SoftComInVET Bridging the gap of in-company trainers soft-skills competences in the VET sector 2020-1-PT01-KA202-078592
Preliminary national desk research for O1/A1 State-of-the-art report on the currently applied soft skills self-reflection systems in the partner countries and analysis of the professional profile of the SMEs in-company trainers
SoftComInVET Bridging the gap of in-company trainers soft-skills competences in the VET sector 2020-1-PT01-KA202-078592
VET PROVIDER CLASSIFICATION and RELEVANCE OF THE MOBILITY EXPERIENCE Classification of VET Providers In all the countries involved in this desk research, VET providers are public, publicly-funded private or private centres and they are only one of the many options provided by the National Education System during compulsory and/or non compulsory education. VET options are almost entirely financed by public funding through contributions from the State budget and European Social Fund (ESF). VET providers are in general VET schools (provide education and training, such as vocational gymnasiums, vocational classes in general education schools, art schools and sports schools) and adult training institutions.
ISCED LEVELS ISCED 0: Early childhood education ISCED 1: Primary education ISCED 2: Lower secondary education ISCED 3: Upper secondary education ISCED 4: Post-secondary non-tertiary education ISCED 5: Short-cycle tertiary education ISCED 6: Bachelor’s or equivalent level ISCED 7: Master’s or equivalent level ISCED 8: Doctoral or equivalent level In the European education systems analysed within this desk research, compulsory education/training starts at the beginning of primary education (ISCED 1), usually at the age of 6, except for Bulgaria and Greece. Generally, full-time compulsory education/training lasts 9-10 years ending at the age of 15-16, usually covering primary and lower secondary education levels (ISCED 1 and 2).
SoftComInVET Bridging the gap of in-company trainers soft-skills competences in the VET sector 2020-1-PT01-KA202-078592
In Spain and Italy compulsory education includes a total of 10 years starting from Primary Education (ISCED 1): - six years in Primary Education ( students aged 6-12) and four years in Lower secondary education (students aged 12-16) in Spain - five years in Primary education (6-11) and three years in Lower secondary education (years 11-14) and two years in Upper secondary education (14-16) In Bulgaria and Greece compulsory education lasts 11 years: - In Bulgaria, Primary education and Lower secondary education in Bulgaria covers students ages from 7 to 14 years old and Upper secondary education (comprising general and VET programmes) divided into 2 stages, whose first 2 years stage is compulsory. However school is compulsory from 5 years old within Early childhood education. - Greece is one of the European countries where compulsory education starts earlier: Early childhood education starts at 4 and education is compulsory till 15 years old. Finally, in Portugal schooling is compulsory between the first year of schooling (Primary Education) and the 12th year corresponding to the last year of Upper secondary education: therefore students start school at the age of 6 and finish at the age of 18. In most cases, compulsory education can be attended even when the student is over 18 years old. VET Options Vocational education and training (VET) responds to the needs of the economy, but also provides learners with skills important for personal development and active citizenship, boosting enterprise performance, competitiveness, research and innovation. Vocational education and training (VET) systems consist of initial and continuing VET. Initial vocational education and training (I-VET) is usually carried out at upper secondary level and post-secondary level before students begin working life. It takes place either in a school-based environment (mainly in the classroom) or in a work-based setting, such as training centres and companies. Although, this varies from country to country, depending on national education and training systems and economic structures. Continuing VET (C-VET) takes place after initial education and training or after beginning working life. It aims to upgrade knowledge, help citizens to acquire new skills, retrain and
SoftComInVET Bridging the gap of in-company trainers soft-skills competences in the VET sector 2020-1-PT01-KA202-078592
further their personal and professional development. C-VET is largely work-based with the majority of learning taking place in a workplace. On average, 50% of young Europeans aged 15-19 participate in I-VET at upper secondary level. However, the European Union (EU) average masks significant geographical differences in participation ranging from 15% to more than 70%. In Spain I-VET options are offered at the following levels: ● during Lower secondary education with basic VET (ISCED 353) programmes target learners over 15; ● during Upper secondary VET (ISCED 354) programmes for learners aged 17-18; ● during Higher Education with VET (ISCED 554) programmes for learners 18-19. As for C-VET, Professional certificate programmes are available and corresponding to ISCED 254-351-453. In Bulgaria, Portugal, Italy and Greece, there are no I-VET options until Upper secondary education. In Bulgaria, during Upper secondary education students can choose between general and VET programmes in two subsequent stages: the first (3-year lasting) and the second (2-year lastin). At the end of the second stage, students have a EQF level 4 title. After secondary education, there is the possibility to obtain a post-secondary non-tertiary vocational qualification (ISCED 2011 level 4, EQF level 5) only if the student completed secondary education, or higher education (ISCED levels 6, 7 and 8). In Portugal, there are VET options during compulsory schooling, namely in secondary education for young people up to 25 years old. The program lasts for 3 years and allows students to achieve an EQF 4 level of certification. The situation in Italy is almost the same: entering Upper secondary education students can choose between “Liceo” and VET schools (managed at national level or regional level): the first option is strongly recommended for students aiming at entering University to obtain Bachelor degrees. VET schools managed at National level last 5 years (EQF4) and allow students to enter universities, while those managed at Regional level are organized into two stages: the first one lasting three years (EQF3) and the second one lasting one year (EQF 4) but they don’t give access to universities. AT ISCED 4 (post secondary, non tertiary education), italian education system offers VET programme (“Istituti Tecnici Superiori”) guranteing an EQF 5 level of qualification.
SoftComInVET Bridging the gap of in-company trainers soft-skills competences in the VET sector 2020-1-PT01-KA202-078592
The same happens in Greece: after graduating from the lower secondary education, namely completing compulsory schooling, students can choose whether to continue in general or vocational education (three years), in particular: (a) initial vocational education within the formal education system in the second cycle of secondary education at a vocational upper secondary school (EPAL), obtaining a EQF level 4. (c)initial vocational training (non-formal) in post-secondary vocational training institutes (IEK) and obtaining EQF level 5. In Greece, vocational programmes are also offered at tertiary level by higher professional schools. The diplomas awarded correspond in some cases to EQF level 6 in most cases. Since 2014, dual VET has started to evolve. It allows learners to acquire VET qualifications and simultaneously to enter the job market: the practical training in a company alternates with periods of theoretical training in a school or another VET provider. In-company trainers (mentors) are responsible for the practical training. Those apprenticeship programmes allow you to obtain an EQF level 4 of certification and to accumulate pension rights. As for C-VET the regulations are strongly related to the Country and to the Sector. The VET trainings cover a large number of sectors: - in Spain 50% of VET learners are found in three professional branches: health, administration and management, information and communications technology and sociocultural and community services; - in Italy the most chosen VET courses are: food & wine, sociocultural and community services, ICT, mechanics and financial management; - in Portugal, the areas most chosen by young people are social Sciences, Commerce, Computers, Health and Social Protection, Arts, Services, and Transformation Industries; - in Bulgaria, the mot chosen sectors are information and communications technology (ICT), business and administrative (financial and sales) professionals, service and sales workers (cooks, waiters, bartenders, hairdressers and beauticians), workers in food and wood processing, operators of stationary machinery and equipment, drivers of motor vehicles; workers in agriculture, forestry and fisheries; workers in mining and manufacturing, construction, in food processing, clothes and wood product manufacturing. - In Greece, the areas most chosen by young people are Tourism, Commerce, Health and Social Protection.
SoftComInVET Bridging the gap of in-company trainers soft-skills competences in the VET sector 2020-1-PT01-KA202-078592
In Italy from the third year of upper secondary education (students aged 15-16), PTCO programmes (literally “paths for transversal skills and career orientation”) start in the form of internship from a minimum of 90 hours/year to a maximum of 500 hours/year (maximum percentage 48% of the annual hours that are approximately 1000). Schools and VET providers have a large flexibility in deciding how many hours, in which period of the year and the type of company hosting the internship. The number of internship hours within courses of similar duration in Spain is higher than in Italy: from a minimum of 240h (basic vocational training titles) to a maximum of 700h pro year (middle-higher degree titles). In Portugal, an entire VET course lasts for 3 years with approximately 1000 hours per year: workplace training is considered an integral part of the training contract and lasts from 600 to 840 hours (which corresponds to 19-24% of the global workload) distributed over 3 years. Also in Bulgaria, Work-based learning (WBL) is compulsory in every VET programme and it comprises at least 70% of VET programme time at EQF level 2, at least 60% at level 3 and at least 50% at levels 4 and 5.In the course of K1 Erasmus+ projects the VET schools sending VET students abroad recognize mobility as a part of the compulsory work-based learning for the respective specialties.
SoftComInVET Bridging the gap of in-company trainers soft-skills competences in the VET sector 2020-1-PT01-KA202-078592
Relevance of the mobility experience of VET students Regardless of Country and sector, all VET students and trainees have to undertake an on-the-job training module that is carried out in a real productive setting. This module enables students to gain work experience and put their skills into practice, as well as learn about the organisation of productive processes or services and labour relations, guided by education and workplace tutors. The relevance of the internship, can be appreciate under different points of view; in particular, internship is fundamental to: a) complete the acquisition of professional competencies of each degree achieved in the educational center; b) acquire a motivating identity and professional maturity for learning throughout life and for adaptations to changes that generate new needs professional qualification; c) complete knowledge related to production, marketing, economic management and the system of socio-labour relations of companies, in order to facilitate students’ labour insertion; d) evaluate the most relevant aspects of the professionalism achieved by the student in the educational centre and accredit the aspects required in the job that to verified require real work situations acquisition of new, practical skills of students from the studied professional specialties; e) increase the confidence and motivation of students for development in the chosen profession; f) update the curriculum in specialized disciplines with competences, knowledge and abilities that can be acquired only during on-the-job training. In addition to the previous mentioned, internships carried out abroad in the form of mobility are recognized as an advantage in the student's professional curriculum.The option of doing internship abroad can bring numerous benefits to the student, in particular: discover new societies with cultural, social values and a business education different from what the student deals daily in their home country; develop linguistic skills in a new foreign language, proactivity, initiative, adaptability, flexibility, communication skills, critical opinion and taking decisions; be recognized and receive merit from companies in their own country, as this attitude shows on the part of the trainee, courage and willingness to learn abroad; acquisition of competencies and European values that will increase the additional personal development of the participants;
SoftComInVET Bridging the gap of in-company trainers soft-skills competences in the VET sector 2020-1-PT01-KA202-078592
establishing contacts with international companies, exchanging experience and know-how and improving existing vocational training programs in cooperation with employers in accordance with the requirements of modern European business; creating conditions for future cooperation by establishing contacts and promoting transnational partnerships to promote a European vision of vocational schools. guaranteeing a high and common level for the internship.
SoftComInVET Bridging the gap of in-company trainers soft-skills competences in the VET sector 2020-1-PT01-KA202-078592
National legislation and formal requirements for SMEs to host mobilities Requirements for SMEs to host VET students during mobility experiences The internship is the position of a student or trainee who works in an organization, sometimes without pay, in order to gain work experience or satisfy requirements for a qualification. An internship takes place around three figures: - the student, who must acquire work experience - the promoter, that is the school or training provider responsible for the training programme - the hosting, that is the organisation hosting the activities to acquire the work experience In all the countries involved in this desk research, before the implementation of the internship, the hosting companies/employers must be validated. In Bulgaria, it’s the Vocational Education and Training Act that specify the Requirements for employers to participate in a partnership for implementation of on-the-job training (dual training system) in the country: in fact, there is an Information Database for employers who meet the requirements for on-the-job training (dual training system) in the country. The situation is quite the same in Portugal, where the hosting company must have a certification framework assigned by the General Directorate for Employment and Labor Relations (DGERT). As concerning Italy, starting with Law no. 196 of 24 June 1997 until the Agreement of 25 May 2017, the legislation sets the rules that must be respected by the parties involved in the internship agreement. The same is for Greece with Articles 1 and 2 of Joint Ministerial Decision No 29502/85/2014 and Spain with Article 3 of the Ministry of Labor and Social Solidarity nº 66/2011. The requirements that are general to all the countries are more or less the same and can be summarized as follows: ● the hosting must be registered and therefore be recognized by the national or international law as an organization, regardless of the legal form (e.g. ltd,NGO, for profit, non profit,ect);
SoftComInVET Bridging the gap of in-company trainers soft-skills competences in the VET sector 2020-1-PT01-KA202-078592
● the hosting mustn’t be declared bankrupt, and be in insolvency proceedings/ liquidation procedure; ● the hosting mustn’t have been convicted for an intentional crime of a general nature (this is request for the employer as well as for the members of the management and supervisory bodies and other persons who have the power to exercise control over the decision-making by these bodies); ● the hosting mustn't be guilty of violation over the employment contract to the employees; ● the hosting mustn't be guilty of violation of the Health and Safety at Work rules established by the national law. ● the hosting must have the necessary material for carrying out the training in practice of the profession in accordance with the state educational standard for acquiring qualification in the profession; ● to have workers or employees who meet the requirements for mentors. In Greece, it’s also compulsory to submit electronically to the Ministry of Labor some documents related to the recruitment and training of students. In all the countries involved in this desk research, to be a collaborating company, it is necessary to sign an Agreement of Collaboration: the duration and the template of this agreement is different from country to country. In Spain and Italy, the mutual agreement is stipulated in 2 steps: 1) GENERAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE SENDING SCHOOL AND THE HOSTING COMPANY: this agreement is a promise of collaboration between the two parties for a definite period. In general, the duration of the agreement is one year from its signature, being considered automatically extended when none of the signatory parties states otherwise. 2) SPECIFIC AGREEMENT AMONG SCHOOL, HOSTING and STUDENT (mainly as annex to the previous agreement): this agreement defines the list of students hosted by the company and the specific information of each internship. In Portugal, only this last agreement is submitted. The agreement confirming the assignment of a student to a company must contain the following: - The identification, signatures and the address of the parts; - The trainee's qualification level;
SoftComInVET Bridging the gap of in-company trainers soft-skills competences in the VET sector 2020-1-PT01-KA202-078592
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The duration of the internship and the date it starts; The area in which the internship takes place and the functions or tasks that must be assigned to the intern; - The location and period of duration, daily and weekly, of the internship activities; - The date of conclusion of the contract. Students are covered for accident risks through school insurance and in some cases through an additional insurance policy. Companies are not generally involved in selecting students and matching companies and students is a responsibility of the education structure. The internships may be terminated by mutual agreement between the educational center and the collaborating institution, or by complaint by one of the parties, which will be communicated to the other, when any of the following circumstances occurs: ● Cessation of the activity of the educational center or the collaborating institution ● Inability to adequately develop scheduled activities due to unforeseen causes ● Breach of the clauses established in the agreement One or more students may be excluded from participation by unilateral decision of the educational center, the collaborating institution, or jointly of both, in the following cases: ● Repeated absences of attendance or punctuality not justified, after hearing the interested party. ● Incorrect attitude or lack of use, after hearing the interested party. ● Breach of the Training Program in the workplace. In all the countries involved in desk research, to activate an internship, the presence of a tutor is required: the tutor must meet specific requirements.
Internship management and Evaluation In Spain, the management and evaluation of the internship period is done through the computer application quality integrated data bank (qBID). Also in Italy the formal monitoring of the internship must be done through a regional/national platform that is ScuolaLavoro. Communication and monitoring of the trainee is mainly ensured by the school.
SoftComInVET Bridging the gap of in-company trainers soft-skills competences in the VET sector 2020-1-PT01-KA202-078592
In order to evaluate the host in all the countries involved, the student at the end of the internship period has to make a final report where in addition to the description of the tasks developed during the internship, he/she has to evaluate the company and the mentor's performance. In Spain this evaluation is anonymous. In Portugal and in Greece it’s also foreseen a visit of a guiding teacher/supervisor during the period of the internship to better monitor the situation. At the end of the internship, on the other hand, the company also has to evaluate the students; in particular the in-company mentor has to answer a questionnaire to assess the process and student’s performance. More specifically, feedback questionnaires addressed to companies offering work experience and work-based training may ask about satisfaction with exchange of information and cooperation between the VET institution and the company, quality of learning material and incidents observed over the past months. In that, keeping high quality and great achievements entail a high probability for another collaboration the next time. The final validation of the internship, namely if the student has successfully completed the internship, is up to the school, for Italy: schools’ directors must establish if the internship can be entirely recognized or just partially.
National requirements to become SMEs trainers of VET students during mobility The practical training with an employer in a real work environment in all the countries involved in this desk research is conducted by the company under the guidance of a mentor appointed by the employer. The mentor is an employee of the company. In Bulgaria the mentor must meet the following strict requirements compared to other countries: 1. to have a professional qualification in the profession in which they are performs the training; 2. to have at least three years of proven professional experience in the same profession;
SoftComInVET Bridging the gap of in-company trainers soft-skills competences in the VET sector 2020-1-PT01-KA202-078592
3. to have undergone training for mentors that ensures the acquisition of basic pedagogical and psychological knowledge and skills in working with trainees (program approved by the Minister of Education and Science) In Spain, Italy, Portugal and Greece the situation is less strict: although training companies have the obligation to provide the necessary staff for training programmes at the workplace, the legislation includes no mention of the need for a qualified staff member to be explicitly appointed as in-company trainer or tutor to accompany interns. Most of the time employers informally appoint a person as an SMEs trainer but there are not any specific criteria and requirements such as age, level of education, seniority, or working hours that must be met in order for becoming SMEs trainers of VET students. SMEs trainers are the link between the company and the VET institution and each internal trainer can mentor up to three students simultaneously. In the case of Italy, the mentor must be an employee on a permanent basis; furthermore, a company with a number of employees equal to or less than 5 can host only one intern; companies with between 6 and 19 employees can host 2 internships simultaneously; from 20 employees onwards, the maximum number of interns is equal to 10% of the total number of employees. Companies can also select a substitute mentor in case the official one is not present. In Portugal, a mentor can have a maximum of 3 mentees simultaneously.
Documentation to monitor the internship The most important preliminary document is the General Training Plan (or Actions Plan) that must be completed from the school and delivered to the company before the beginning of the internship, in order to be able to be presented by the student at the host organization, It contains at least: - Internship start date; - The schedule, duration, time and place of activities; - The objectives and technical, relational and organizational skills to be developed; - Follow-up actions - internship monitoring; - Activities to be developed; - The forms of monitoring and evaluation and the respective responsible persons; - Rights and duties of the involved parts.
SoftComInVET Bridging the gap of in-company trainers soft-skills competences in the VET sector 2020-1-PT01-KA202-078592
In all the countries involved in this research, the minimum requirement cornering the documents used to monitor the internship are quite similar and can be summarized in the following two: 1) Evaluation sheet It is filled by the tutor by the end of the internship and it is delivered to the educational center. The sheet mainly includes "Pass" or "Not suitable" evaluation or numerical evaluation with a fixed minimum and maximum. 2) Students sheet It is filled by the students week by week (or day by day). The student lists the activities he/she does. In Italy this document also represents the attendance sheet while in Portugal it is a different one. Spain requires two extra documents, that are: 3) “Memory of Training in Work Centers”, where the tutor-teacher prepares a report on the development of the FCT of their students that will be included in a global report on the FCT made by all the students of the center. 4) Job placement report Six months after having finished the professional module of FCT, the tutors of the educational center will consult the students about their employment situation to carry out a study on their professional insertion.
Role of the mentor In 2018, the Bulgarian Association of Industrial Capital (BAIC) created a methodology for applying mentorship at Bulgarian enterprises. The document aims to present the main highlights, definitions, and tools. The purpose of mentorship is to support the building of capabilities of a worker/employee, but mentors should also meet the needs of this worker/employee in a way that allows them to provide the most effective guidance. Mentors should possess certain qualities to allow them to take on and perform their role well. There should be no overlooking the need to train mentors. Of course, such training does not automatically mean that the
SoftComInVET Bridging the gap of in-company trainers soft-skills competences in the VET sector 2020-1-PT01-KA202-078592
worker/employee possesses all qualities for this role. Requirements to the mentor may be divided into two groups – objective (referring to education, knowledge, etc.) and subjective (personal qualities and character traits). Also in Spain the role of the mentor is well detailed: there is a national law that defines Tutoring functions in the company in contracts for training and learning (Article 12). In particular, the tutor must have a professional qualification or experience and the necessary skills to host, train and monitor and assess learners and an appropriate time arrangement for developing the intended functions. Preferably, it should be an employee with a work situation stable within the company. In Italy, the role of the tutor is specified by the law only for the apprenticeship: in this case all is governed by the Decree of the Ministry of Labor and Social Security of 28 February 2000 and by Regional Laws. In Greece, on the contrary, there is no specific legislation at all but companies are free to set internal regulations (according to the schools sending students). In general, both in the case of national regulation and in the case of internal regulation, a tutor have to: BEFORE THE INTERNSHIP - collaborate with the intern and guide the teacher in the elaboration of the respective individual work plan - establish in accordance with the school, a schedule and a methodology to report feedback/observations/Suggestions/useful information DURING THE INTERNSHIP - transmit skills, behaviors, principles, attitudes and fundamental values for the trainee's future professional career - Ensure that the student complies with the corresponding safety protocols and prevention of occupational risks associated with the different jobs and learning, providing the necessary advice. - Perform systematic monitoring of the mentoree’s behaviour – diagnostic needs, capabilities, and deficiencies. - Maintain working documentation on the case.
SoftComInVET Bridging the gap of in-company trainers soft-skills competences in the VET sector 2020-1-PT01-KA202-078592
AFTER THE INTERNSHIP - Complete a report about the job performance and learning outcomes at the end of the internship.
SoftComInVET Bridging the gap of in-company trainers soft-skills competences in the VET sector 2020-1-PT01-KA202-078592
SMEs and SMEs trainers preparation to host mobilities SMEs preparation to host the mobility In portugal and Italy, there are no specific regulations or criteria to select the mentor from among the rest of the employees, the selection must focus on workers whose professional and pedagogical skills are recognized by the company as relevant to the student's internship and especially who have an exemplary profile that can satisfy all the intern's needs. Since, the mentors are responsible for the implementation of the individual work plan of the student and for ensuring the integration of the student in the work environment and also for the evaluation of the student, it must have skills such as: ● Strong communication skills to be able to communicate concepts clearly and usefully; ● Active listening; ● Organizational skills; ● Capacity for conflict resolution; ● Be dynamic and adopt teaching strategies according to the trainee's capacities and needs; ● Coherently assess the knowledge and skills that the intern has retained; ● Captivate the intern to practice the tasks developed. Regarding Bulgaria, the mentoring process requires careful and precise planning so that a specific result may be attained. This includes: А. Organising the entity’s mentoring process. The employer shall: • Assess the entity’s readiness to apply mentoring; • Set clear targets and define the results sought; • Determine potential mentors; • Determine the persons who need to be mentored; • Prepare the necessary toolset to apply mentoring. B. Applying mentoring. To apply mentoring, the use of preliminarily prepared toolset is required, which includes: • Criteria for mentor selection (role characteristics); • Mentoring agreement with the selected mentor and mentee with rights and obligations/responsibilities;
SoftComInVET Bridging the gap of in-company trainers soft-skills competences in the VET sector 2020-1-PT01-KA202-078592
• • •
Action plan with a schedule of meetings and targets set; Feedback form; Control sheet for assessment of the mentoring progress.
The toolset specified above is the minimum required for high-quality mentoring. It should be taken in mind that there may be cases in which mentoring is unsuccessful, but this shouldn’t discourage the employer. On the contrary, they may replace the mentor with another one more suitable for the mentee, since, as indicated in the beginning, mentoring is based on mutual trust and for it to be successfully completed, a strong connection needs to be established between the mentor and the mentee. Should the connection fail, as far as mentoring is voluntary, the mentor should provide feedback to the employer and together with them or the HR specialist decide how and whether to continue to perform the mentoring programme.
Staff involved Regarding Portugal, in the company, a supervisor or a member of the human resources department can analyze if the student's training plan is being followed, and how the mentor is adapting their skills to meet the needs of the student, in order to intervene in the process if necessary. In Greece and Italy, apart from the SMEs mentor who is responsible for the VET student’s training within the workplace another member either the supervisor of the SMEs mentor or a member from the HR department can also be involved by supervising the overall progress, identifying any problems that may arise either from the side of the student or the SMEs trainer. The situation is well detailed in Spain where a number of different people have responsibility for apprentice training within an enterprise. Typically, the roles are as follows: • Supervisors have immediate day-to-day responsibility for an apprentice. They may be either a first line manager (who may have responsibility for other workers as well) or a qualified skilled worker. Apprentices will have different supervisors as they move between sections of an enterprise.
SoftComInVET Bridging the gap of in-company trainers soft-skills competences in the VET sector 2020-1-PT01-KA202-078592
• Mentors have a more general role in keeping an eye on apprentices throughout their training programme. They may be from the HR department, or simply an experienced and understanding person who has volunteered for the role. They will check apprentices’ overall progress, identify any personal problems and be available for a friendly chat. Sometimes staff from intermediary organizations perform this supporting role. • Assessors make the formal judgements of whether apprentices have achieved elements of their qualifications. This role can be undertaken by accredited company personnel, but is often carried out by staff from intermediary organizations or vocational schools. These roles are not always distinct. For example, some enterprises expect supervisors also to perform the role of a mentor, and a qualified worker can be accredited as an assessor. Preparation of mentors The situation is quite the same in the project countries involved in the analysis. In portugal, before hosting students, mentors have no obligation to participate in training courses, unless it is a mandatory requirement to exercise this function, once the mentor is selected according to the competencies relevant to the student's learning The same happens in Italy and Greece, where it seems that there are no provisions for training in-company mentors to develop and update their pedagogical/didactic and transversal competences, at least obligatory or as a pre-requirement for undertaking the mentorship role. Spain provide a recommendation, but it’s not compulsory: attend specific course (from 12 up to 25 hours) is recommended on the official law, but usually this isn’t a real situation: the overall objective is to structure and develop mentoring functions in the company during practical training in work centers, in accordance with the provisions of the Vocational Training regulations, using appropriate pedagogical tools and methodologies. As a general rule, when a training agreement is formalized, the tutor of the company mentor must be trained to carry out its tasks, in accordance with what is set out in the Training section of the business tutor. Manage, monitor and evaluate the internship Like any human resource organisation tool, the mentorship programme is subject to evaluation to determine its effectiveness. It should be taken in mind that the evaluation should not be made based on the subjective performance of the mentor or instructions,
SoftComInVET Bridging the gap of in-company trainers soft-skills competences in the VET sector 2020-1-PT01-KA202-078592
since their involvement in the programme is only based on a voluntary agreement and expressed by means of a declaration to the employer. To assess performance, employers may use evaluation/appraisal forms. The evaluation of the mentorship process closes the process and based on the evaluation obtained, the employer or HR specialist may determine what needs to be added or changed, upgraded to improve the programme, including whether the application of this tool is successful for the entity and will be retained. In Spain, the management and evaluation of the internship period is done through the computer application quality integrated data bank (qBID). In Portugal, No specific tools were found for the mentor to manage, monitor and evaluate the internship, it is only given a set of documents previously mentioned that, as they are completed, it is possible to perceive the evolution of the student's skills acquisition, which leads to possibility of the mentor assigning an adjustable assessment to the knowledge demonstrated by the student during the internship period in an evaluation grid. In the evaluation grid that mentors have to complete taking into account the performance that the student presented during the internship, there are specific criteria that allow monitoring and evaluating the tasks developed during the internship by the student, with no universal grid for all schools, each school must create and shape its grid for each course, but the following parameters must be present to be evaluated: ● Assiduity and Punctuality; ● Integration capability; ● Organization; ● Use of skills and teamwork; ● Internship plan (progression during the internship); ● Position of the intern (behavior and technical-professional aptitude).
Motivation For being a mentor of a student, one should have the desire and empathy to help students excel and grow to influence and inspire the next generation to become strong, motivated, confident, and thoughtful leaders. That’s the intrinsic motivation a mentor usually has. Undertaking the role of the mentor entails doing for their own sake but also mastering interpersonal skills needed in the mentor-mentee relationship. Recognition and promotion may also be other factors that enhance an extrinsically mentor’s own motivation, too. Besides this, the mentor needs to continuously motivate the student as well. In that, the
SoftComInVET Bridging the gap of in-company trainers soft-skills competences in the VET sector 2020-1-PT01-KA202-078592
mentor sets a foundation so the mentor and the student have a great connection from the scratch and a mutual relationship characterized by proper dynamics. Factors that foster student’s motivation are as follow; 1. relationship emphasis: the mentor conveys a genuine understanding and acceptance of apprentice’s feelings through active, empathetic listening; 2. information emphasis: the mentor directly requests detailed facts from apprentices about their current plans and progress in achieving career, training and educational goals, and also offers specific comments regarding the relevance of sources and usefulness of information; 3. facilitative focus: the mentor guides apprentices through a reasonably in-depth review and exploration of their interests, abilities, ideas, and beliefs relevant to the workplace; 4. confrontive focus: the mentor respectfully challenges apprentices’ explanations for or avoidance of decisions and actions relevant to their career development; 5. apprentice vision: the mentor stimulates critical thinking about careers in the future, and reflects on apprentices’ plans for developing their own professional (and personal) potential. The mentor’s responsibilities include: ● Team work based on the mutual trust and respect between mentor and mentee. ● Preparation of a development team with clear and feasible objectives. ● Informing the mentee about their expectations and the ways to achieve the agreed objectives. ● Maintaining regular contact with the mentee. ● Monitoring the dynamic and changes in the mentee’s development. ● Setting specific tasks related to meeting certain targets in the different stages of joint work. ● Obtaining timely information about condition and behaviour and providing feedback to the mentee. ● Supporting motivation and activity processes in fulfilling the tasks assigned. ● Reporting the effectiveness of their work and the quality of the mentee’s achievements. Establishing trust and respect with the mentee. ● Encouraging a dialogue and equal relation with the mentee. ● Determining mutual expectations together with the mentee. ● Knowledge of and compliance with the mentoring rules. ● Knowledge of and compliance with the ethical standards of their profession.
SoftComInVET Bridging the gap of in-company trainers soft-skills competences in the VET sector 2020-1-PT01-KA202-078592
Transversal skills Such soft skills that students may learn throughout the internships are as follow; - Adaptability/ Learning quickly; Given the fast pace in the work settings students learn to apply the knowledge and skills presented while observing carefully and learning in directly from the modeled actions of the mentors and others; studying materials (those given by mentors) related to the development areas; integrating new things they learn into their own conceptual framework for problem solving; and receiving feedback non defensively by asking for specifics and being appreciative of the feedback. - Time Management/ Following through; students who don’t follow through on tasks and commitments are often dropped. Throughout the internship students learn how to stay stuck to all agreements made with mentors; to complete agreed-upon tasks on time; to try out their suggestions and report back the results; and to persist with difficult tasks even when they are discouraged. - Communication and Collaboration; the student learns how to manage the relationship and communication with the mentor, given that it’s about the own development and must take responsibility for its process and outcomes. Staying up to date with each mentor on issues between the student, goals to reach, satisfaction with the meeting schedules, etc., analyzing the current status of the mentoring partnership, leaving the formal relationships on amicable terms, even if the relationships continue on an informal basis, and carefully tracking such relationships, and making suggestions as needed contribute to fostering communication skills and collaboration patterns within any tangible working environment in the future. - Critical thinking / showing initiative; the mentoring approach encourages the students to manage the relationships and show considerable initiative by expecting them to drive the process from the beginning. In that, mentors may expect students to show the right amount of initiative. They will observe the things students do on their own to develop. At times, most mentors will expect some following from students, particularly when the activities could have ramifications for them. Hence, students learn when and how to take initiative after critically thinking and clarifying issues with questions, how to critically select useful resources on their own, to stretch beyond their usual comfort zone in order to acquire new knowledge, skills, and attitudes, and to take their mentor’s ideas ad show creative ways of using them.
SoftComInVET Bridging the gap of in-company trainers soft-skills competences in the VET sector 2020-1-PT01-KA202-078592
All the researchers convenies with the following skills to be possessed by a Mentor: A successful mentor possesses: 1. Objective characteristics ● Organisational experience – understanding of the entity’s culture, values, corporate social responsibility, interaction between different units, the organisation of company processes, the policy and strategies needed for its development. ● People’s knowledge – experience in work with people as a whole, understanding of specific types of people with whom the mentor is expected to interact. ● Knowledge of formal and non-formal social groups – knowledge of social formal and non-formal groups within and outside the entity that the mentor and mentee will have to be in contact. ● Knowledge about career development – knowledge of career paths and opportunities within the entity and their probable future development. ● Living/social experience – experience accumulated in the mentor’s private life, especially in matters that might be beneficial to the mentee. ● Technical expertise – mentor’s experience in the profession and in the specific position (on a technological or management level). This is achieving a routine in the performance of the work responsibilities in the mentee’s field. 2. Subjective characteristics ● Good listener – able to listen and not act hastily. ● Trusts to people and they can trust him, too - not involved in intrigues, does not speak evil of their colleagues, is sincere in relations with peoples, and does not question others opinions or actions. ● Supports to other workers and employees in their professional development and demonstrates approval of the success achieved by them – a worker/employee who likes to pass on knowledge and experience, to explain, to guide and instruct, considers their role to be team work. ● Confidence in their own knowledge and skills – a person who knows where they started and where they’re headed. Continues to learn, no follow novelties in the profession, reacts in a professional manner and with confidence.
SoftComInVET Bridging the gap of in-company trainers soft-skills competences in the VET sector 2020-1-PT01-KA202-078592
● Ability to build integrity in relations with other people – honest, objective, communicative. This is not an exhaustive list, but rather contains the minimum requirements that define a good mentor. ● to be open to relationships with students regardless of the performance of theirs and also to listen without evaluating or judging with good communication and collaboration skills. ● To ask questions and share expertise with courtesy, respect, and empathy. ● To focus on actions and learning objectives that will the student’s goals to succeed. ● To be able to give proper feedback. ● To assess existing skills of students and help identify skill gaps. ● To nurture to the students the accountability of the job, work ethics, integrity.
According to the mentoring handbook created under a project of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, there are five key steps of establishing a mentoring connection: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5)
assessment of the current condition of your mentoring relations. identify some objectives from the perspective of what you want to achieve. Focus on creating a strong connection. Seek possibilities to maintain contact. Create a mentorship network.
The report also presents the main principles in the mentor’s work. ● Sharing experience between the mentor and mentoree, symbolising a two-way street and beneficial to both partners. ● Equal partnership – both the mentor and mentoree facilitate the successful relation and good atmosphere of the partnership. ● Setting realistic targets – the targets set should correspond to the time provided and should be attainable. ● Confidentiality – the participants should be discreet and not comment the mentor and mentee with other persons. ● Agreement – although mentoring is a voluntary partnership between two people in which both partners have orally agreed, a written agreement is necessary, describing the rules of cooperation. The agreement’s content is subject to changes at any time.
SoftComInVET Bridging the gap of in-company trainers soft-skills competences in the VET sector 2020-1-PT01-KA202-078592
Bilateral learning It is about a two-way street where the mentor can learn a lot by teaching, experimenting and prosper own personal and professional growth. Mentors may learn how to step back and gain perspective on their own situations. Teaching to someone else is a good reminder for the mentors since conveying a concept to others entails knowing this inside. One wonderful benefit of working with students is that they were more recently in school, and can help keep mentors current with the latest information, best practices, and new techniques in the industry. Mentors learn simply how to drop their perceived hierarchy, keep an open mind. Finally, mentors can enhance their critical skills to improve as a leader by learning how to bring out the best in others, recognise strengths and weaknesses.
SoftComInVET Bridging the gap of in-company trainers soft-skills competences in the VET sector 2020-1-PT01-KA202-078592
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