About the project
Tracking graduates is a key policy priority but specific solutions for DUAL VET remain unattended.
The aim of the FOLLOW APP project is to set-up and test a graduate tracking method supported by digital tools designed to track employment and career progression of apprentices in Dual VET programmes, addressed to VET teachers, counsellors, in-company trainers and learners, improving the responsiveness of VET to the changing demands in the labour market and strengthening the Quality Assurance in VET.
To achieve this, project partners will develop the following activities:
- Implementation of a Quality Assurance strategy for project monitoring and evaluation.
- Development of the European Framework of Competences in graduate tracking of apprentices in DUAL VET
- Generation of a digital-based solution on graduate tracking of apprentices in Dual VET.
- Testing and evaluation actions in Spain, Italy, Greece and Turkey, producing guidelines and recommendations.
- Sharing and promoting project results with an exploitation and sustainability strategy.
Graduates tracking
Tracking graduates has become a key policy priority in light of the adoption of the Council Recommendation on Tracking Graduates on November 2017. The Recommendation is part of the New Skills Agenda for Europe and aims to improve the availability of qualitative and quantitative information on graduates from VET and higher education programmes, in line with the EQAVET recommendation.
Indicator 6 of EQAVET focuses on the utilization of acquired skills at the workplace, aimed at measuring the satisfaction of VET graduates and employers regarding the relevance of their training for current occupations.
By tracking graduates, VET providers get relevant information about learner transitions, either to the labour market or to further education/training. This provides information on the skills demand and supply which can help to align VET provision to the needs of the labour market. This set of data represents a good basis to address problems of SKILLS MISMATCH and the adequacy of labour market outcomes of VET.
Participation of companies and businesses
There is very limited involvement and participation of companies and businesses in the graduate tracking systems, playing non or very secondary role in all phases of the existing tracking mechanisms, from the definition of meaningful indicators to the gathering of data or the access to information and results, all of them of interest for industries.
The involvement of companies is particularly important in DUAL VET, as tracking the progression of APPRENTICES following achievement of their DUAL or WBL programme is considerably more complex than for school and college leavers, who enter HE mostly in the academic year. There are differences also between traditional full-time academic and vocational routes and the work-based routes that apprentices take. Apprentices have a variety of motivations including greater job security, earning while learning, entering and progressing in a career, higher earnings and becoming a necessary component to the job, aspects that tracking mechanisms should take into account and address properly.
Graduate tracking could also be used to ensure students access to high-quality work experiences. VET centres should develop strategic partnerships with employers participating in DUAL VET, to help learners to develop their talents and EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS and advise graduates in relation to progression, offering Career Guidance and support, particularly for THOSE who are AT RISK.
Who is FOLLOW APP for?
- Project users – VET teachers, counsellors and in-company trainers
- Project beneficiaries – Apprentices
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission, through the ERASMUS+ programme. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
Project Number: 2022-1-ES01-KA220-VET-000089516
