Tracer Studies: measuring impact of vocational training

The ITCILO and ILO's Employment Department, Skills and Employability Branch join forces to bring learners a course on "Tracer Studies" to measure impact of vocational training. Tracer studies or graduate surveys are standardised surveys of graduates from education institutions, which take place some time after graduation or at the end of a training. Tracer studies commonly s topics include questions on study progress, the transition to work, work entrance, job career, use of learned competencies, current occupation and bonds to the education institution (school, centre, university). Tracer studies are common in higher education, but are becoming more and more popular in technical and vocational education and training (TVET). Reforms and programmes seeking improvement of TVET systems (you can check our website for the upcoming course on Skills anticipation and matching) try to respond to labour market needs and contribute to overcoming skills mismatch, and support the transition from school to work; to achieve these objectives, TVET institutions need data from tracer studies to measure their effectiveness and the impact they have generated.

OBJECTIVES

The main objective of this course is to help participants preparing to carry out tracer studies in their respective professional environment with a practical, output-oriented, quality assured approach. Upon completion of the course, participants will have all the necessary tools to:

• plan and design a tracer study with clear objectives;

• develop the questionnaires and roll out the data collection phase;

• analyse data, interpret and present results and apply self-evaluation.

CONTENT

This micro-course consisted of the following learning units:

Unit 1 - Preparing for a tracer study

• Key concepts, terminologies/definitions

• Tracer study - basic steps, timeline, work tasks & minimum requirements

• Setting key objectives of tracer studies

• The design cycle

Unit 2 - Rolling Out a tracer study

• Questionnaire modules for a tracer study

• Questionnaire development

• Data collection methods

Unit 3 - Analyzing and presenting the results of a tracer study

• Data analysis – recommended software, techniques and approaches

• Interpretation of results and practical conclusions

• Presentation and dissemination of results

• Self-evaluation of study quality

Unit 4 - Individual assignment develop - Your tracer study project

NUMBER OF HOURS: 15