TRACING THE IMPACT OF WORK PLACEMENTS ON VOCATIONAL LEARNERS: IRELAND NATIONAL REPORT
Executive Summary The European Union has operated programmes that support the mobility of vocational learners for more than 30 years. The purpose of this study is to trace the impact these transnational vocational work placements have had on the skills, attitudes, education and careers of vocational learners from Ireland. The study is part of a wider transnational research project involving 10 European partners. Part I outlines the vocational system in Ireland, allowing for comparison with other European systems. Part II explores research methods, data collection and analysis. The research was carried out in 2019 and was based on: • an online survey of 335 participants • four semi-structured in-person interviews with individuals • two in-person focus groups, with 12 participants. Part III concentrates on mobility experience. Survey respondents rated their overall mobility experience very highly. Almost 90% remembered their time abroad on a placement positively or very positively; just 3% did not remember the experience positively at all. Almost 70% said they had gained practical professional experience on their placement, and 64% said they had learned elements of their profession that they could not otherwise learn in school or college. They also felt their mobility experience offered something they could not get at home: over 60% agreed that they had encountered work cultures and environments that were different from Ireland. More than half also agreed ‘a lot’ or ‘completely’ that they had encountered different ways of learning. Among the fewer than 10% who had negative or very negative comments about their experience, the most common issues were difficulties with host companies or with the overall organisation of the placement. Participants from the in-person groups described receiving support through both the sending and host organisations. Sending organisation staff tended to focus on the participants’ emotional and physical well-being, while host organisation staff more often provided practical and logistical assistance. In-person group participants identified the chief motivating factor for participation was the desire to obtain relevant work experience in their vocational area. Consequently, it is striking that very few of them were aware of the opportunity before they chose their courses of study. These findings were echoed among the survey respondents, 75% of whom were not aware that a vocational placement abroad was available when they selected their course or college. An identified strength of mobility experiences was that they offer VET learners a taste of their potential future careers at an early stage. There is evidence that this taste can affirm learners’ belief that they have chosen the right career, but it can also challenge that belief and lead to changes.
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