MORE IMPACT ON HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND WORKING
LIFE CO-OPERATION BY NETWORKING - KAMoon VEVO 2
ROME, ITALY 30.1 – 4.2.2011
FEEDBACK / ROMA
30.1. – 4.2.2011
Participants exchange in Rome, Italy:
Heikki Yli-Olli, Managing Director, KAM
Sirpa Korhonen, Development Manager, KAM
Ilkka Heinonen, Principal, KAM
Sirkku Purontaus, Principal, KPEDU
Elina Seppä-Jokela, Development Manager, KPEDU
Teija Tuunila, Manager of International Activities, KPEDU
Seija Lehto, Director, OSEKK, Oulu Vocational College
Saija Niemelä-Pentti, Development Director, OSEKK, Oulu Vocational College
Erkki Jääskö, Senior Adviser, REDU, Rovaniemi Municipal Federation of Education
Jari Koivumaa, International coordinator, REDU, Lapland Vocational College
Arto Veikkola, Quality coordinator, PYHÄSIIKA, Haapavesi Vocational College
TARGET OF THE PROJECT
The objective of the project is to make a mutual comparison among Finnish partners
(KAM, KPEDU, RKK,OSEKK, PYHÄSIIKA) to see at what stage each partner is when it
comes to quality and evaluation work and to get international comparability into the Finnish
evaluation system as well as the federation’s or institute’s own evaluation system. The
Finnish partners consist of five major education organisers from Central Ostrobothnia to
the northern Finland.
Municipal federations attending to the project have some experience of assessment
related network projects, results of which can be made use of in this project. The objective
is to find new or already existing models by comparing the practises related to human
resource management between the Finnish partners and other chosen targets and to
familiarize with working life co-operation in these targets.
The objective is to clarify what kind of indicators there are in use related to human
resource management and working life co-operation and how are they utilised in
development work. Furthermore, the objective is to get additional information about the
vocational education systems in Europe: acknowledging informal and formal know-how
especially as to how it is realized in practise in the chosen partners' work communities in
the target countries.
The strategy of the KAMoon network is to develop and tighten co-operation at national
level between partners and strengthen strategic partnership to international key partners.
The middle age of the staff from municipal federation involved in the project is rising and
there has been a debate concerning work welfare. Previous projects have shown that the
situation is the same abroad and partners there are pondering the same things. Thus
international co-operation brings added value and new perspective to all partners.
Developing of the Finnish human resource management in college communities and
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municipal federations has also been mentioned. At the same time there has been
discussion around continuing the work careers in the public sector.
OBJECTIVES OF THE VISIT
The aim of our visit was to find out and to learn more about good practices in Human
Resource and Quality Management, working life co-operation, international activities and
vocational education system in Italy, especially Roma area. Also one objective of this visit
was to get tools for the administration and for the development of our own policy.
EFQM CRITERIAN PARTS: PEOPLE AND PARTNERSHIPS
1.GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE ROME VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND
EDUCATIONAL CO-OPERATION WITH WORKING LIFE FROM THE PERSPECTIVE
OF THE KAMoon VEVO - project VISITORS
The schedule of the week which Giovanni Rago had prepared beforehand for us was just
suitable and long enough to understand and get to know the vocational training centres
and the quality work in one school in Rome area. The whole of our group want to thank for
Giovanni Rago, Xarxa FP Assosiation Gianna Nicoletti and Simone Moretti, all other
principals and personnel we have met during our visit.
We had opportunity to visit the school that is certificated in ISO 9001:2008. They have
done quality work since 1995. We appreciate long lasting quality work. In Finland ISO
system is not common in education sector. Many Federations and Education providers in
Finland use Balanced Scorecard –model in the strategic management and in evaluation
mostly the EFQM –model is in use.
The Educational systems in both countries are quite similar in some parts. In both
countries compulsory education lasts until the age of 16. In Finland the school starts at the
age of 7 and in Italy at the age of 6. In Finland the basic education lasts nine years, and
nearly all children complete their compulsory education.
In Italy the education system is divided in many different options after the First Grade
Secondary School (Scuola media).
Educational systems in Finland and Italy
Education system, Finland
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Education system, Italy
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Vocational Training Centres/ Formazione professionale
KAMoon Project group had the opportunity to visit two different Training Centres. Both
visits were very worthwhile. In Finland we don´t have the similar system. For the young
people these centres provide a great possibility to get an education and profession for the
real working life. Integration/ Inclusion of all students were remarkable. The co-operation
with working life was tight. The teachers came straight from real working places. Students’
guidance and welfare were important in both Institutes we visited. Students are seen as
individuals and their programmes are personalised. The system is developing more
towards triennial courses and that gives more opportunities to the students to choose if
they will have further studies.
Organisation of the Schools
The administrational and financial systems are very different in both countries. In Finland
the Basic Education and General Upper Secondary Education are financed by the state
and the municipalities. Management and Leadership is organised by the local
municipalities and its personal. The Vocational Education and Training in Finland is
financed by the state and managed by its own leaders. The basics of the curricula are
given by the Finnish National Board of Education. Finland doesn’t have the inspection
system any more – not in 15 years. The schools have to keep up the high standard by self
evaluation and quality work. The Education including materials, travelling (if more than 5
km), books and daily hot meal are free for all the students in basic Education. In secondary
Education some payments can be concerning books and travelling.
In Italy both administration and financing systems varies due the level of Education.
In Finland every VET provider is independent and has its own budget, which makes for us
possible to take new staff. In Finland in vocational education we have performance-based
funding system. That means Ministry of Education cuts first 3 % of the whole VET budget
and then give the extra money to the best VET providers whose indicators are good:
Outcome Indicator (placement in employment, placement in further education, low dropout
rate, high graduation rate) Teacher Competence Indicator and Staff Development
Indicator.
PEOPLE (HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT)
Strengths in human resource management
In state school (primary school) the teachers can take further education courses. A
positive notice was that they can suggest which courses they want to do as personal
knowledge and competence development. It motivates the staff for developing their skills.
All courses support the teaching work. The courses and their affection to teaching work
are evaluated.
The salary of teachers depends on number of years work experience. The work day of a
primary school teacher is 4 hours. In High school (Liceo) teachers teach 18 hours per
week.
General staff meetings were held every month. Additionally they had a meeting every
other month about the targets and results. The targets were determined in the beginning of
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each school year. Staff feedback was asked annually. These are some parts of the ISO
9001 quality system.
Vocational training centres can choose e.g. a car mechanic or a hair dresser as a teacher.
Pedagogical competence is not necessary but they can take courses on how to cope with
students and how to evaluate students. The work day of a teacher is from 4 till 6
hours.While students are doing work practice, teachers act as tutors for them.
The teachers with strong working life experience and who have any pedagogical studies
are participating for example in the short pedagogical courses financed by EU-projects
(ESF). In these courses teachers are improving their pedagogical skills and skills for
guiding the young students and evaluating skills.
Improvement areas in human resource management
We discussed if the Italian staff recruiting system a bit rigid in at state school. The schools
have to choose the teacher from the list of employees. The teacher can change the
working place if he/she does not like it but school can’t change the teacher for the work
place is permanent. This system does not allow to choose the most suitable teacher,
because they have to choose the first (=best) from the list.
The communication in English was very challenging. With the interpreter the
communication was fluent. Everyone was very friendly and social and the reception of our
group was very warm in each school.
Partnerships and the cooperation with the stakeholders
In general we noticed partnerships and co-operation with the companies/working life plays
important role in the vocational training centres. Some teachers in vocational training
centres are coming from the companies. They have got their professional knowledge in
working life.
We noticed that the city of Rome and its municipalities has emphasized the importance of
social responsibility for the disabled people and students with learning problems. They
have noticed that it is important to educate these special groups for the needs of working
life.
In the working life there are also quite basic duties. In centres there are short courses for
this kind of “professional jobs” (special certification). In vocational centre they have noticed
that it is important that the trainee periods for disabled students are well planned. The
representatives of vocational centre mentioned that they have found the good trainee
places for disabled students.
In the vocational training centres the role of the working life is very strong because most of
the education is made in the companies or together with the companies.
The co-operation with the working life and doing by hands instead of large theoretical
education motivates the students very much.
Even the 80 % of the students find the job after the education (for mechanics, thermoplumbers only). It is an interesting detail because of the high amount of unemployment
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among the young people in Rome. One explanation for this is that the center has excellent
and liable relationships with the companies. The companies must employ certain amount
of disable workers. In Finland we don’t have this kind of system.
Centre has even 150–160 partner companies. The education emphasizes the skills and
competences which working life needs. Most of the companies are small firms. This is
good because small companies are also more flexible. The working methods of the centre
are flexible and it takes into account the needs of all of the stakeholders (students,
companies, centre, society). The companies are very motivated and they do this on
voluntary bases.
We noticed that the international tour company can co-operate continuously and
successfully with vocational training. The company makes concrete co-operation e.g. the
students mobility with Xarxa net work.
Special thanks to our cultural Escort Giovanni!
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