Improving of the education of unemployed youth and

adults on basis of the State VET school

Experience of the VET school # 11 in Kaskelen in the project “Skills development

for poverty reduction” ETF. 2006, 2007

SKILLS DEVELOPMENT FOR POVERTY REDUCTION, COACHING MEETING, KOCHKOR DISTRICT, KYRGYZSTAN,

18-19 MAY 2007

1. Necessity in subject development

Fundamental improvement of preparation, raising of qualification and retraining (requalification) of the staff, creation of conditions for lifelong learning is - one of the strategic issues of the socio-economic country development. The President of the Kazakh Republic said: there is necessity in qualified staff not only for the economy, but for people themselves, because their level of living is depending on profession that is appropriate to the labor market demands.

2. Necessity of the subject development In the State educational policy documents,

as well as in practice of TVE organizations is not so good reflected the increasing of the Technical Vocational education role as an instrument for improvement of people level of living.

Result: weak access of the adult people and youth, from poor families to the different VET programs.

3. General information about Karasai district and Kaskelen city, Almaty oblast Population – 159,7 thousand people, rural

population-125, 5 thousand people and urban population-34,2 thousand people. Local center – Kaskelen, more than 30,000 people.

Agricultural production (vegetable growing, grain crops, meat and milk cattle-breeding, eggs production, processing of agricultural production)

There are 10 major enterprises that have more than 250 workers, 4.5 thousand small enterprises, that have more than 3 thousands farms. About 61% of small enterprises are acting in trade and catering sectors, 16.3% - in transport and communication, 4.1% -in industry, 2% -in construction.

4. General information about VET school # 11 in Kaskelen VET school # 11 – it is multi-discipline school;

this school is preparing workers and specialists for industry enterprises, farming and services sector (metalworkers, gas welder, farmers, tractor drivers, accountants, tailors, pastry-cooks, IT specialists). More that 400 local youth at the age of 15-19 and elder are studying at the VET school, 80% from poor families of Kaskelen and other districts of Almaty oblast.

As a result after 5 years VET school #11 took second place on the Republican survey of SPVE organizations and first place after oblast survey.

5. General information about VET school # 11 in Kaskelen School is successfully participating in oblast

tender for unemployed vocational training. Jointly with district employment and social programs department organizes groups of unemployed youth and adults for education/reeducation on short-term courses (STC) by different specialties.

Sector needs in qualified organizational, administrative, trained, educational and technical provision.

Insufficiency of resources and experience in adult education- one of the reasons of extending school business contacts with enterprises, local authorities, NGOs.

6. Problems of providing enterprise with workers There is lack of qualified staff of the

prevalent specialties (electricians, metalworkers, constructors, furniture-makers, social workers, etc.) as well as of rare profiles (crane-operator, roofers, insurance agents).

The situation as follows, enterprises need in extra resources, but local labour market is not ready to comply these needs, in spite of presence of VET schools and unemployed who could fill partly these niches.

7. Problems of providing with workers in rural area Outstrip of staff demand of the enterprises

existing opportunities of VET organizations is more remarkable, as there are acting mostly state sector schools, with almost total absence of informal VET network.

There is one educational center of additional VET in Kaskelen. Acting practice of VET is building on existing internal resources of VET organizations, and not on the employers needs.

8. Problems of providing with workers in Kaskelen There is unwillingness of the most

unemployed young people, graduates to receive education of worker’s professions or specialties for services sector. They prefer temporary earnings, providing occasional services on local markets.

Weak informational and career-guidance system that limits choice of appropriate

programs opportunities.

9. Problems of providing enterprise with workers One way support of unemployed education

by employment bodies – its minimum financing of educational programs, as a result, school has no necessary instruments and resources for before and after term paper with exactly this category of trainees. There are no flexible and variant educational programs for different categories of unemployed and modern educational methodical materials.

VET school # 11 forced to use educational programs composed on the basis of Primary VET standards without taking into account adults needs.

10. Problems of the unemployed youth and adults education in VET school # 11 Functioning in traditional, half-closed

conditions, resolving of quantity routine problems that are not priority for the modern VET directions.

Excessive occupation with planned and unscheduled issues of the directors and collective.

Situational nature of the school partnership relations with enterprises, local authority and population.

Weak motivation of the VET school # 11 in innovation work with adults

11. Preparation stage of the SDPR project: Importance of the first pilot activity

Achievement of the identical understanding of the project aims and implementation strategy. Identification of the task force composition and structure (“small” and “large” groups), allocation of responsibilities.

Selection of the main directions, methods and instruments of innovation work (strengthening of the analytic side, identification of the strong and weak aspects in work with adults).

Constant “polishing”, concrete definition of the project activity strategy

12. Preparation stage of the SDPR project: Example of the “polishing”, concrete definition of the project activity contentBeginning of the project Key directions of the activity:Providing of the adult education

process managementRegulating and enlargement of the

partners relations field, inclusion their representatives to the Partners Advisory committee

Working up of the adult educational programs on the basis of periodical renovation of database about new requirements to 5 professions (clothing manufacture, pastry-cook, gas welder, farmer, IT specialist)

Youth career-guidance, improvement of informational access to the employment information and promotion

Completion of the 1 stage of the project

Aim: raising employment opportunities of the graduates KSK on the basis of strengthening partnership relations of the VET school, improvement of the educational programs and organization of education

Expected results:Instilled stepwise in the unemployed

education process, organized coordination of the target groups

Instilled innovative educational methods and pilot modular education programs for unemployed by 5 profiles

Regulated exchange of the information between VET school #11 and employers, local authorities and NGOs on the basis of the KSPPO activity

Reduced period of employment and increased percentage of the employed short-term courses graduates Composed proposals to the strategy development of unemployed education in rural conditions on the VET school basis.

13. Preparation stage of the SDPR project: The most active participants Deputy director of the VET school –

responsible for the organization of the unemployed youth and adults education

Employers – directors of the enterprises that need qualified gas welders, cooks, pastry-cooks, IT specialists

NGO Agrarian Union – necessity in multiple-discipline farmers preparation

Coach – experience in innovation activity with VET organizations, contract obligations

14. Preparation stage of the SDPR project: Some results Aims achievement (aprx. 70%) Deep understanding of the unemployed

education role by school directors as one of the directions of VET school activity that have social-economic meaning

Identification of the weak points in unemployed education/reeducation through providing pilot micro-researches

More close relations with employers Comprehension and redesign of the draft

working plan that is foreseeing for 2007 First experience that is important for the

project continuation

15. Preparation stage of the SDPR project: First lessons

Absence of the strategy and aims, oriented to the social-economic region development, dooms school to the traditional, half-closed functioning

Factor of the VET school activity appreciation– is important, but not determinant for readiness to the complex innovation activity

16.Preparation stage of the SDPR project: First lessons

In terms of the state sector introduction of the innovations needs political and if possible, financial support from high level education bodies as well as from local authorities side. It is good motivation for the innovation activity performance that is not included into the main responsibilities.

The greatest difficulties: Use of the strategic approach to unemployed

education, Conduction of pilot micro researches, Elaboration of the target group database and Development of the collaboration with

existing and potential partners.

17. The main content of the pilot project in 2007 Elaboration of the new step wise model of adult

education (Annex 1); Overpass of conservative attitude of the VET school

staff to the innovative activity with adults as follows: Trainings for VET school teachers (integration of

special and key skills, effective communication skills, interactive education methods, development of employment skills)

Continuation of pilot researches (survey of employers and students)

Persuasion in necessity of new education approach, based on strengthening of social role of VET

Periodic information distribution and consultation with partners through КSPPO, joint activity

Other activities in accordance with Work plan 2007 (Annex 2)

18. Project activity in January- April 2007

Study and analysis of the information about job placement and professional adaptation of КSК graduates autumn 2006 (placed in job 60% of graduates КSК, among them 34 % during 1 week, 46% - during 1 month, 19%-more than 1 month. The main problems –low salary, realization of new functions, threat of dismissal)

Formulation of new pilot education groups in April-June 2007

Correction of adult education curricula in accordance with results of employers pilot survey 2006

Introduction of step wise organization of КSК principle Organization of target groups coordination Conduction of career-guidance activity in regional schools Conduction of the training “Effective communication

skills” for the representatives from partner enterprises and target group teachers

19. General results of the activity towards the end of April 2007 Determined strategy and tactics of the

innovation activity with unemployed youth and adults by VET school #11

Teachers of the pilot groups trained in the method of technical and key integration skills

Remaking of the КSК curricula has started Organized more close and constant

cooperation with students and partners Put base of the step wise KSK organization Information about organization of adult

education is integrated in electronic format and available for all participants

20. Basic lessons 1.Permanent, inflexible character of the management

structure in state VET schools, in particular, Vet school # 11, lead to deficit of administrative resources for the implementation of innovation activity with adults. As a result, despite, school is positively considering the idea of necessity for more definite and consistent orientation of unemployed education for students and employers needs, attempts for its realization has occasional and situational character.

2. VET school #11 is the main player at the local VET market, the activity of school well known to local authority and enterprises, but not familiar to the local population. That is why, for strengthening cooperation with employers, there is no need in fundamental “revolution” measures, but effective organizational mechanisms of constant informational interchange about variable needs and satisfaction of needs measures. It is necessary to use mass-media and advertisement for improvement work with population, including unemployed youth and adults.

21. Main current problems and experimental solutionsCurrent problems Tough school regulations,

waste a lot of time on resolving of household problems, carry out of extraordinary activity that is asked by high level education bodies, limits school administration in consistent project management activity

Solutions 1.Inclusion of project

activity into the curriculum that is covering methodical/innovative activity

2. Subdivision of the task force for two sub-groups: small that would be more mobile, and expanded with partners participation

22. Recommendations for pilot project

Familiarization of the task force and teachers of short-term courses with effective domestic and foreign experience in use of strategic approach of unemployed education in terms of State VET school

Inclusion of extra component in teachers training to development of educational methodical materials/”accompaniment letter” of students educational needs, and also materials for their self-education

24. Recommendations: for regional interchange of experience Interchange of experience in curriculum

integration and education programs, skills and relations that increasing people level of life (social and interpersonal skills, business and entrepreneurs skills, multiple technical skills for professional mobile improvement)

Experience of VET schools in organization of information and career-guidance unemployed youth and adults on local and regional levels for selection of appropriate curriculum

Interchange with scientific – methodical magazines, and legal documents of additional VET education of youth and adults

24. Recommendations to official bodies: Ministry of Education and Science and oblast educational department Foresee the position of external relations

coordinator on the staff schedule with the salary no lower than has VET school deputy director

Provide purposeful political and if possible financial support to the VET organizations that provide effective innovation/project activity in realization of curriculum for vulnerable groups

Republican/oblast activity on the basis of successful VET organizations to provide considering the specificity of their innovation/project activity

25. Recommendations to ETF Prepare digest about different countries

experience in solving vulnerable groups problems through VET

Provide country monitoring of project activity and education on time, agreed by coordinators and coaches

Make advance and final payments for VET school and coaches for 2007 during one month after accomplish of contract obligations

Thank you very much for your attention…