TRACKTION project contribution to the field of graduate tracking in TVET

The TRACKTION Baseline study [available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 135.881] provided a concise summary of the state of the art tracking and alumni initiatives in nine vocational education and training (VET) schools in four European countries (Estonia, Italy, Netherlands and Spain). All nine Schools tracked their initial vocational education and training (IVET) graduates in a standard way so that the data could be compared. The conclusions derived from the baseline study informed the design of a new tracking protocol with three key requirements in mind: (1) It should meet data requirements of protocols already in place; (2) It should build on the strengths of protocols already in place; and (3) It should overcome some of the key obstacles identified. The new monitoring protocol is meant to overcome some of the problems identified in existing protocols. The new graduate tracking protocol captures a variety of employment and education data before and after graduation. The data collected in both questionnaires allows analysis of the individual trajectories of each of the graduates, comparing their previous expectations with their current situation as well as identifying changes in the distribution of frequencies in the sample. The protocol allows for a more detailed and nuanced analysis of graduates' transitions to employment and/or further education or training. A careful interrogation of the data allows us to explore in more detail aspects related to job quality, opportunities for professional progression, as well as graduates' perception of the relevance of the training they received. Another useful aspect of this survey is that it assesses the quality of the qualifications obtained and their perceived usefulness from the point of view of the graduate over time.

The contents of this guide will cover the 4 main stages in graduate tracking. Suggestions and ideas are based on the insights collected during pilot implementation in 8 VET Schools located in Spain (5), Estonia (1), Italy (1) and the Netherlands (1). The lessons learned from those pilots are organised into the following areas: (1) data collection - how to select the sample, how to contact/engage graduates, response and completion rates; (2) data organization - what the raw data looks like, how we made it accessible for analysis; (3) data analysis - the sort of analysis that can be undertaken, the main queries, ideas for analysis and cross-tabulations illustrated with examples from piloting locations; (4) data sharing - what are the best ways to share alumni tracking information; and (5) use of data - how we can use tracking data to prompt action at school/department level.

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