The Flex-VET Project

Methodology and Work Programme

The first part of the research project will be concerned with the operationalisation of the concept of the 'flexible, broadly-skilled employee', the core problems he is confronted with and the key qualifications he needs to solve these core problems.

1. The partners meet to discuss the definition of a 'flexible, broadly-skilled employee' to develop a formulation they all agree about.
2. A pilot study will be done by all partners separately to asses the relevant changes in the metal industry of their country. The data will be collected from documents and in extensive interviews with employers and supervisors. The partners also each develop a questionnaire to ask supervisors and relevant other persons about changes in work and about changes in their organisations. In the questionnaire they also ask which core problems employees meet in their daily work and which key qualifications are needed by employees working in the selected vocations to find solutions.
3. From these data all partners make a country report. In the third step the partners meet for the third time to discuss the country reports and to select relevant vocations, organisations and persons and to finish (the (guideline for) the questionnaire.
4. The questionnaire will be administered (by phone) to selected persons such as employers, supervisors and trainers in the countries of the partners. Furthermore employees will be interviewed and observed in their work. From these quantitative and qualitative data merges the 'flexible, broadly-skilled employee' and the key qualifications he needs.
5. The discussion of the second country report of each partner in the third meeting. Topic will also be the meaning of the data for vocational education and training.

The second part of the research project will be concerned with responsive vocational education and training.

1. Each of the partners confronts educational experts such as teachers, trainers and policy makers with data of the first part of the study. Then their opinion about where and how the 'know how' and skilfulness of the 'flexible, broadly-skilled employee' can be acquired will be asked in a survey (by phone). Also their opinion to what extent schools and factories already have facilities and use methods that stimulate the development of the 'flexible, broadly-skilled employee' and what is missing will be asked.
2. The next step will be to use the collected data in extensive deliberations with all experts about the aims and form of a responsive vocational education and training.
3. Each partner makes a third country report about the second part of the study. These reports are discussed and form the basis for the end report.
4. The final report with the reason for the project, the research method, the results, the conclusions and the recommendations for possible reactions of responsive VET to the 'flexible, broadly-skilled employee'.