About the author: Sun Xiaoyan (1980-), female, Jiangsu native, teacher of Suzhou University, master's degree, research direction: logistics, vocational education.
China Library ClassificationNo.: G7 12 Document ID: A DocumentNo.:1001-7518 (2008) 02-0023-03.
Apprenticeship is a vocational education model with a long history. At present, this form, which originated from folk teaching skills, has injected new content and developed into a modern apprenticeship system. Many countries in Europe, Latin America and the Asia-Pacific region have adopted modern apprenticeship system to solve the contradiction between education and employment and promote the development of vocational education. Modern apprenticeship system is based on the traditional apprenticeship system, which closely links vocational education with the labor market and has different practice modes in different countries and industries. Generally speaking, modern apprenticeship is a system in which learning and training alternate. The whole academic system is about13 of the time to study in school and 2/3 of the time to train in enterprises. Apprentices' wages are enjoyed during enterprise training, and will gradually increase with the progress of skills; The relationship and rights among schools, students and enterprises are guaranteed through legal contracts. Modern apprenticeship system has built a bridge between schools and industries, making vocational education more social, professional, practical and operational.
First, the advantages of modern apprenticeship
(A) to alleviate the increasingly serious employment contradictions
Due to years of enrollment expansion and the disconnection between teaching content and practice, the employment contradiction in China has become an important social problem. Once this contradiction intensifies, it will become a factor of social instability. Vocational education cannot escape the color of planned economy, but the employment market faces two-way choice, which will inevitably lead to sharp employment problems. The biggest feature of modern apprenticeship system is the close combination of vocational education and employment market, which makes students' employment prospects clear. The mode of alternating practice and study is helpful for students to really understand what knowledge is needed for work and how to apply it to practice. In this way, the biggest drawback of traditional vocational education is that teaching materials are the mainstay, schools are the scope, teachers only explain, and students do not actively think about application and innovation. The training goal of modern apprenticeship system is applied, technical and innovative talents, which meets the requirements of employers for talents. On the other hand, students can advance and lengthen the work adaptation period, which is conducive to alleviating students' psychological pressure and scientifically planning their career prospects.
For example, the unemployment rate in Finland remained high in the 1990s, even reaching 18% at one time. In order to alleviate the pressure of employment, Finland actively develops vocational education and vigorously promotes the modern apprenticeship system. This measure adjusted the education mode in time, so that the students trained in vocational colleges can adapt to the changing needs of the labor market and successfully solve the employment problem.
(2) Saving educational resources and saving enterprise costs.
One of the biggest problems of education in China is the lack of funds, especially vocational education. Under the apprenticeship system, students, schools and enterprises clearly define the relationship between responsibilities and rights through contracts, and link the relationship between labor and employment with the relationship between education. Students enjoy internship salary or part or all of the education expenses are shared by enterprises. This greatly saves limited educational resources and reduces the family burden of students.
The recruitment and training expenses of human resources in enterprise costs are greatly reduced. Moreover, schools can tailor-made for enterprises, train talents according to orders, and meet the needs of enterprises for the quality and quantity of talents to the greatest extent. Apprenticeship training greatly shortens the time for talents to adapt to posts, improves work efficiency and optimizes the allocation of human resources in enterprises.
(C) to promote the combination of education and industry
One of the biggest problems of education in China is the disconnection between teaching and industry. Modern apprenticeship has obvious advantages in realizing the combination of production and education, and closely links education with industry in system and system. From curriculum development, teaching content, training standards, teaching methods to teachers, industry enterprises have the right to speak and can express their requirements for talents in a timely and effective manner. Schools can also train talents as needed and adjust the teaching mode in time. Therefore, the trained students are more suitable for the current industrial situation, and the training direction is also closely following the changing trend of the labor market.
On the other hand, the modern apprenticeship system is also one of the best channels to apply the school's scientific research achievements to practice. The invention and creation in vocational education is different from the scientific research achievements of colleges and universities, but the improvement of products and enterprises made by students and teachers in the process of enterprise practice by using their own knowledge and skills and exerting their innovative spirit. In reality, many inventions that have a far-reaching impact on human life come from production practice. Students are often the most active group. They are not bound by experience, dare to innovate, and are most willing to innovate. Modern apprenticeship system provides students with innovative platform and experimental space. Modern apprenticeship is of positive significance to the transformation from China manufacturing to China creation.
Second, the basis for the development of modern apprenticeship in China
(A) to build a unified and flexible vocational education system
Vocational education is an important part of national education. Multi-head management and lack of unified standards are one of the important reasons that lead to the disconnection between vocational education and labor market. Generally speaking, all kinds of vocational colleges are managed by the Ministry of Education, and teaching is carried out according to the syllabus and curriculum catalogue issued by the Ministry of Education. Students who have completed all the courses and obtained qualified results can obtain academic certificates issued by the national education administrative department. At the same time, the skill level certificate issued by the labor and social security department and the relevant training organized are also important components of the vocational education system. Because of the different management subjects, these two parts of education are separated to some extent, which is a great waste of educational resources.
Vocational education organized by local governments is also varied. The training courses offered by colleges and universities are dazzling. The private sector also offers various types of vocational training, which is also an active force in vocational education. However, all these education and training lack authoritative standards, and the courses are not standardized, fragmented and undisciplined. Without a unified framework, the vocational education system is bound to be dull and chaotic, lacking overall planning and industry research. It is often when people think that what is popular in society is very common that they offer any courses. Neither the supply and demand of the labor market nor the real requirements of the industry for talents are considered. Therefore, it is urgent for China to establish a unified and coordinated vocational education framework to integrate resources and improve flexibility and adaptability.
First of all, we should standardize the subject of vocational education. Only institutions certified and registered by the national quality system can carry out vocational education. Second, under the leadership of the government and industry, on the basis of scientific research, develop training courses for national vocational education and training institutions. Third, establish a unified national qualification certificate framework to avoid the waste of resources caused by incompatible qualification certificates, which is conducive to the flow of talents.
(B) the establishment of relevant laws and regulations
Defining the legal status is the premise of the healthy and long-term development of modern apprenticeship. The basis of modern apprenticeship is laws and regulations. Because modern apprenticeship is not only a training mode of vocational education, but also a form of employment. Students, schools and enterprises can only be effectively combined through legal contracts, and their respective responsibilities and rights can be guaranteed through legal contracts. Therefore, it is an urgent and long-term task to formulate and implement relevant laws and regulations. Effective modern apprenticeship must be supported and regulated by law. For example, Australia's Vocational Training Act has been amended several times to determine the legal status of apprentices. The Finnish government has incorporated apprenticeship training into vocational education and training legislation for many years, and promulgated apprenticeship training laws in 1923, 1967 and 1992 respectively. Among them, 1992 Apprenticeship Training Law stipulates the implementation process of apprenticeship training (including apprenticeship contract, training period, qualification certificate, etc. ), which provides sufficient legal protection for the implementation of apprenticeship. Although China's vocational education law also has clear requirements for the education and training that workers must receive before employment, the publicity is not enough, the understanding is not deep enough, the enforcement is not enough, and the apprenticeship system lacks clear definition and norms of operability.
(3) Encourage enterprises and industries to actively participate in the apprenticeship system.
At present, some colleges and universities in China are also trying the modern apprenticeship system, but they often face considerable difficulties. The most direct difficulty is the lack of enterprise support, and it is difficult to form a long-term cooperative relationship. Many enterprises don't understand the true meaning of modern apprenticeship, and think that accepting a group of students with no work experience will reduce the production efficiency of enterprises, which will not help enterprises and even affect their normal business activities.
Many foreign vocational education has established a relatively perfect mechanism, and the government, enterprises and schools have a series of policies and measures to ensure the implementation of this system. In this regard, the government should take the lead in formulating policies, coordinating the forces of various industries, winning the support of enterprises and strengthening the support for vocational education. In addition to letting enterprises know the significance of modern apprenticeship to the enterprise industry, the government can also give some preferential policies to actively participating enterprises. For example, the Australian government has taken various measures to actively encourage enterprises to join apprenticeship training, such as rewarding enterprises that participate in apprenticeship training; Take the content of apprenticeship training as part of the training standard; The certificate obtained by the apprentice is recognized by the state; The government gives financial support (tuition subsidy) to training enterprises. At present, there are more than 30,000 enterprises participating in apprenticeship training in Victoria alone, and it is estimated that there are 6.5438+0.2 million enterprises participating in apprenticeship training in Australia. The Australian government also encourages public and private institutions to participate in vocational education and training in the form of "government-purchased training" and actively develops modern apprenticeships.
(D) Australia's innovation
In the process of exploration, new forms of apprenticeship have emerged. For example, training institutions recruit apprentices and then find suitable employers for them. There is a form of apprenticeship training in Australia called group training company. Such institutions train a certain number of apprentices according to market demand, and then "use" them to enterprises by means of leasing. For many small enterprises or industries with unstable demand, this method is flexible and operable. At present, the number of such apprentices has accounted for 10% of the entire Australian apprenticeship system. China's manufacturing and service industries are both fields with large employment capacity, and the proportion of small and medium-sized enterprises is also high, so this model also has room for development in China.
Another major feature of Australian vocational education is the nationwide "skills store". Skill stores are generally established in areas where people gather. In this way, the government cooperates with consultants to strengthen exchanges among industries, communities and education, expand the influence and attraction of vocational education, and enable the public to obtain correct information on vocational education and labor market in time. The information provided by the skill store includes: vocational education and career planning consultation, personalized education and training selection suggestions and so on. China can also make good use of grass-roots community networks, actively mobilize the forces of all social strata, promote vocational education and promote modern apprenticeship. Because the objects of vocational education are very extensive and scattered in every corner of society. Young people who are about to join the labor force, middle-aged people who have joined the labor force, unemployed people and those who want to re-employment all have urgent needs for vocational education. Therefore, bringing vocational education into public life and letting the public know about the modern apprenticeship system will help to strengthen the interaction between schools and students, improve the recognition of vocational education and modern apprenticeship system in China, effectively carry out vocational education and improve the quality of workers.
Third, the quality management of modern apprenticeship
Quality management is the key to the success or failure of modern apprenticeship. Establishing a perfect quality system can effectively standardize modern apprenticeship activities and ensure the realization of vocational education goals. The modern apprenticeship system in China is still in the exploratory stage, and learning from the experience of other countries is a quick and effective way to implement quality management.
(A) improve the quality standards of vocational education
First of all, the government should take the lead in working with the education department and related industries to formulate perfect quality standards for vocational education. All participants in vocational education, whether national or private, central or local, must strictly implement this quality standard. The quality standard of vocational education is the premise and foundation to ensure the quality of modern apprenticeship training. For example, the Quality Management of Apprenticeship Training, drafted by the Finnish National Education Commission in 2003, puts forward the strategy of apprenticeship quality management, which provides a preliminary standard for evaluating the quality of training. Australia's National Industry Skills Council has formulated and promulgated a series of standards and qualifications signed by national institutions to certify and evaluate the skills of practitioners. These standards and qualifications are called training packages, which include three parts: first, the ability standard, the specification of professional knowledge and skills, and the application ability in the workplace; The second is the evaluation guide; The third is qualification.
(2) Standardize the course content to ensure the teaching quality.
The main body of curriculum development should be diversified and brainstorm to meet the needs of different periods, industries and regions. In Australia, "authorized courses" are developed by the state industrial training board. Enterprises can develop customized training courses, and other registered training institutions can also develop authorized courses for local industries and communities. However, in order to ensure the teaching quality, it is necessary to standardize the course content and avoid the phenomenon of mixed quality of vocational education and even selling dog meat. The general procedure of vocational education curriculum in Australia is that professional courses are based on the professional competence standards formulated by industry organizations and the national unified certificate system, which are negotiated by the relevant national industrial training Council and its consulting institutions according to the industry demand, job market information and job skills requirements, and then reported to the national education and training department for approval. The specific implementation content of professional courses will be adjusted and selected by enterprises, professional institutions and colleges, and the basic specifications of the courses must be guaranteed. China can learn from this model, let a hundred schools of thought contend in the development stage, and give full play to the respective advantages of government, industry, enterprises and schools; Implementing standardized courses in teaching and realizing teaching quality control.
(C) to strengthen the construction of teaching staff
In view of the practicality of vocational education, the requirements of modern apprenticeship system for teachers will be different. Therefore, it is essential to develop high-quality vocational education with educated and experienced teachers. In vocational education and training, teachers should have at least a bachelor's degree. It is also crucial to attract teachers with industry experience. And teachers should be sent to enterprises to study regularly. It is helpful for teachers to master the latest knowledge and skills in the industry and carry out teaching work better. It is also one of the effective ways for enterprises to send outstanding employees to give lectures or attend some courses in schools.
Effective cooperation
Modern apprenticeship training is also a process of cooperation between enterprises and schools. The willingness, ability and cooperation level of cooperators greatly affect the quality of vocational education. Therefore, choosing suitable cooperators, determining consistent goals and principles, and strengthening communication and coordination in cooperation are all important factors that determine the quality of modern apprenticeship.
In a word, the innovative modern apprenticeship can add vitality to China's vocational education, break through the bottleneck problem at this stage, promote vocational education to adapt to China's economic development, and promote China's industrial enterprises to become bigger and stronger.
refer to
[1] Tang, The establishment of new apprenticeship system in Australia and its enlightenment [J]. Vocational and Technical Education, 2004, (34).
[2] Li Shiyu, Liu Yu. A Comparative Study of Vocational Education Training Models between China and Australia [J]. Education and Vocational Education, 2006, (10).
[3] Wen Conglei, Wang Xiaoyu. Basic characteristics and quality management strategies of apprenticeship training in Finland. https://www。 Omit/y-jyjs/gjgn/no/11940. shtml
[4] the State Council's decision on vigorously developing vocational education [Z]. Omit/edoas/website18/info10960.htm.