Pilot school-based Tracer Studies Successfully Implemented at 11 TVET Institutions
Do graduates get employed? What kind of income do they get? Is the training that they received at TVET institutions relevant to the needs of the labour market?
Tracer studies answer those questions and many more, helping to shed light onto the relation between vocational training and employment. Collected information is useful for improving existing TVET programs towards labour market needs (at the institutional level) and for increasing the efficiency of TVET system (at the national level).
Picture1-Assoc. Prof. Dr. Cao Van Sam delivers opening address
The 11 TVET institutes supported within the frame of the Vietnamese-German Programme “Promotion of TVET”[1], have implemented pilot tracer studies. A pilot tracer study aims at (a) building capacity for partner TVET institutions to carry out school-based tracer studies as a sustainable and regular activity and (b) developing a set of instruments that are reliable, cost-effective and make it simple to collect, manage and analyse tracer data. GDVT asked for using the piloted instruments for tracer studies in various TVET institutions.
Based on the evaluation of existing survey instruments and experiences, experts from GDVT, GTZ and 11 partner institutions have discussed, planned and implemented the tracer studies over the past year. Three workshops were organised between 2009 and 2010 to train direct implementers of the partner institutes to collect and manage data of a tracer study. Two surveys (baseline and follow-up) have been carried out between September 2009 and end of April 2010. The full set of data was delivered to the team of “Promotion of TVET” by the end of April. The first analysis of collected data was done by international consultants from Rheinisch-Westfaelisches Institut (RWI), who supported the whole process with their extensive expertise.
Picture 2-National Consultant from NIVT presents group discussion result
On the 12th of May 2010, the direct implementers from 11 partner institutions gathered in Hanoi for the final training on data analysis. The participants had a chance to discuss with national and international experts, learn and practice basic data cleaning, merging and analysing on MS Excel, using their own set of data.
At the final workshop named “Tracer Study 2009: Workshop on implementation and results’, lessons learnt from the implementation process and analysis results of collected data from 11 TVET institutes were presented to representatives from GDVT, MoLISA, ILO, MOET, and 11 partner institutes of “Promotion of TVET”. In group working sessions, the participants also discussed institutional issues of how to make tracer study a sustainable regular activity at their own institutions and use its results for training quality improvement and national issues of what is needed to promote the implementation of tracer.
Picture 3-Workshop participants
In his opening address, Assoc. Professor Dr. Cao Van Sam- Deputy Director (GDVT) emphasized:” Lessons learnt, implementation process and instruments developed in these pilot tracer studies should be used to multiply school-based tracer studies at not only project partner institutions, but also at TVET colleges supported by other donors and focal TVET institutions nationwide”. Speaking at the briefing meeting previously between GDVT and “Promotion of TVET”, Dr. Nguyen Tien Dung- Director General (GDVT) stated: “GDVT is aware of the importance of tracer study and is in the process of preparing a mechanism to promote the implementation of such studies in TVET system of Vietnam. This should also be a cooperation area between GDVT and TVET System Advisory Project[2]”. GDVT also implied that National Institute of Vocational Training would play an important role, on its side, in proceeding further cooperation with Vietnamese-German Cooperation in TVET in activities to build capacity for implementation of tracer study at national level.
The Workshop “Tracer Study 2009: Workshop on implementation and results’ marked the end of the pilot of tracer studies and opened up further activities that would steer the TVET system towards labour market needs.
[1] Promotion of TVET Vietnam (2006-2010) is a component of is a component of Vietnamese-German Cooperation in TVET. The project aims at supporting 11 partner TVET institutions in:
The development and adaptation of market-oriented training modules according to uniform standards
The preparation and development of customised teaching and learning materials
Capacity building (training) for teaching and management staff as well as increased relations between TVET institutes and economic community
[2] TVET System Advisory Project (2008-2011) is a project of Vietnamese-German Cooperation in TVET. The approach is to offer support in terms of political advisory services, system development and capacity development in order to introduce and organize legal regulations, ordinances and models for financing of TVET.