Within the Erasmus+ project "OnTrack" we compiled a comparative study on the state of play in VET graduate tracking in the seven partner countries. The presentation gives an overview of the most important findings.

1. IO 1
Stefan Humpl,
Alexandra Fabrykowska
TRACKING LEARNING AND CAREER
PATHS OF VET GRADUATES TO
IMPROVE QUALITY OF VET PROVISION

2. Background
• In the partner countries there are only some
systematic measures for tracking VET
graduates – mostly only ad-hoc measures
• Awareness will be raised on the relevance and
importance of the VET graduate tracking
systems
• Transnational study will be the basis for a new
European tracking system for VET graduates

3. Main goals
Aim of IO1: compile a context study of tracking systems
and measures at VET provider level:
• National context study with identified indicators
• To address specific needs and potential challenges
• Description of one or more tracking measures
• Case study of a VET provider
 Comprehensive in-depth analysis of context, needs
and challenges in the partner states
 Transnational study
 Recommendations for the graduate tracking tool

4. European Perspective
Currently there are no EU-level VET graduate
tracking measures, only one-off measures for
HE graduates
• European Council Recommendation 2017
– Improve the availability and quality of data about
the activity of graduates by collecting various
administrative data (education, tax, social
security databases)
– Developing longitudinal graduate surveys
– Link data from different sources anonymously

5. • European Council Recommendation 2017
– Recommends MS use graduate tracking data to
strengthen career guidance, design and update
curricula, improve skills matching, plan for evolving
employment, education and social needs, and
improving policy development
– Asks MS to report to the Commission annually on the
implementation and evaluation
– Includes a recommendation for the Commission to
provide capacity building support for the
establishment of VET graduate tracking systems and
facilitate mutual knowledge on the topic among MS
European Perspective

6. BE CZ
DK
DE
EE
GR
FR LU
AT
PL
RO
SK
FI
SE
UK
NO
CH
-10%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
110%
120%
20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
ShareofWork-basedlearning
Share of VET in Upper Secondary Education
Very high share of
VET studentsLV
Example: In Austria, 70% of all pupils at upper secondary level are enrolled in vocational education and training (VET),
47% of those are in work-based learning. (The size of the bubbles illustrates the overall number of pupils enrolled in VET.)
Source: Data for 2015, Eurostat, educ_uoe_enrs04
Very high share of WBL
(Apprenticeships)
3s Unternehmensberatung, www.3s.co.at
VET in Partner Countries compared
to…
ES
CY BG

7. What do we have?
National Report Case Study
Austria X X
Bulgaria X X
Cyprus X X
Greece X X
Latvia X X
Slovakia X X
Spain X X

8. • Austria: University of applied Science FH BFI,
MODUL Vienna
• Bulgaria: Center for Vocational Training
• Cyprus: Communication Platform for Graduates
and Employers for technical professions
• Greece: survey and interview with a VET provider
• Latvia: HE graduate tracking – Register of
Students and Graduates
• Slovakia: Secondary School of Jan Bocatia
• Spain: Politeknika Ikastegia Txorierri
Several Case Studies

9. • Austria: limitations for VET providers due to fixed curricula, consistency
of tracking and maintaining the database, continuity and regularity to
stay in touch
• Bulgaria: lack of tools, methodology and capacity of VET providers, VET
providers have difficulties in quality follow-ups, lack of additional
financial resources, no cooperation from graduates, no systematized
data, lack of experts to analyse the data
• Cyprus: limited resources (time, investment), type of tracking system
that suits the provider, actively engaged graduates
• Greece: non-systematic way of tracking graduates
• Latvia: limited resources (no financing for monitoring graduates),
educational institutions have no access to official data
• Slovakia: limited resources (time, finances, IT), unwillingness of the
cooperation of graduates, reluctance
• Spain: school early dropouts, transition from training to the world of
work, overskilled workers or lack of specific profiles
Various Challenges across the EU

10. • Outreach and timing
• Influence of educational institutions
• Quality culture and capacities
• Data protection
• Data maintenance and experts
• Motivation for institutions and sustainability
Main Challenges

11. • How can it be a feedback mechanism for institutions?
• Institutional focus, what they can influence (curricula,
learning environment)
• Experts that will manage and evaluate the collected
data
• Quality culture
• Contact graduates (email, telephone)
or other possibilities to reach out to them (students
association, journals…)
• Development of the tool from the beginning to the
end
Challenges for a new tracking tool

12. Recommendation for tool
development
• Raising awareness of a new tracking system & its
value
• Can be seen as an optional tool, which provides
some type of service for graduates
• Better cooperation and networking is needed
between the VET providers
• Better cooperation with employers
• Systematic collection of data (methodology and
database)
• Regularity and sustainability

13. How to motivate institutions?
• In the right time and occasion
• Reaccreditation of schools
-> more possibilities to influence curricula
• Quality Culture: focus on separate schools or
the whole system?
• Create useful feedback
• Data protection?

14. A possible tracking timetable

15. • How satisfied where you with the education you received?
• Would you choose the same school again?
• Did you participate in a work placement during your
studies?
• Did you attend a further education since graduation?
• How much time did you need to find your first employment
after graduation?
• To what extent is your job related to the attended study
programme?
• What subjects in your study programme helped you in your
work?
Possible questions for the
questionnaire

16. What already happened
Meeting in Sofia, discussing IO1
(findings of the study and specific
recommendations for the new tool)
Meeting in Limassol, discussing IO2
(questionnaire for the new tool)
Further development of the new tracking tool is on track!