialists in other fields. It was found out that by the year 2020, the

number of ICT specialists outside the ICT sector will increase by approximately

4,000. Thus, 6,661-8,456 additional specialists of the field are needed by the year

2020.

Pursuant to the forecast, about 4,500 employees with ICT training who have higher

education and about 4,000 with vocational education will enter the labour market by

the year 2020; this makes up a total of 8,500 new employees.

Comparing the demand for labour force with ICT training (6,661-8,456) and the

relevant supply of labour force (8,500), it becomes clear that increase in demand

from the public sector and other economic sectors may lead to a situation where the

number of graduates with ICT professions conforms more or less exactly to the

labour force demand in an optimistic scenario. But general numbers alone are not

sufficient for assessing the need for labour force training; a more exact distribution

across education levels and positions is needed, because demand and supply are

very different in those categories.

A lack of workforce is not apparent in all positions of the ICT field, despite what some

may think. There is primarily a shortage of employees with a very good level of

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software development skills and database and system administration skills. With

today’s teaching volumes, the shortage of specialists with higher education may

become even more aggravated because the demand is at the level of 4,182-5,564

employees. And vice versa, the demand for new employees with ICT training who

have a vocational education is for 2,478-2,892 employees whereas the supply is at

the level of 4,000 graduates, indicating an overproduction (Jürgenson et al., 2013).

Employers’ assessment of competences required in the future

Numbers alone cannot describe all aspects related to labour force demand.

Employers were interviewed in more detail in that regard, studying their assessments

of labour force quality, the possibility of finding employees today and future changes

of needs.

It turned out that employers are generally satisfied with the existing labour force; this

is apparently related to the fact that they have largely trained the employees in their

enterprises themselves. This fact indicates that it is not very easy to find “turnkey”

ICT specialists with sufficient knowledge and experience. When looking to the future,

an ever higher demand for multifunctional employees can be seen: employees are

expected to be flexible, and in almost all positions employee candidates are

evaluated more and more for their general competencies – communication, problem-

solving, teamwork and management skills – in combination with specialised skills;

this conforms with the subject of demand for multifunctional employees.

Almost all interviewed employers mentioned the importance of integration across

fields. Regarding the future, they are of the opinion that ever more specialists in two

fields will be needed – one being the field where the product/service solves a

problem (banking, medicine, various technologies, etc.) and the other being ICT.

Based on the interviews, enterprises place importance on both the level of base

knowledge and skills of graduates and also their general competencies, attitudes and

capacity for self-learning. Enterprises considered general competencies to be e.g.

communication, teamwork, project management and self-guidance skills, creativity,

persuasive skills, and emotional and social intelligence. The assessment of the role

of enterprises to generate general competencies of graduates is rather moderate, but

their development in formal education is considered important. Vocational schools

have a lacklustre level in both general competencies and specialised, purely

professional ones.

According to entrepreneurs, an especially important quality of graduates is their

ability to learn on their own, to keep themselves constantly up-to-date and to be open

to new developments. Flexibility and life-long learning attitude are especially

important in the ICT sector where changes happen very fast and where a curriculum

may not be enough to cover the future needs. Representatives from the public sector

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highlighted that it is exactly the base knowledge acquired through formal education

which supports later life-long learning attitude and the development of systematic

thinking. This cannot be compensated by work experience alone, without absolving

formal education. Several entrepreneurs remarked that if the employee is willing to

attend additional training courses and compensate some skills as yet absent then it is

a better option than a graduate with somewhat higher specialised skills but a rigid

and inflexible attitude (Jürgenson et al., 2013).

Interviews conducted with entrepreneurs also indicated that employers consider one

important quality to be the person’s character and attitude towards work; only then

come competence and professional skills. Most of them recognise that a special

need is not a deciding factor when hiring someone, but adapting the physical

environment can become a challenge in certain circumstances, although it all

depends on specific cases.

4. Existing cooperation mechanisms

Co-operation with education institutions is fragmented, but there is readiness for that.

Co-operation takes place between enterprises and education institutions for the

purpose of developing the quality of formal education, but according to the

assessments of enterprises, that co-operation is more random and fragmented than

systematic. Several enterprises highlighted that co-operation with education

institutions takes place mostly on the level of an individual person or personal

acquaintances, and the co-operation is now continued in a so-called informal way.

Large and medium enterprises co-operate with schools more than small enterprises,

but there are definite moments of co-operation between schools and small

enterprises (Jürgenson et al., 2013).

Based on interviews, entrepreneurs are aware of various co-operation opportunities

and most of them expressed readiness to co-operate with education institutions.

Several enterprises remarked that there are more co-operation opportunities than

they could make use of. On the other hand, there are also enterprises who consider

their resources to be too limited to implement that opportunity or who lack interest in

doing so. According to enterprises, they sometimes co-operate with education

institutions where they do not necessarily hire any employees from among the

graduates of those education institutions (for example, they have no need for labour

force with that specific profile) (Jürgenson et al., 2013).

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The following co-operation forms are mentioned by entrepreneurs:

Offering opportunities for practical training

According to both education institutions and entrepreneurs, the most widespread co-

operation method is enterprises offering opportunities for practical training to

learners. However, opinions are varied.

Enterprises express much criticism towards practical training in terms of its minimal

duration, organisation and content. The short time allocated for practical training

does not provide for suitable output in terms of the work’s substance, as several

entrepreneurs noted. This is especially true in a situation where the learner’s prior

level of knowledge and competencies is modest. Some enterprises lamented that

they have difficulties in catering to learners’ wishes to gain an easy kind of practical

training with a simple level of demands, because enterprises usually have no such

positions to offer for practical training. This assessment refers to an expectation of

entrepreneurs that trainees should contribute to the enterprise’s ordinary work, and

entrepreneurs are not motivated to deal with trainees if they cannot see a benefit to

the enterprise in the trainees’ activity.

Concerning the organisation of practical training, enterprises were rather

unanimously of the opinion that schools are not especially interested in results of

practical training or co-operation with the enterprises in that respect. They judged

that in the eyes of VET providers, practical training is considered to be no more than

a formal requirement, not a requirement with actual substance. Enterprises are left

rather confused about the specific requirements, roles and objectives of practical

training (Jürgenson et al., 2013).

Based on interviews that we conducted with employers, it can be said that many

enterprises find the current practical training system to be disfunctional and not

yielding the expected results. The biggest problem experienced by enterprises is the

time resource spent on instructing trainees coming from the vocational training

system. A large international ICT entrepreneur reported in a focus group interview

that this is the result of insufficient co-operation between entrepreneurs and schools.

It is also recognised that co-operation is partially functioning with higher education

institutions offering ICT training, but vocational schools as co-operation partners were

noted among enterprises in only very few cases.

The main aspects highlighted are the lack of interest and motivation of the parties

(education institutions and employers) to develop co-operation relationships. One

medium level enterprise noted in an interview that employers have little initiative and

readiness to invest resources (money, time, etc.), whereas education institutions

produce graduates with generic knowledge and little specific skills so that employers

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have to start their training from scratch. This usually turns into a very resource-

intensive project.

ByteLife Solution noted that the jobs and projects of their enterprise require first and

foremost the existence of higher-level IT skills, so the enterprise also expects

trainees with a wider worldview and more extensive IT knowledge. The enterprise

has no resources to take a trainee with just basic IT knowledge from a basic level.

ByteLife said that on the other hand, trainees selected by the enterprise itself have

generally brought only good experiences – all trainees of the IT field have remained

working in ByteLife and have enlivened the teamwork with their fresh ideas and open

worldview.

DPA Nordic OÜ also highlighted in an interview that it is difficult to offer only

practical training because the enterprise’s field of activity requires very good

knowledge of specific nature and therefore longer co-operation is needed. If the co-

operation has a longer perspective, the enterprise is willing to contribute to the

person’s career.

One larger ICT enterprise sets out a way that they have found for offering practical

training and at the same time finding potential labour force. The enterprise does this

by offering its practical training opportunities within the framework of a “summer

university”. Learners have to pass exams to attend a “summer university”. Those

selected for the university absorb a week-long theoretical study followed by solving a

task on their own. Depending on the solution found to the task and the skill of

presenting the solution, trainees are selected for practical training. The initial duration

of practical training is 1.5 months. Thereafter, the practical training’s results are

summarised and if the results are good and there is agreement between the parties,

the trainee can continue in practical training or in an employment relation (largely

depending on the trainee’s needs and wishes). The initial group size for the “summer

university” is 15 people and 5-8 people from among them are selected for practical

training. The enterprise does not offer practical training throughout the year. The

preferred education level of trainees is university students in their second or third

year (the first year in case of vocational schools). Experiences with trainees selected

in this way have been positive.

Teaching activities in schools as single lectures and/or subject courses

Based on the interviews, it can be said that this co-operation option has found little

use. One large ICT enterprise highlighted that the managers of that enterprise are

giving guest lectures in universities, but there is currently no experience with giving

lectures in vocational schools. Another enterprise also said that this kind of co-

operation is only taking place with universities and that lectures are given on very

specific subjects.

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Participation in development of a curriculum, incl. participation in the

process of evaluating curricula

One large ICT enterprise considered co-operation in this field to be very good. They

are actively co-operating with Tallinn Polytechnic School, developing a new

curriculum for the profession of an electronic equipment assembler with the help of

their experts of the field.

ByteLife Solution is actively participating in a round-table preparing curricula in a

certain Estonian higher education institution, where the topic of that round-table is

lacklustre opportunities for education specialising in IT infrastructures. As they

consider the curriculum to lack in-depth training, they see it as especially important

that workplace-based training be included in studies.

One large ICT enterprise reported that they have not directly participated in

developing curricula for education institutions. However, they have taken part in

relevant studies within the framework of the Estonian Association of Information

Technology and Telecommunications and that is enough participation for them up to

this point.

Participation in professional qualification committees

The enterprises interviewed by us provided little feedback on this form of co-

operation, but some enterprises acknowledged interest in it.

Offering thesis topics and instructors for university students

One large international ICT enterprise actively co-operates with education institutions

in this regard, having itself offered 48 topics for that year’s theses, covering various

fields in electronics and technology. Nevertheless, co-operation takes place only with

higher education institutions and not with vocational schools.

DPA Nordic OÜ indicated that it has not happened yet, but that they are very much

willing to offer instructors if the relevant wish is expressed, the field is suitable for the

enterprise and the enterprise has sufficient resources.

One enterprise reported that they offer such an opportunity, but only to their own

employees.

Enterprises establishing a practical training class in an education

institution

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Interviews indicated that this co-operation form is practiced by only two of the largest

enterprises. One large enterprise has established a demonstration room in the

Mektory Innovation and Business Centre operating at a higher education institution.

The demonstration room offers an opportunity to become familiar with the

enterprise’s products and to raise potential trainee candidates' / employees' interest

towards the enterprise’s activities and products. According to ByteLife Solution, they

are currently planning to lease the demonstration centre in their own enterprise to

schools for practical work, but it has not yet been done in practice.

Enterprises providing study grants

One larger enterprise highlighted that they are providing a grant to graduates writing

a thesis on a topic which helps solve some problem of the financial sector through IT.

They would like to act as instructors for more theses but unfortunately it has not been

possible, since the employees already have high workloads.

Two ICT enterprises said that they are not providing grants, but they do support their

own employees in lifelong learning opportunities.

Introducing an enterprise’s work to learners in schools

This co-operation form is mainly used between enterprises and higher education

institutions. One larger enterprise did highlight that they are organising tours in their

premises for secondary education students and have also allowed learners to

“shadow” their employees in their work.

Tours for learners in enterprises

In this respect, enterprises are waiting for education institutions to show initiative. But

thus far, it has been the higher education institutions who have been visiting

enterprises, as well a few vocational schools.

Professional projects under instruction by enterprises

Based on interviews, this form of co-operation gets little feedback from

entrepreneurs.

Mentor programme – Used in Astangu Vocational Rehabilitation Centre;

other schools and employers have not used this co-operation form.

Information day of an employer – Used in Astangu Vocational Rehabilitation

Centre.

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A couple of entrepreneurs noted the need to increase the IT competencies of

learners in other fields as well, in order to develop a high-quality and competitive

labour force. Some enterprises are using a kind of practical training where people

coming from outside the professional field are provided with ICT-related in-service

training and if they successfully pass that training, they are offered an opportunity to

remain working in the enterprise.

The quality of graduates from vocational education differs markedly

Concerning vocational training, entrepreneurs reproach the weak level of both

professional and general competencies. According to the assessment of

entrepreneurs, the quality of graduates from vocational schools is influenced by the

level of knowledge attained during the learners’ earlier school life, their capabilities

and their motivation. An opinion was expressed in interviews that attaining a

profession is often a “Plan B” approach and not the first choice. The quality of

vocational education is affected by society’s widespread attitude of preferring higher

education instead of vocational training (Jürgenson et al., 2013).

At the same time, entrepreneurs still see graduates from formal vocational education

as a potential necessary output for the labour market, provided that the content and

organisation of curricula suite the modern labour market’s needs, which cannot be

said about several vocational education institutions preparing labour force with ICT

education. Entrepreneurs assess that the quality of vocational education institutions

differs markedly, depending on the institutions themselves and on the professional

training attained there (Jürgenson et al., 2013).

In addition to developing general competencies and conducting cross-field co-

operation, some enterprises assess that certain new study directions are also

needed for a leap in development; the current curricula offer such new study

directions with insufficient volume, if at all (Jürgenson et al., 2013).

5. Results

The current co-operation between vocational education institutions and employers in

the IT sector is insufficient, leading to a generally low reputation of vocational training

among entrepreneurs. Due to that low reputation, it is even more difficult for special

needs people with professional ICT training from vocational education to find a job in

the open labour market.

Enterprises have both positive and negative experiences with results of developing

the quality of vocational training in co-operation with education institutions. In

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interviews, enterprises expressed a view that it is important for them to know that the

co-operation and the enterprise’s contribution are considered important by the

education institution and that there is a genuine intention to actually apply the results.

A positive example highlighted was education institutions making a proposal for a

specific form of co-operation. According to the assessment of entrepreneurs, fruitful

co-operation requires more mutual understanding, receptiveness and specificity.

A result of the co-operation between employers and vocational schools can be seen

in the transition to output-based curricula, where results are evaluated. Employers

find it important that co-operation between vocational schools and employers has

improved in that sense. The labour market’s needs and the recommendations of

employers are being taken into account when preparing curricula and education

results are being evaluated.

The framework for development of curricula is regulated, but some enterprises

consider it to not function fruitfully. According to a couple of entrepreneurs, co-

operation with education institutions does exist but it is not reflected in the quality of

education and graduates. Based on interviews, several entrepreneurs have their own

vision of a fruitful co-operation process which unfortunately does not yet exist in

practical training. An original idea can be highlighted there: enterprises are willing to

offer practical training opportunities for teachers.

It is important to foster co-operation between enterprises and schools and continue

profession-related work towards keeping the content and volume of education in

compliance with the labour market’s needs.

In the year 2013, the Riigikogu adopted a new Vocational Educational Institutions Act

which significantly changed the previous organisation of the vocational education

system and the system of curricula.

The main aims of the reform are to ensure readiness of vocational education

institutions to implement the system of curricula prescribed by the new Vocational

Educational Institutions Act, to launch a widespread renewal of curricula, schooling

and education work and organisation of studies in vocational education institutions,

and to improve the quality of practical learning and practical training in vocational

education institutions.

The Ministry of Education and Research has prepared an action plan and a time

schedule for the reform and has planned the necessary funds. The reform will be

implemented in close co-operation between the Vocational Education Department,

SA Innove Vocational Education Curriculum Centre and vocational education

institutions.

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6. Hindrances

While analysing opportunities, the main hindrances were also brought to light that

relate primarily to lack of motivation and shortage of experience and skills in all

parties, inter alia for co-operation and for the use of active learning methods.

Lack of motivation in all parties – the attitude towards co-operation is

favourable and the experiences thus far are also good, but it is difficult to take

the first steps. A negative aspect mentioned on several occasions was the

lukewarm attitude of schools towards co-operation proposals. It is generally

thought in vocational education institutions that entrepreneurs should be the

ones showing more initiative concerning co-operation projects. There is little

initiative capability in both parties.

Age of learners in vocational schools – the average age of learners in

vocational schools is 15-18 years. The entrepreneurs in focus groups,

generally representing the most successful and socially responsible

enterprises of the field, were the most forceful in lamenting the low sense of

duty and low work motivation of youths. Employers are willing to polish the

professional skills of graduates from vocational schools but they do not wish to

take on the role of shaping their social attitudes. Vocational schools should

pay more attention to shaping the social attitudes of their students. The

reputation of vocational education in the eyes of entrepreneurs is harmed the

most by cases where the social attitudes of a trainee or a job-seeker do not

conform to the employer’s expectations.

The quality of vocational training is significantly influenced by the competence

of lecturers and teachers and their general lack of practical training.

Enterprises referred to the relatively advanced age of lecturers and their lack

of practical experience in their field. Moreover, the salary of teachers in

vocational education institutions is low, so specialists with good level are not

motivated to work as teachers because they are paid much more for their

knowledge and skills in the private sector and open labour market. A

difference in salary levels appears, leading to vocational education institutions

having a shortage of lecturers with the required knowledge.

Physical environment is not adapted – one hindrance for people with special

needs when going to the open labour market is that the work environment of

many enterprises is unsuitable for e.g. wheelchair users.

Additionally, employers’ prejudices, fears and lack of knowledge about the

specifics of disabilities make them less inclined to hire people with special

needs.

The Estonian Association of Blind People finds that today’s IT field has

become much more visual and therefore it is more and more difficult to employ

18

blind people in the ICT field. Due to fast developments happening in the ICT

field, screen reader software is not sufficient to perform many activities.

7. Suggestions and recommendations for the future

The following is a reflection of suggestions and recommendations highlighted by

stakeholders, to improve the co-operation between vocational education institutions

and employers:

How to improve the content and results of practical training – The focus

group interview included a discussion about possibilities seen by

entrepreneurs and representatives of vocational schools to improve the

content and purposefulness of practical training in enterprises. According to

entrepreneurs, a fruitfully organised co-operation between an enterprise and

an education institution would yield better results. For example, pursuant to

the law, the individual practical training schedule of a learner has to be

prepared in co-operation between the learner, the enterprise and the school.

But in reality such co-operation is not happening and the instructor from the

enterprise’s side does not know what to expect of the learner. And often the

practical training instructor from the school’s side is an overburdened

vocational teacher who simply has no time to deal with it on top of his or her

teaching activities. Vocational schools find that a separate person should be

employed in schools for that purpose, one who has enough time to

communicate with the parties and is responsible for making necessary

information available.

Workplace-based training is a good opportunity to increase the employers’

participation in shaping the content of vocational training, helping improve the

conformity of graduates’ skills to the labour market’s demands. Workplace-

based training is one of the study forms established in Estonian vocational

education, where two thirds of the studies take place at workplace. Workplace-

based training has been tried in Estonia as a test project since the year 2002

and it continued with a programme funded by the European Social Fund.

Unfortunately, the number of learners in that programme has been relatively

marginal − a mere couple of percent of all learners in vocational education.

Workplace-based training benefits both parties: the skills obtained by the

learner will conform to the enterprise’s actual needs and the learner will have

a good opportunity to remain working in the enterprise after completing the

official study period. On the society’s level, this study helps quickly overcome

the possible gap between labour force demand and training.

Database of trainees – it turned out in joint discussions that many enterprises

are ready to offer even more practical training placements than have currently

been used, therefore employers had an idea to create trainee databases on

19

school websites in order to improve the provision of practical training

placements in co-operation of enterprises and schools; the databases would

enable employers to find trainees suitable for the enterprise’s specifics. A

database of practical training would provide the following benefits:

1. an easier way for employers to find trainees at times suitable for

them;

2. a possibility for employers to select trainees with skills conforming to

the employer’s needs;

3. an easier way for learners to find a practical training placement;

4. a possibility to distribute practical training over the year, avoiding

heaping them all in e.g. springtime.

Employers find that functioning co-operation between employers and

education institutions requires implementing practical training programmes

which would create potential suitable employees and would simplify the

integration of vocational education holders into the labour market, making it

quicker and reducing the entailed costs.

All schools cannot continue training specialists intended for the ICT sector

because on the one hand, the demand is not so large (the ICT sector needs

more specialists with higher education) and on the other hand, not all schools

have the resources necessary to train them with sufficient quality. One

possible solution would be to integrate ICT professions more closely with other

professions.

Overall career awareness – many learners entering a vocational school have

not made an informed career choice. More attention needs to be paid to

career shaping during the basic school period, so that career choices are not

random and learners would not end up in vocational schools just by chance.

These choices should be well considered and weighed. Career services

should be made available to young people.

Life-long learning attitude – according to entrepreneurs, an especially

important quality of graduates is their ability to learn on their own, to keep

themselves constantly up-to-date and to be open to new developments,

especially in the ICT sector where changes happen very fast and where a

curriculum may not be enough to cover the future needs.

Employers find that the foreign language skills of learners are very weak and

need developing more.

Creating a unified system for approving placements and instructors of practical

training would definitely help provide better practical training opportunities.

A unified system is needed for recognising institutions that have hired

someone with special needs, and enterprises need to be recognised where

they have adapted their environment to people with special needs.

20

8. Summary

Interviews with vocational education institutions providing professional ICT training

and with ICT employers indicate that co-operation between vocational education

institutions and employers is insufficient.

There are successful examples of co-operation between enterprises and schools, but

generally the co-operation is not seen as systematic. According to the entrepreneurs’

assessment, the teaching activities in schools sometimes seem to be isolated from

the labour market because top-level specialists are often not available for sharing

their (practical) experience with learners in schools, and lecturers on the other hand

lack practical training experience of their own. A notable positive aspect is the

readiness of enterprises to co-operate, and the experience of several enterprises

with successful joint activities establishes a solid base for similar activities in the

future.

In summary, it was recognised that there are no fundamental hindrances, and any

problems can be surmounted, but implementation of changes would require more

motivation from all parties.

21

II. Selection of good practices in Estonia

1. Training of employers Astangu Vocational Rehabilitation Centre

Why is training for employers needed?

The most important part of the work done in Astangu Vocational Rehabilitation

Centre is co-operation with employers, in order to help find suitable practical training

placements and jobs for clients. We often encounter the following problems in

communication with employers:

people with special needs are not seen as a labour force resource;

information about people with special needs is incomplete and unavailable;

employers fear an increase of work load and time load entailed in hiring

people with special needs.

In order to improve the situation and to better distribute information, we started

organising information days for employers in the year 2011. We had been conducting

information days before, but the level of interest was low, therefore we decided to

transition to an individual approach to employers instead. After many years, we

decided to start conducting information days again, because of the need to show

employers what our Centre does, who our clients are and how we prepare them for

employed life.

Aim

The aim of the training day is to increase the awareness of employers, so that they

would be ready to offer jobs and practical training placements for people with special

needs.

The information day consists of the following parts:

Introducing the Centre: We introduce the process of vocational rehabilitation. We

visit study classes together with employers, where the employers see the clients in

the learning process.

We visit the student home where the employers can see a living environment

specially adapted to people with special needs (kitchen, beds, bathroom).

We introduce the workshops where the clients can be seen in a work process. This

way, an employer gets an understanding of what the work operations could be that a

special needs person could do in that employer’s enterprise or what the enterprise

could outsource to the workshops.

Topics specific to disabilities: we have invited various rehabilitation specialists to

give lectures, providing a comprehensive overview of topics specific to disabilities

(spinal cord trauma, autism, intellect disability, inability to hear, etc.). When

22

employers get more information about disabilities, their mistaken beliefs are lifted and

the employers are more open and aware of the clients’ special needs and can also

behave accordingly (the instructing skills and the selection of work operations

improve).

Hands-on activities: a wheelchair track and use of sample technical aids.

Informing about services and benefits provided by the state when hiring people

with special needs.

We invited a speaker from the Unemployment Insurance Fund and the manager

of a centre for disabilities-related information and technical aids; they introduce the

state-provided services and support, highlighting practical examples of everyday life,

acquisition of technical aids and the paperwork related thereto.

Experience lectures – an employer speaks about actual experience of hiring a

special needs person and shares fears, prejudices, experiences and the

circumstances that encouraged the enterprise to hire someone with special needs.

The employer also speaks about preparing the personnel for a special needs person

starting to work in their enterprise, highlighting the positive and negative sides of the

entire process. The employer is able to state through their own experiences the kind

of support and aid that was received and what else would have been needed from

various specialists and from people close to the client.

The day is completed by a round-table where employers can share their thoughts

and experiences concerning the hiring of people with special needs. Entrepreneurs

can make suggestions for better preparation of clients for entering the open labour

market; highlight the support that the employers would need in hiring a special needs

person; discuss possible co-operation aspects; provide feedback about the day; and

pose additional questions.

People involved

The day is conducted by employment specialists. Additionally, rehabilitation

specialists (a psychologist, a physiotherapist, an activity therapist, a special

pedagogue, a social worker, a speech therapist, etc.) and vocational teachers are

involved. The institutions involved are the Unemployment Insurance Fund and local

governments.

As an innovation, we also involve our clients, starting as early as the organising

process: designing and printing invitations and name tags, preparing the menu,

preparing the rooms, covering the table, preparing the dishes. During the event,

clients are active in receiving the visitors, catering, co-ordinating and conducting the

hands-on activities, and presenting and selling products made by themselves.

Achievements thus far

23

7 training days have taken place by now, receiving positive feedback from

entrepreneurs and drawing in a total of 106 participants. We have been able to find

new co-operation partners through the training day and we have gained contact with

enterprises that refused co-operation with us earlier. In practice, this means an

increased number of practical training placements and better employment of our

Centre’s graduates in the open labour market.

Wider effect of the information day:

• employers who have participated will share their positive experience with other

employers;

• employment and social involvement of people with disabilities has increased;

• the society’s awareness of people with disabilities has increased;

What employers have gained from participation in the information day

The most positive emotions of employers have come from seeing the clients’

contribution to organising and conducting the day and from being able to monitor

them in work processes. The most important aspect is considered to be the

experience shared by employers and clients because those are direct and detail both

positive and negative sides.

EVELY GOROBINSKI, Occupational Health and Safety Manager, Ericsson Eesti

AS

The information day was very useful. For the first time, I got to see so closely how

and where people with special needs learn and live and what preparation they

receive for entering the labour market. Immediately after the visit, I started to get

ideas of how to communicate those experiences to the managers in our enterprise,

encouraging them even more to hire employees with special needs. Although I have

had contact with special needs people before, this visit to Astangu certainly widened

my perspective on joys and worries of people with special needs.

What learners in Astangu Vocational Rehabilitation Centre have gained from

the training day

Clients are glad that they can participate in those information days and show

employers their skills and abilities. Additionally, they gain experience – covering

tables, cleaning, preparing food, etc. Every information day has involved one of our

former clients who have since been hired and are willing to share their story with

other employers.

Recommendations and advice to those who want to provide the same practice

If someone would like to organise a similar practice, they would be well advised to

follow the principle of in-depth approach to employers – do not gather large masses

24

but instead deal with a small group of people at any one time: this gives more and

better results. And always have a reserve of time and patience :) An optimal number

of employers participating in a training day could be up to 15 people, so that the

training day remains the most purposeful.

To prevent the training day from becoming dull for employers, we have paid attention

to making the event as hands-on as possible and involving the employers in various

activities.

Possible setbacks and fields in need of improvement

Employers wishing to participate, but lacking the necessary time.

Employers finding that there are no people with special needs working in their

enterprise today so they do not need such training.

Information about the training day not reaching the right people who would

need that kind of training.

Until now we have conducted the training days mostly in Tallinn, in Astangu

Vocational Rehabilitation Centre, so employers outside Harju County find it

inconvenient and time-consuming to participate. For that reason we have tried

conducting the training day in various Estonian counties if possible, involving

the local governments and regional units of the Unemployment Insurance

Fund.

Contact details

Triin Juss, Employment Service Manager, Astangu Vocational Rehabilitation Centre;

triin.juss@astangu.ee

25

2. Mentoring programme Astangu Vocational Rehabilitation Centre

Astangu Vocational Rehabilitation Centre co-operates closely with employers and

has established a mentor programme directly supporting the Centre’s learners in

entering the open labour market after graduating from their studies.

The project’s target group

This programme is intended for learners in the specialty of software and database

administration, currently in their final year (out of a total 3 study years). The learners

are people with special needs, having obtained secondary or basic education. During

the study period, all learners absorb practical training in an enterprise, lasting for 20

weeks. Learners are supported by employment specialists during the entire study

period, providing career shaping lessons and helping in finding practical training

placements. Only the second class of IT learners graduate in the year 2013, but it

could be seen already in the previous year that finding practical training placements

and later job positions proved to be very difficult.

Reasons necessitating a mentor programme

Working with learners on a daily basis, it could be seen that they need a friend /

advisor who could ideally be someone from an IT enterprise, supporting them in

making their career choices. Thus, an idea was born to establish a mentor

programme, involving an IT learner from our Centre as one party and an IT

enterprise’s representative as the other party.

How does the programme work?

The mentor programme works on the principle of paired mentorship. Every mentor

has a mentee. The mentee chooses a suitable mentor for him or her; for that, a

mentor provides a CV and a short description of oneself, and in the opening event all

mentees can communicate with mentors and choose the right one for themselves.

The mentor provides a written confirmation of accepting the mentee.

Seven IT learners from our Centre were offered participation in the programme as a

mentee. Six out of those seven learners agreed to participate. One learner did not

see the connection or need to participate in the programme. We also provided

training for the learners, explaining the programme’s substance and the mentee’s

role in the mentor programme.

A three-way contract was signed with the participants of the mentor programme (the

mentor, the mentee and the co-ordinator), stating the frequency of meetings (3 h per

month) and confirming the action plan prepared by the mentee and approved by the

mentor. The action plan was prepared for the programme’s entire duration (12

months).

Who are the mentors?

26

The mentors were selected preferably from among middle-level managers from

various IT enterprises; they supported the IT learners of Astangu in making their

career choices and in setting and implementing their goals. The mentors participated

in the programme voluntarily and did not receive any remuneration for their

participation.

Partners involved

The Astangu side in the organisation of trainings was represented by the Centre’s

psychologist Annika Metsar who gave a training course on psychodrama to mentors;

Kadri Arula, a co-ordinator of the business mentor programme from Enterprise

Estonia was also of great help and support, training both mentors and mentees and

helping launch the Astangu programme. Astangu Vocational Rehabilitation Centre

provided free use of the Centre’s premises and paid the expenses of coffee breaks.

What mentors have gained from participation in the mentor programme

Based on the feedback received after the mentor programme, it can be said that the

main reason why the mentors decided and wanted to participate in the programme is

that they consider it an opportunity to pass on their gathered experience, knowledge

and skills. The mentors also highlighted that on many occasions during that period,

they found themselves in the role of a mentee instead – learning and discovering

much that was new to them.

The mentors also consider it a possibility to inform society that people with special

needs are good employees, thereby reducing the fears of other entrepreneurs and

the stereotypes common in the society.

PILLE ROOM, Personnel Manager, Arvato Services Estonia OÜ

This mentoring program has been educational and rewarding. Exceeding all

my expectations, this program has changed my personal perspective on my

work and my obligations towards our company. A large company with its staff

is a cross-section of the society and my duty is to make sure that our company

reflects that principle. I have raised the topic of helping people with disabilities

to find jobs in every network that I’m in, and I feel that it is a great chance to

develop a new network or community that instils in employers the sincere will

to hire people with disabilities.

KATRIIN TIIK, Recruitment Consultant, Manpower Estonia

Having some previous experience with disabled people in my life and

considering continuing my future career in this field, I have been very happy to

learn more about the topic through this programme. I have been in close

contact with my mentee, I have gained a better understanding of the situation

of people with disabilities, I have learnt how to recognise problems and start

finding solutions. When starting to help someone find a job and also trying to

break some barriers, it has proved to be most helpful to do that with a group of

27

mentors. Through my advocacy, my company and my co-workers, as well as

my friends are more aware of the issue. I believe that I have overcome some

of my own fears as well - I have met disabled people who are more stable than

I expected in a way, yet I have still noticed the need for psychological support

for them. I hope they will receive the support, although they might not always

be willing to accept it. I have most certainly gained more confidence in talking

about the issue among people around me. I also have my own “mentor” – a

project manager, from whom I can always ask advice. This kind of three-party

cooperation has been very useful indeed. I hope this kind of activity will

continue and expand in the future.

What the learners in Astangu Vocational Rehabilitation Centre have gained

from participation in the mentor programme

Feedback from Tõnu Roos, a learner in Astangu Vocational Rehabilitation

Centre, having participated in the mentor programme in the year 2013:

At first, I thought long and hard whether to take part in the programme, and I

finally decided to try it. Today I am very satisfied with my decision. I had a

great mentor who always supported and advised me whenever I needed it.

Thanks to that person, I gained confidence in applying for jobs and going to

job interviews. The programme lasted for a year, but I’m still conversing with

my mentor to this day.

Recommendations and advice to those who want to provide the same practice

This is a very good support programme for integrating people with special needs into

everyday life. They gain a new friend in the mentor who expands their social network

and supports the mentee in career planning. The mentor encourages the mentee to

try new things, at the same time instructing and consulting the mentee as necessary.

A mentor programme is easy to conduct and it does not need a large budget. This

programme provides mentors with a very good experience of mentoring and also an

opportunity to learn from special needs people, understanding their experiences

when moving to the labour market. The most difficult part is to find the right people

who are suitable to be mentors – having an inner wish and willingness to change the

world.

Possible setbacks and fields in need of improvement

It was very difficult to find mentors for the programme. Initially, mentors were sought

in our own nearest network (good co-operation partners from enterprise visits or

practical training placements). After two months of intensive search, six suitable

people were found who agreed to participate in the programme. Only one of them

had previous mentoring experience. The mentor were initially very fearful of special

needs people and the entire programme. After a training course explaining the

programme’s substance and providing an overview of mentorship and mentoring

techniques, all mentors agreed to participate in the programme.

28

Contact details

Triin Juss, Employment Service Manager, Astangu Vocational Rehabilitation Centre;

co-ordinator of the mentor programme; triin.juss@astangu.ee

29

3. MTÜ Abikäsi: Provision of training and mediation on the open

labour market

MTÜ abikäsi (NPO Helping Hand) is a social enterprise founded in the year 2009

with the aim to improve employment of people with special needs.

The aim and reasons for founding MTÜ Abikäsi

The unemployment rate of people with special needs in Estonia is high and the target

group has a shortage of independence, living quality and socialisation opportunities.

The social aim of MTÜ Abikäsi is to improve employment, independent coping and

living quality of special needs people in Estonia. To achieve that aim, MTÜ Abikäsi

provides training and work experience for people with special needs in a specially

adapted work centre and also mediates their integration in the open labour market.

Target group

Special needs people from the Harju County, who have a mild disability of intellect or

movement and wishing to work; long-term unemployed are also involved.

The partners involved and the work performed in MTÜ Abikäsi

The MTÜ Abikäsi centre employs people with special needs, whose services (mostly

telemarketing and data entry) are sold to customers. Work is performed in a specially

adapted work centre. A team specially established for clients includes 15 specialists

– a social worker, a psychologist, and other specialists. MTÜ Abikäsi increases the

employers’ awareness of support funds paid by the state to employers who hire

people with special needs. For that, MTÜ Abikäsi visits several enterprises every

week and makes everyday telephone calls to organisations in order to inquire about

their personnel needs and to explain the benefits of hiring people with special needs.

Additionally, MTÜ Abikäsi recognises employers who hire people with special needs,

giving them the mark “Töötame koos” (“We work together”). There is co-operation

with the Unemployment Insurance Fund, as the Fund directs most of the clients to

the MTÜ Abikäsi.

30

How is MTÜ Abikäsi effecting changes in the society?

Scope of activities 2012 2011 Increase

Number of people with special

needs whom the centre has

provided with work experience

and the required training for

employment

138 43 321%

Number of people with special

needs who have gained

contacts with an employer

through the centre

ca. 110 ca. 27 ca. 407%

Number of enterprises who

have bought services from the

special needs people in the

work centre of MTÜ Abikäsi

7 3 233%

When a person reaches MTÜ Abikäsi, he or she is interviewed first, to determine

their capabilities, prior work experience and what they wish to do in the future. The

process of acquiring training and work experience starts with training courses for

telemarketing and data entry. Then comes habit-building for arriving at work at set

times, fulfilling work norms, etc. When a person has been working in the centre for

about six months, they are referred to the open labour market in order to accept a

new person into the now vacant spot in the centre. People with a milder disability are

usually working in the telemarketing department and people with a more severe

disability in the data entry department. The telemarketing department earns more

revenue which is used for covering the loss generated by the data entry department.

This enables the hiring not only of people with milder disabilities but also those with

more severe disabilities, as the latter have very limited opportunities in the labour

market. Customers of the social enterprise MTÜ Abikäsi see the quality work of

people with disabilities and are also more likely to hire special needs people in the

future. Work experience encourages employers to more actively hire people with

disabilities. The largest co-operation partners of MTÜ Abikäsi are: Harju County

Court, ISS, Estonian National Postal Service, Itella, Selver, Rimi, Jumbostrap, Eolane

and Elion.

Intended effect: Improved employment, independent living quality of people with

special needs in Estonia.

Direct outcomes of MTÜ Abikäsi:

31

In 2012, 138 people were provided by MTÜ Abikäsi centre with work experience and

the required training for employment. Since 2011, the activities of MTÜ Abikäsi have

led 52 enterprises to hire people with disabilities.

Recommendations and advice to those who want to provide the same practice

The NPO’s activity is generally functioning well. Motivation and initiative are needed.

The NPO does not need large initial investment. The institution leading the initiative

must be a good negotiator and communicator.

As a recommendation, consideration could be given to establishing an evaluation

system providing a quick overview of a person’s capabilities and wishes of working in

the open labour market.

Possible setbacks and fields in need of improvement

The activity of MTÜ Abikäsi increases the revenue of the Estonian state because the

salary of people previously unemployed and now working provides the state with

pension insurance, unemployment insurance and income tax payments. It is

PROBLEM

The unemployment rate of people with special needs in Estonia is high and the target group has a shortage of independence, living quality and socialisation opportunities

TARGET

GROUP

Special needs people from the Harju County, wishing to work

ACTIVITIES

- providing training and work experience - mediating employees to the open labour market

PRECONDITIONS

- The person is motivated to find work or becomes motivated during work experience - Employers’ awareness of benefits paid for hiring special needs people increases - Employers hiring special needs people are recognised

INTENDED

EFFECT

Improved employment, independent coping and living quality of people with special needs in Estonia

DIRECT

OUTCOMES OF MTÜ ABIKÄSI

In 2012, 138 people were provided by MTÜ Abikäsi with work experience and the required training. Since 2011, the activities of MTÜ Abikäsi have led 52 enterprises to hire people with disabilities.

32

important to recognise the positive participation of employers – positive publicity must

be created.

A problematic aspect that could be highlighted is the current lack of competence to

support people with severe and profound disabilities (intellectual or physical). An

improvement suggestion would be that the NPO could outsource that service if

necessary.

Contact details

Marko Simberg, Management Board Member; http://www.abikasi.ee/

33

4. Maarja Village: Collaborating in VET provision

Maarja Village houses people with an intellectual disability, using residences of family

house type. There are also workshops where the villagers can work and where they

can jointly grow fruit and vegetables for their village’s needs. Additionally, the

villagers have the opportunity to learn gardening in Räpina Gardening School and to

obtain a vocational secondary education in order to move in the direction of the

labour market.

Aim and rationale

The aim of the training opportunity provided by the (framework) curriculum for

gardening is that young people and adults who until now were shunned in the

Estonian education practice due to their modest cognitive abilities would participate

in vocational training and achieve their individual best possible learning results,

thereby supporting their social expectations.

The framework curriculum for the gardening specialty is a base document for initial

vocational training after basic school (basic education on the basis of national

curriculum for coping) for young people with learning disabilities and/or adults of

employment age who have the same education needs. The curriculum was prepared

for involving learners with special needs in vocational training and enables all people

wishing to do so to satisfy their constitutional right to obtain level II education i.e.

vocational secondary education as education corresponding to their abilities, using

individually adjusted curricula.

Target group and involved people

Studies take place in a 4-8-member vocational training group, conducted by 2

teachers (a vocational education teacher or special pedagogue and an assistant

teacher) by way of individual instruction. The social and physical coping of learners

during the studies is supported by specialists of Maarja Village rehabilitation team,

according to support needs. There is co-operation with Räpina Gardening School;

studies are conducted in the territory of Maarja Village but the teachers come from

the Gardening School. There is also co-operation with employers – seasonal work is

performed regularly in Juhani Tree School and practical training is conducted in

various gardening enterprises in the region.

Studies are based on each learner’s individual development needs and capacity for

activity. The school supports the development of each learner to ensure their

personal rehabilitation and their learning according to their abilities. To that end,

vocational consultation is already provided in the acceptance committee, followed by

development interviews and implementation of an individual curriculum for each

learner on the basis of this (framework) curriculum. The individual curriculum

conforming to the individual education needs (incl. interests and abilities) is prepared

34

for the entire study period (three years) and its results are evaluated once per

academic year.

What employers have gained

As the people living in Maarja Village have severe intellectual disabilities, their entry

into the labour market provides employers with a positive experience that such

people are also capable of performing work according to their abilities in the labour

market, if they have received sufficient instruction. Additionally, an employer gains a

motivated and dedicated employee.

What the clients in Maarja Village have gained

They have gained an opportunity to enter the labour market and to feel themselves to

be fully-valued persons.

Transferability to the ICT sector

We consider this to be a good practice that connects a vocational school, people with

special needs and employers. For a special needs person to be able to acquire a

profession, it is important that the study environment be adapted to his or her needs.

The current research indicates that very few young people with special needs are

studying IT specialties in Estonian vocational schools because there is no adapted

environment. Therefore one opportunity would be to establish adapted environments

at vocational schools where learners with special needs would be able to develop a

profession. Another option would be to bring learning nearer and make it more

available to special needs people, as Maarja Village did in co-operation with Räpina

Gardening School.

Transferring this practice to the IT sector, better employment of people with special

needs would require making the curriculum as compliant as possible with the

employer’s wishes, in co-operation with that employer. While employers are currently

lamenting that the level of graduates does not conform to their expectations and they

are forced to make unreasonable investments into additional training for graduates, it

would be reasonable to establish a demonstration class in co-operation with an

enterprise, where people with special needs would be trained according to the

enterprise’s wishes. This would ensure their better competitiveness in the labour

market.

Possible setbacks and fields in need of improvement

As a result of preparing individual curricula, the learning candidates are able to

perform simpler work if they are up to the task and receive appropriate instruction.

Practical training takes place in the study garden (open land and covered land) and

greenery areas of Maarja Village. The school, in co-operation with a representative of

the local employment office or local government and if necessary with the learner’s

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legal representative, will find each learner an opportunity to have practical training in

gardening enterprises.

The school ensures the practical training’s compliance with the curriculum’s

objectives, provides instruction, and conducts evaluation of the practical training’s

results. As a shortcoming, it could be mentioned that the study process does not

involve a career specialist who would work with the study group, following the

process from start to end and helping find practical training placements and job

positions. Another shortcoming is that there are very few employers in the vicinity of

Maarja Village and general unemployment rate is high, reducing the opportunities of

special needs people in the labour market.

Contact details

Huko Laanoja, Development Manager

http://www.aiandusschool.ee/

http://www.maarjakyla.ee/

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List of interviewed stakeholders

Interviews were conducted with representatives of the following organisations:

LHV Bank – Häli Õigus, Personnel Manager;

Net Group OÜ – Kristjan Toots, Software Developer and alumnus of Haapsalu

Vocational Education Centre;

DPA Nordic OÜ – Tähve Lõpp, Executive Manager;

ByteLife Solution – Piret Tank, Leader of Administrative Team;

Arvato Services Estonia OÜ – Pille Room, Personnel Manager;

Ericsson Eesti AS – Evely Gorobinski, Occupational Health and Safety

Manager;

Glaudius Plus MTÜ – Jaanus-Margus Vainu;

Eesti Töötukassa (Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund) – Tiia Sihver.

Haapsalu Vocational Training Centre

Võru Vocational Training Centre

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References:

Jürgenson, A., Mägi, E., Pihor, K., Batueva, V., Rozeik, H., Arukaevu, R.

(2013) „Eesti IKT kompetentsidega tööjõu hetkeseisu ja vajaduse

kaardistamine” Praxis Centre of Policy Studies

Kallas, R. (2013). Tiit Paananen: kõrge palk ei meelita IT-sektorisse. URL:

http://arileht.delfi.ee/news/uudised/tiit-paananen-korge-palk-ei-meelita-it-

sektorisse.d?id=67419532

Puuetega inimestele töötamise võimaluste loomine ministeeriumides (2013).

URL:

http://www.epnu.ee/site/data/239acc66402b2dbd8db1e87e70fae1a16e65c008

.pdf

Erivajadusega isikute kutseõppeasutuses õppimise tingimused ja kord. URL:

https://www.riigiteataja.ee/akt/13173724

Nestor, M. (2014). Tööandjate ootused ja kutseharidus – mida ettevõtjad

ootavad?

Praxise mõttehommik – IKT alane kutseharidus – kuidas jõuda muutusteni?

URL: http://mottehommik.praxis.ee/ikt-alane-kutseharidus-kuidas-jouda-

muutusteni/

Statistics Estonia (2013). 20-64-aastaste-hõiveseisund-puudelisuse järgi.

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Are you interested in the project?

More information on www.epr.eu/projects/Learnabil-IT

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This project is supported by the European Union Programme for Employment and

Social Solidarity - PROGRESS (2007-2013).

This programme is implemented by the European Commission. It was established to

financially support the implementation of the objectives of the European Union in the

employment, social affairs and equal opportunities area, and thereby contribute to

the achievement of the Europe 2020 Strategy goals in these fields. The seven-year

Programme targets all stakeholders who can help shape the development of

appropriate and effective employment and social legislation and policies, across the

EU-27, EFTA-EEA and EU candidate and pre-candidate countries.

For more information see: http://ec.europa.eu/progress

The information contained in this publication does not necessarily reflect the position

or opinion of the European Commission.