Information materials

1.   Decentralized Management of Skills Training in Ukraine».  A Ukrainian-Canadian project launched in 2005.

The project aims at implementing the decentralized management model for the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy in order to enhance the coordination of skills training in Ukraine; delegate powers to the regional administration for developing and delivering training programs that would meet the demands of the stakeholders, such as professional associations and the association of manufacturers and entrepreneurs.

 In January 2008 the project focused on the following activities:

1.  Preparations for the Study tour to Czech Republic, which took place on February 02-10, 2008 in Prague, and involved representatives from the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, the State Employment Centre of the MLSP, administrators from regional employment centres, regional departments of education, and new pilot regions: Donetsk, Zaporizhya, Vinnytsia, and Ivano-Frankivsk.

2.  Canadian and Ukrainian experts completed a project documentary.

3.  Experts from the Central Institute for Postgraduate Pedagogical Education adapted a business-planning and marketing manual and continued to develop a ‘Becoming a Master Instructor’ manual.

4.  The Central Institute for Postgraduate Pedagogical Education, together with the Ukrainian-Canadian project, worked on organizing the International conference “Innovative approaches to skills training in Ukraine”. 

5.  Pilot labour market forecasting and analysis survey was being done in Dnipropetrovsk region.

6.  A special edition of the “Postgraduate Education in Ukraine” journal (1,000 copies) developed jointly by the Central Institute of Postgraduate Pedagogical Education and the DMSTU project

 In February 2008 project activities focused on the following areas:

1.  Study tour to Czech Republic, which took place on February 02-10, 2008 in Prague, involved representatives from the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, the State Employment Centre of the MLSP, administrators from regional employment centres, regional departments of education, and new pilot regions: Donetsk, Zaporizhya, Vinnytsia, and Ivano-Frankivsk. The goal was to learn about the employment services and skills training systems in Czech Republic, familiarize with labour market analysis methods and their practical application on the school level in the transition period, which is similar to the Ukrainian situation. This is the second study tour to Czech Republic organized jointly by Czech partners from the National Training Fund (www.nvf.cz) and the Ukrainian-Canadian project.

2.  International conference “Innovative approaches to skills training in Ukraine” took place on February 20-21, 2008. The goal of the conference was to highlight innovative approaches to addressing urgent issues of the Ukrainian skills training system based on the DMSTU project achievements. It covered the following topics: improving the vocational schools management (business planning, labour market analysis, involving employers and the community to vocational schools management); modern approaches to developing industry-driven curricula; adult education methodologies; social and gender equity in vocational schools.

3.  SIAST experts Elaine McNeil and Gerry Bonsal gave an introductory seminar on the Canadian skills training system and program development for the representatives of the Institute of innovative technologies and the content of education on February 2, 2008.

4.  A special edition of the “Vocational Education” journal (1,500 copies), developed jointly by the Ministry of Education and Science and the DMSTU project.

5.  Experts from the Central Institute for Postgraduate Pedagogical Education adapted a manual on graduate tracer studies.

6.  Project pilot schools held meetings of School advisory boards and Program advisory councils in Dnipropetrovsk (February 22 and 27), and in Zakarpattia Oblast,  Mukachevo (February 28). 

In March 2008 the project focused on the following areas:

1.  Preparation for the fourth meeting of the Joint Ukrainian-Canadian Project Steering Committee, planned for March 27, 2008.

2.  Annual workplan for 2008-09. Draft plan was sent to the members of the Joint Ukrainian-Canadian Project Steering Committee for review.

3.  Manuals prepared on pedagogical issues, business-planning and marketing of vocational schools, and graduate tracer studies.

4. March 5, 2008 Gennadiy Rusanov, the project specialist, took part in the coordination meeting of donors, organized by the Ukrainian confederation of employers. As a result of the meeting it was agreed to introduce more efficient sharing of information and cooperation of international projects that work in the area of skills training and to hold such meetings regularly.

5. March 27, 2008  - meeting of the Joint Ukrainian-Canadian Project Steering Committee.

 

2.  “Improving the efficiency of vocational education management on the regional level in Ukraine” . The project was initiated on September 1, 2005. 

The primary goal of this project is to improve the quality of vocational education and ensure its sustainability; match the structure and content of vocational education with the socio-economic and labour market needs.

 In January-March 2008:

1.  The project analyzed the training needs of the regional centres and vocational schools employees in relation to information technologies. The results helped to develop a syllabus and materials for computer literacy courses. Three computer literacy workshops took place in the regions (Buky in Cherkasy region and in Simferopol); teaching materials for computer literacy courses were prepared, including the first ever Ukrainian manual for AIS.

2.  Preparations for the first round of the competition devoted to the best practices in social partnerships for vocational education on the regional level in pilot regions.

3.  Documents prepared:

- Recommendations on establishing a social partnership system for vocational education on the regional level.

- Proposals on decentralized management of vocational education in Ukraine.

- On the dual system of learning – the experience of Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland.

- Institutional framework of vocational education in the context of social dialogue on the example of EU countries.

- Reference materials on the best practices in vocational education decentralization, developed for training activities.

- A manual for vocational schools instructors on interactive teaching methodologies.

4.  January 30-31, 2008 – workshop “New attestation strategies in the vocational education system and procedures for strategic management of the quality in vocational education”

5.  March 3-7, 2008  - workshop on interactive teaching methodologies for teachers and instructors from Cherkasy region.

 

 3.  “Supporting the Vocational Education Reform in Ukraine” – a Ukrainian-German project

Goal of the project: bring vocational education closer to the labour market through developing a new type of vocational education Standards for new occupations, which are based on the competence requirements of the labour market.

 In January-March 2008

The project analyzed the results of the pilot testing of Vocational Education Standards for 10 integrated occupations in 15 pilot schools. The results showed that the students’ motivation to master new broader occupations increased significantly; employers became more interested in such graduates.

A workshop was held on finalizing the Standards.