School to Work conference

Innehåll

Preventing early school leaving and reintegrating NEET youth into education or work requires a comprehensive and systematic approach with coherent and sustainable strategies. Many countries face similar challenges regarding the transition from school to work. There is much to be gained from exchanging best practices and learning from each other’s experiences. At the conference, we will hear from initiatives underway in the Baltic Sea Region and the EU on following strategies:

• Basic skills and the STEAM approach (science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics) in basic and secondary education – future-focused learning and enhanced core skills and key competences
  for all students.
• Early warning systems (EWS) – the use of data collection and monitoring systems for early detection and intervention of students at risk of dropping out of school.
• One stop shops – establishing and implementing a multiple services and guidance centre for reintegrating NEET youth into education or work.

The conference will also hear a keynote speech by Dr. Paul Downes, Professor of Psychology of Education. He has been involved in various expert advisory roles for the European Commission, among them the newly adopted EU policy recommendation Pathways for School Success.

Target group

The conference is directed towards public officials, experts, practitioners and other stakeholders within the areas of education, employment, youth policy and other related areas at local, regional, national and/or European level.

Conference Programme

09.00 Welcome and opening greetings

Conference organiser introduces the day.

09.10 European Commission – current issues

An overview of topic-related initiatives on EU level.

Annalisa Cannoni, Policy Officer, Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and
Culture, European Commission.

09.25 Key features of a multidimensional, systemic whole school approach to prevent early school leaving and promote basic skills: Prevention and early intervention issues and opportunities

Keynote speech.

Dr. Paul Downes, Professor of Psychology of Education and Director of the Educational Disadvantage Centre, Dublin City University, Ireland.

10.15 Coffee/tea break

10.30 Basic skills and STEAM fields

Enhancing basic skills and key competences is necessary in order for more students to establish on the labour market and to meet the skills needs of the future. City of Turku explains how they are actively and broadly working with this. Such as the project STEAM Turku, a science and technology path combining early childhood, basic and upper secondary level education, with the overall aim to increase the attractiveness of science and technology sectors.

• Kalle Ojanen, Head of Program, Turku Vocational Institute, City of Turku, Finland.
• Matti Mäkelä, Head of the Project Management Office, City of Turku, Finland.
• Katri Lehtinen, Project Manager, Project Management Office, City of Turku, Finland.

11.30 Early Warning Systems – mapping and tracking

Introducing the concept of early warning systems (EWS) and learning from examples of mapping and tracking on students’ progress through school.

The Netherlands has a national system that provides data on attendance and student performance, which enable the authorities to monitor students throughout the school system. Based on the data at individual level, early school leaving figures are mapped out at national, regional and institutional levels. It also allows actors at those levels to identify schools in need of targeted measures.

• Anna Liljeström, PhD in Educational Psychology and Consultant, Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions, Sweden.
  
• Marjan Zandbergen, Senior Policy Officer, Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, the Netherlands.

12.15 Lunch break

13.15 Early Warning Systems – mapping and tracking, continued

The DigiOne system, which is being tested in a number of municipalities in Finland, provides information both at individual and group levels. The goal is to enable follow up and assessment of students learning and schooling based on data at the institutional, municipal as well as national level.

Seppo Pukonen, Project Manager, City of Turku, Finland.

13.45 One stop shops

One stop shops/youth guidance centres offer support to young adults neither in employment, education or training. They are characterised by multicompetent teams representing different municipalities services and state agencies. Two examples share their experiences on the work of establishing and implementing this support structure. Lithuania has developed a national strategy for establishing youth guidance centres and several centres have opened since. Similarly, Poland is currently developing a strategy at national level for establishing youth guidance centres.

• Brigita Elona Blavasciuniene, Advisor of Measure’s Implementation Organization
  Division, The Public Employment Service, Lithuania.
• Konstancja Piatkowska, Head of Unit, Labour Market Strategy Unit, Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy, Poland.

14.45 Coffee/tea break

15.15 Panel discussion and reflections

A panel discuss the output from the day and look to the future.

Dr. Paul Downes, Professor of Psychology of Education and Director of the Educational Disadvantage Centre, Dublin City University, Ireland.

Anna Liljeström, PhD in Educational Psychology and Consultant, Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions, Sweden.

Anu Parantainen, Development Manager, Head of Information Services, Development services, Information services, City of Turku, Finlandreflect in smaller groups on main take away points from the day.

16.00 Conference ending

Conference organiser wrapping up the day