FLL-ing

Kubix Consulting

A mindmap of notes taken during my conversation with Pernille Bottrup of Kubix Consulting Click on the image above for more detailed information.

VET in Denmark

It has been a fascinating and busy 12 days in Denmark - Over this time I have been able to participate in the Workplace Learning Conference hosted by Learning Lab Denmark, and also met with many interesting people. This has included researchers who investigate workplace learning from a sociological perspective, practitioners designing elearning programs, consultants in VET programs and a technical school. At Roskilde Technical School, it was interesting to compare similarities and differences between the systems in Denmark, Australia and the Netherlands, as some Dutch VET educators were also visiting at the same time. The institutions service particular industry areas, and can roughly be divided into technical, business and service schools. In the Netherlands, colleges appear to be more like my institution where a wide range of industries are served.
When students first start at the college they have two main choices - either to specialise straight away or to do a 'themed' course. In the themed course students get to experience related trades eg Auto mechanics, metal work, welding, and so on. At the end of their 10 or 20 weeks, then the students can make a more informed choice about their career direction. I can see that this would be very useful for many students. To participate in these courses the students do not need employment, and by the end of the first six months of training, many students have gained employment in local industry and start the apprenticeship part of their training program.

The emphasis in the Danish system on contribution and influence by both the trade unions and the industry groups was very interesting. Formally, a qualification must be approved by a committee of trade unionists and industry representatives. Within the Danish technical colleges the focus is very much on the apprentices and young people entering the workforce. Older workers are more catered for through other systems such as the AMU centres, and Adult Education.

Go Carts

One of the projects that students work on at the Roskilde Technical School (scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the UK flag for the English version of the site) is to design basic vehicles. There is an example vehicle which is the starting point, and the students work in teams to develop their own version. This includes metal work and welding to construct the frame of the vehicle, adding in brakes and steering, building axles and reusing some elements such as seats.

Unfortunately I did not have my camera for this part of the tour. To see the students working so cheerfully and enthusiastically together was great. One of the female students explained that there are teachers available to help, but that her group was able to solve most of the problems between them, and they really felt like they were doing something practical. The integration between the different skills needed for the project were evaluated holistically through observation and discussion at the group level. Assessment takes place through the duration of a course, and frequently there is also a 'journeyman' test at the completion of the training contract. In this for example an electrical apprentice will need to develop a project eg in process control and then be able to demonstrate and answer questions about it to a panel of assessors which includes representatives of local industry and trade unions. Linkages to local industry through formal processes seem to be very strong.

In all three countries represented at the visit, there is desire from both the colleges and the government policies for more flexibility and integration between theory and practice. Discussion areas and computers are moving into practical workshops, with the computers mainly being used as a resource for research more than the location of formal learning activities. Flexibility in the types of projects that the students undertake is also increasing - Technical design students are now asked to design a pump, and can tackle it in any way that will meet the specifications, whereas in the past, students would all draw then create the same pump.

FLL Sharing Workshop

Well, the end of the year has come around, over the past two days I have been taking part in the End of Year Sharing Workshop. Each current FLL has presented in 10 minutes a summary of their key learnings from this year, and also past FLLs have provided updates on their activities since completing their project years. It has been interesting to hear about the achievements and challenges, and the diversions!

Coming to this workshop has prompted a review of the year - summing up what I have learnt and also setting some directions for next year in terms of my work plan. Themes for me from this workshop have been change management using strategic approaches, engagement with the learner, and approaches to professsional development for teaching staff. Yesterday Rebecca Cross from DEST spoke about future directions for vocational education and training, which include increased responsiveness to individuals participation in work and society and valuing VET as a valid pathway for young Australians. Leanne Isaacson reminded us to be prepared to act on what you thought was a knock on the door, as you may not hear it again.
Which is where my thinking now turns more so - into taking the ideas I have synthesized this year fowards into action next year and beyond..

A panel session on the final afternoon dealt with the concept 'from ideas to action'.
From Josie Rose: keep the passion burning
From Lyn Ambrose: make a list for the next twelve months, develop a communication plan for your strategy and 'feed them and they will come (to pd sessions)'
From Damon Wallace: use the information that you have gathered. Get involved in policy or strategy development.
From Steve Matheson: Hold tight to your vision.

Final Post

My Flexible Learning Leader project has come to the end of its time, but as the National Project Team keep reminding us, it never really ends. I'll be continuing my exploration of flexible and workplace learning, and participating in various networks and communities.

Feel free to wander back through the archives of this site - use the menus on the right hand side, but new material will not be added from now on. I will continue to maintain my other blog at http://www.otheredge.com.au/klogs/toolkit/

Cheers, Kirsty