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 |
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 Assessment scale |
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?
How do you like the following aspects? From “not at all” to “very much”
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"
| Previous | Next |