Graduate Tracking System

Under result two of the Project, the following activities are planned to be carried out:

Technical assistance at the central and local level to support the establishment and implementation of a National Graduates Tracking System

This activity involves a thorough secondary-data research about National Graduates Tracking System or Tracer Studies (TS) conducted in VET institutions in the Balkan region and worldwide. Part of the secondary data research is analysing the documents and deliverables conducted by the European Training Foundation (ETF) during the Pilot Phase in Kosovo. Building on the findings from the Pilot Phase, the lessons learned, and the best practices worldwide, the Project will design a rigorous and feasible methodology for TS.

Support the development of the legal framework regulating Tracer Studies (TS) at the national level and of the operational guidelines

The main objective of this activity is to support the MESTI in developing a legal framework (bylaw) for the establishment of the National Graduate Tracking System and periodical implementation of Tracer Studies (TS) through this system. This will be achieved by providing external expertise and creating ad hoc working groups led by the MESTI.

Having a legal base for implementing the National Graduate Tracking System is a prerequisite for the sustainability of this system. With such a legislative framework in place, VET schools and VTCs are legally bound to implement regular tracer studies. This intervention creates a legal environment to make the sector in line with the labour market needs.

Support the implementation of full-scale Tracer Studies at the national level

This activity supports key stakeholders in developing capacities for the implementation of a nationwide National Graduate Tracking System. Capacity development activities will target MESTI’s VET department representatives to initiate, monitor and disseminate findings from TS in a first phase and then produce recommendations to VET institutions based on the results of the TS reports. The support at the school level aims to train schools’ representatives on obtaining regular and updated students contact and employment details; communicating to students the role of TS, using the Tracer Study Information System (online platform) to disseminate the survey, collect and analyse the data, as well as publishing the findings at the local level with school industry partners. Finally, support is also provided in increasing schools technical capacities to implement the entire process.

Awareness-raising campaign within the school communities about the importance of Tracer Studies and the role of graduates in the process

The Project will organise an awareness-raising campaign within the school communities about the importance of TS and the role of graduates in the process. Having an awareness campaign will help increase the response rate of VET graduates in the TS. At first, the activity will be targeted at the school community, later extending to a nationwide campaign. The activity aims to develop a systematic process of informing students about TS and shall be run with significant involvement of the student councils’ school governing bodies. The Project will facilitate the campaign at the school level, disseminate the campaign activities and report on its results. To increase the level of engagement of the graduates in the TS activities, the Project will support the establishment of a system of incentives.

Support the development of an online national platform for tracer studies data management

The data management of TS requires the support of digital tools, specifically an online platform, developed by the Project. This will include questionnaire development, survey preview, real-time data evaluation, statistical analysis, data presentations, and report generation. This will need to be accessible at the school level and supervised at the central level (MESTI, MFTL and Employment Agency, MEDs, AVETAE, etc.). The platform will be interfaced with the current CG and ISDM national system (including “Busulla.com”). Training activities on the use of the platform and the generation of reports are to be conducted at the institutional and school level.