4.C Αssessing students’ satisfaction.


The employer survey presented above show how to measure the employers' rate of satisfaction with acquired skills and competences. This section will focus on how to measure the students' satisfaction rate.

Student survey

Measuring the satisfaction of students with the professional competence acquired in their vocational training needs a point of reference. You can let them mirror themselves in the job profiles they have been trained for. That will give them something to hold on to and confronts them in the requirements of the labour market in a very clear and practical way.

Having companies and students assessed against the same standard provides you with some objectivity and a nice comparison between the two.

The availability of and access to students’ contact data differ among countries. Some VET-providers make alumni-events for former students and keep contact with the students after they left the VET-provider, other find it more challenging to get access to the students after the finalized their education.

The alumni-events and newsletter are often very motivating for many students and many of them will find it motivating to keep contact with the VET-provider. It will often be the most successful students that will keep this kind of contact, and this can give a bias to the answers from the student surveys. This bias can both be visible in the respond rate and in the answers.

What students/trainees/graduates to involve?

The EQAVET ideal is to question VET completers a year after graduation. Thus, the bottom line is to question students in their last year of training, preferably after a substantial work placement. It is a big advantage to be able to have them available as a group; easy to inform and to question, maybe even with a little group discussion afterwards. Another advantage is to be able to discuss and explain issues regarding the interpretation of tasks to perform and (levels of) abilities to possess.

Student self-assessments

The assessment forms for the students are similar to those for the companies, but limited to only one job.

The next example is taken from a survey in Italy’s local Banking staff. It shows the first four task fields for a self-assessment on tasks.  

Student survey

Assess your task performance as a Branch Manager

Ask yourself: "Did I achieve the intended results within in the given time?"
-    = No, not quite (yet)
✔  = Yes I did (but not more or quicker)
+   = Yes and even a bit better/quicker

  Performance?

Work preparation and planning

Planning the proper granting and management of loans in the assigned territory

Arrange to achieve the economic, commercial and risk-related objectives, if the direct manager of a portfolio

Organization of own work

Arrange to comply with operational, administrative and commercial process via relevant checks, authorisation and validation

Planning of own activities

Checking and measuring your own work

Consultation and coordination

Informing of and collaborating with colleagues

Tuning into and informing the customer

Participating in work meetings

Leading (internal) meetings

Product and process quality

Checking and measuring other people's work

Inspecting and checking of end products

 The outcome of this example showed a large consistency in assessment results for employers and students. That was also the case on the ability-side of the job profiles. The next example shows the first type of abilities, divided in 4 clusters  

Assess your professional abilities as a Branch Manager

Level descriptions
A: Basic
Works under supervision, assisting to others, mostly simple and frequent/known activities, low risk
B: Advanced  Self-reliant, can deal with most issues and solve most problems
C: Expert  Is specialist in this field, can help, lead, guide and teach others

Assessment scale
 -   = I wasn't always sure of what to do and how to do it
 ✔  = I felt at ease and confident (default)
 +  = I could have been challenged a bit more

  Required

  Proven?

Technical competencies

General technical skills

Knowledge of resources

C

Management of problem loans

B

Techniques for determining financial analysis/quantitative profile

B

Techniques for assessing the risk/reward trade-off for credit lines

B

Techniques for assessing the qualitative profile

B

Commercial plan (for products/related services)

B

Expertise in finance

Microeconomic indicators

B

Expertise in Sales & Marketing

Knowledge of local market

C

Management of the commercial budget

C

Ordinary loan products

B

Investment products

B

Customer care techniques

B

Knowledge of (National & European) standards and regulations

Regulations governing investment activity

B

CAI and anti-usury legislation

B

Elements of financial markets

A

Employers first check the levels required by the standard and then assign their score to the abilities, as proven in daily performances.

Student self-assessment forms available

Please advise the file "4.B.6. Banking staff student self-assessment"

Please advise the file "4.B.7. Kitchen staff student self-assessment"

Please advise the file “4.B.8. Electricians student self-assessment"

 

Student questionnaires

The student questionnaire has a similar setup as that for the companies. The introduction to the survey and the instructions for the self-assessment are practically the same but the context questions focus on the opinions, intensions and expectations. The next example of these questions is taken from a survey on kitchen staff in Greece.  

2. Student context

What program do you attend?

  • Kitchen Porter
  • Cook / Chef de partie
  • Head Chef

 

How do you like the following aspects? From “not at all” to “very much”

The programme?

 The school?

 The work placement company? 

 The work itself?

-- / - /  / + / ++

-- / - /  / + / ++

-- / - /  / + / ++

-- / - /  / + / ++

 

Do you intend to…

 Work in the job you’re trained for?  Yes / No …………………………………………………….

 Follow advanced programmes?      Yes / No …………………………………………………….

 

Do you expect to…

 Find the job you’re trained for? Yes soon / Yes / after some time / probably not

 Earn a good salary?                  Yes / after some time / probably not

It is important to keep the survey as compact and easy to fill in as possible. This is not only good for a better response, but also easier to process. 

Student questionnaires available

Please advise the file “4.B.9. Electricians student questionnaire"

Please advise the file “4.B.10. Kitchen staff student questionnaire"


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