Through voluntary network co-operation to customer-oriented service solutions and comprehensive product provision – national service models Timo Karkola.

Through voluntary network co-operation to customer-oriented service solutions and

comprehensive product provision – national service models

Timo KarkolaPrincipalAmiedu

Union of Vocational Adult Education CentresConference 29th - 31st March 2006

Vocational adult education centres

• 44 separate adult education centres

• 115 units around Finland

• 4,500 vocational adult education professionals

• 174,000 students a year and 29,500 a day

• 6,560,000 student days a year

• Over 19,000 qualifications

• Combined turnover of € 300 million per annum

Key figures for the year 2004

The necessity for change

Existing competence, operating models and service products lead to existing results.

And these are not enough either for customers or for

society or the organisers of education.

Forces for change in vocational adult education

1. Ministry of Education– Personalisation, licences to organise supplementary training as

well as the task of developing and serving working life– Calculation of unit prices, pay service activity– Qualifications positioning working group– Renewal of National Board of Education’s operating model

2. Ministry of Labour– Strengthening of proactive measures

3. Ministry of Finance, controller unit– Education efficacy and productivity meters

4. Municipal and service structure reform– The significance of business policy activity in the area

10 years of competence-based qualifications, a threat or an opportunity?

Competence-based qualifications for adults

The skills test is a flexible way to take a qualification designed for adults in particular.

In competence-based qualifications professional skill can be shown by tests regardless of whether the graduate has gained his or her knowledge and skill at work, through study or in leisure activities.

The central value point of departure and implementation principle of the competence-based qualifications system is working life-centred professional skill and its assessment as well as effective co-operation based on tripartite representation.

The organising of competence-based qualifications is a process in which players from education and working life analyse their understandings of professional skill and its assessment.

Young people’s skills tests, i.e., demonstrations of professional competence

Skills tests are being incorporated into vocational basic education.

The purpose of skills tests is to improve the quality of vocational basic training, harmonise student assessment and develop students’ control and support services.

In a skills test, the student demonstrates command of vocational study modules. Assessment of competence is carried out by a representative of working life together with the teacher and student.

Government bill

HE 40/2005 vp

Licences to organise vocational education

Two acts, two fundamental organising permits

• Licences to organise vocational basic education are based on the Act on Vocational Education

• Licences to organise vocational supplementary education are based on the Act on Vocational Adult Education

• Paragraph 6 has been added to § 1 of the Act, defining working life development and service activity as competence development services to be supplied to enterprises and public corporations, in particular small entrepreneurs.

• The organiser of education can incorporate into its application for an organising licence a strategic plan for implementing the working life development and service task

Concrete products and services

• survey services relating to the development of enterprises’ business activity, its processes and quality and of vocational competence

• personnel development systems specific to the work organisation

• planning and tailoring of sector (e.g., ”retail” business student) and work organisation training

• work organisation training and welfare at work plans• notification of the opportunities for exploiting publicly funded

education

• career and recruitment services • business idea development consulting and business incubator

services• safeguarding of change of generation in enterprises• educational and pilot plant services and prototype workshop

services

What is changing?

The viewpoint of the adult education centre will in future be the viewpoint of the producer of tailored services and developer of the work organisation rather than that of the supplier of basic professional skill and educator…

…i.e., instead of the viewpoint of the provider of education the viewpoint of the developer of the enterprise’s business activity

When we enter a business the frame of reference and starting point for activity are the position, tasks and identity of the entrepreneur and employees in the sector in question, rather than the educational establishment’s own position and identity

Efficacy and efficiency are what count!

The adult learner:competence,labour market value

The work organisation:development of businessactivity

Regional development:competitiveness,well-being

…but it all begins with credibility and desirability!

Pay service activity

• In 2006, some 60,000 Finns took a competence-based qualification;at the same time there are approx. 1,600,000 people at employee level on the labour market

• The state’s financing frameworks will not expand in the next few years……rather the opposite

Disparity from the viewpoint of renewing the workforce in employment

Pay service activity orpersonnel training are an opportunity

On the other hand, it will no longer suffice infuture merely to organise education

Case: Ketju

the adult education centres’ response to the challenge thrown up by customers and society!

The objective of the AEC chain is to develop competitiveness

to create forums for co-operation at sector and department level

to launch mutual co-operation for implementing the working life service and development task

to create national, quality, known and commensurate education products

to develop adult education centres as a noteworthy national and regional partner

to create readiness for close co-operation between adult education centres and other players

Ketju is an opportunity!

The Ketju project is goal-conscious co-operation between independent and autonomic decision-makers, organisers of education and educational establishments.

The organisers of education and educational establishments take part in other kinds of co-operation besides Ketju such as regional networks with vocational institutes, polytechnics and liberal adult education.

National and regional activity are not mutually exclusive but complementary phenomena.

Each partner takes part in Ketju co-operation to the extent and in the timetable that suits it.

Practical action

PURPOSE a working life development and service centre

MANAGEMENT forums, networked work method BSC

SUPPLEMENTARY EDUCATION OPERATING MODEL joint competence basis

efficacy and efficiency the NÄYTTÄVÄ project

NATIONAL SERVICE PRODUCTS a joint basic range the KATTAVA project

CONTROL OF NATIONAL CUSTOMERS joint customer promise, national service locally produced

Case: KATTAVA

development of small businesses – an operating and service model for vocational supplementary

education

A joint development project by the Federation of Finnish Enterprises and the vocational adult education centres for 2005-2006

KATTAVA objectives

1. To plan and document a new, national operating model serving the development of small enterprises

2. To supply entrepreneur clients with concrete services developing business competitiveness and personnel competence.

3. To introduce and establish a national development system produced by the adult education centres and recognised and certified by the entrepreneur organisation

KATTAVA playersTavastia education centre, adult educationKouvola adult education centre 2005-Western Lapland vocational instituteMikkeli adult education centreOulu adult education centre

Paimio adult education centreNorth-Karelia adult collegeNorthern-Finland education centrePori adult education centreRaahe adult education centre Oy

Raisio vocational college TimaliRovaniemi adult education centreSalo adult education centreSavo adult college Savonlinna adult education centre

Seinäjoki adult education centreTampere adult education centreTurku adult education centreWork Efficiency Institute adult education centreVaasa adult education centre

Valkeakoski adult education centreYlä-Savo vocational college 2006-

Adulta Oy Amiedu, co-ordinatorEdupoli 2005-Edukai, KajaaniForssa vocational adult education centre

Huittinen adult education centreHyvinkää-Riihimäki adult education centreInnofocus Innova Jalasjärvi adult education centre

Kalajokilaakso adult education centre 2005-Kankaanpää adult education centreKaris kurscenterKemijärvi adult education centreKeski-Pohjanmaa adult college

Kiipula adult education centreKoillismaa adult education centreKorsnäs kurscenterKotka vocational education centre, adult educationSalpaus 2005 education centre

KATTAVA – how the process advances

CO-OPERATION BETWEEN THE ADULT EDUCATION CENTRES

EN

TR

EP

RE

NE

UR

S

NationalKATTAVA

File

Product A

Product B

Product C

AECslocal activity

KATTAVAlocal/

regional development

KATTAVA national

working groups

Local, regional and national

products

Content of file

Work book

Product card

Financing options

The educator keeps a product card in line with education co-ordination instructions

NationalKATTAVA

File

Product A

Product B

Product C

The entre-preneur answers the questions in the work book

CO-OPERATION BY ADULT EDUCATION CENTRES

YAT/YEAT

Co-ordination instructions

Products from the KATTAVA launch phase

1. Survey of small business’ development2. Develop your business idea3. Systematic marketing – from idea to practical measures

4. Customer service and customer satisfaction5. Sales – sales work for consumers and experts6. Product development

7. Work organisation training8. Finance9. Result by pricing

10.Change of owner11.SME entrepreneur’s information technology

Is there life after the KATTAVA project?

• MEASUREMENT AND ASSESSMENT: How can competitive customer quality and, at the same time, national uniform quality be ensured?

• IMPROVEMENT: How are the national operating model and national, regional and local services to be developed on the basis of customer feedback received?

• COMMODITISATION: How is the national service range to be supplemented, according to what criteria are useless services to be abandoned?

• COMMERCIALISATION: How are the services suited to being the adult education centre’s pay service activity, i.e., will it be possible to broaden financing base?

PASSIONadult education centres, specialised competence

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