EASTERN
EUROPE
CASE STUDY TITLE
HEI / ORGANISATION NAME
COUNTRY
DATE
NATURE OF INTERACTION
WITH BUSINESS
NATURE OF GOOD
PRACTISE/PROJECT
CASE 15
Q-PlaNET
ROMANIA
Q-PlaNET – QUALITY PLACEMENTS NETWORK
UNIVERSITY TRANSILVANIA OF BRASOV
CONSORTIUM OF TEN PARTNERS
ROMANIA (ALSO INVOLVES GERMANY, ESTONIA,
LUXEMBOURG AND BELGIUM)
JUNE 2011
PERSONNEL MOBILITY
OPERATIONAL ACTIVITY
PROFILE
SHORT DESCRIPTION
STRENGTHENING LINKS WITH BUSINESS
THROUGH A MULTINATIONAL
EUROPEAN QUALITY STUDENT
PLACEMENT NETWORK
Q-PlaNet – the Quality Placement Network is the network
of Quality Reference Centres (QRCs) for student placements.
QRC offices act at a regional level to check the quality of
placement and promote the mobility of students in practical
training. The Q-PlaNet project sets up concrete standards
and structures for quality assurance in order to provide
students, host organisations and universities with a solid and
secure basis for European-wide comparable placements.
The Q-PlaNet project is coordinated and run by a
consortium of ten partners from Romania, Germany, Estonia,
Luxembourg and Belgium that formed a mixed group of
universities, enterprises, networks and associations. However,
this case study focussed on the University Transilvania of
Brasov and its role in the network.
BACKGROUND
Cooperation between HEIs and the business and industrial
sector in the field of student placements is one of the most
popular activities where business partners can strengthen
links with HEIs. Looking from the point of view of learning
outcomes, various schemes for this cooperation are in place
to secure high quality placements. Moreover, year by year
enterprises put greater importance on international practical
experience of graduates when recruiting new employees.
On the other hand, checking student placements in host
enterprises is not an easy task in the various regions of the
enlarged Europe. A clear common system has not yet been
defined and accepted in Europe. In addition, standards and
practices differ considerably from one member state to
another.
The general ideas that lead to the Q-PlaNet project was to
find a solution for the issue of student placements at various
business partners by connecting regional quality reference
centres with host institutions and enterprises, sending
organisations and students.
Initially from 2008 to 2010, Q-PlaNet was a project funded
by the EU. It was planned and organised as a sub-project of
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EUE-Net, the European University Enterprise network whose goal
was to boost cooperation between industry and the education
sector (see www.eue-net.org).
AIM AND TARGET
The main aims of the Q-PlaNet project were as follows:
• To set up quality standards for placements in industry, research
or other institutions. This included curricula development, assessment and recognition of placements, communication with
enterprises, quality control and student exchange programme
synergies,
• To set up three new experimental QRCs in Brasov
(Romania),Tallinn (Estonia) and Bucharest (Bucharest),
• To develop a European pilot network of QRCs.
The standards mentioned above are clear criteria for all involved
parties in order to organise high quality placements. Quality
Reference Centres are able to check and evaluate the quality
of host organisations in their regions and confer on them the
Q-PlaNet quality label.
FUNDING
From the beginning of 2008 up until 2010, the Q-PlaNet Project
was funded by the EU lifelong learning Programme. The EC
provided 75% of the resources for the total project budget. The
benefitting members of the Q-PlaNet during the project lifetime
were those from the Erasmus countries who receive so-called OMfunding (‘organisation of mobility as part of Erasmus or Leonardo
da Vinci grants’).
IMPLEMENTATION
STRATEGY
AND ACTIONS
The approach adopted by Q-PlaNet was mainly focused on how
to make quality in placements more achievable and efficient.
The project strategy underlined the necessity of better integration
of placements into curricula and study courses.
QRCs should collaborate as a wide contact network with the
aim of increasing placement offers, promoting placements with
regards to host organisations, integrating high quality placements
in curricula and increasing interest from students. Achieving this
goal requires cooperation with organisations and enterprises
hosting students for placement (such as Chamber of Commerce
grouping business partners).
EUE-Net has been focused, firstly, on the development of a quality
standard for the practical placement in enterprises. Secondly,
their goal is to increase the presence of entrepreneurs within
university activities. Thirdly and finally, it aims to define generic
entrepreneurial skills for students and best profile of teachers
in order to enhance the entrepreneurial approach within the
university sector.
Q-PlaNet tries to gather different HEIs from all over Europe to
have one in each region of the EU. An institution could become a
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QRC should they have contacts with local industry, research
organisations and companies which offer placements for
students. Tasks of this regional QRC are to visit the host
organisations in the region and to give them a ‘quality label’
if they fulfil the Q-PlaNet quality criteria. Those quality
approved host organisations are listed on the QRC’s website
and can also offer placement positions directly on the QRC
website.
The student can apply individually to those placement offers
if they wish to and at the same time they can be sure that
it is a placement where they will learn something more
mundane that ‘making copies and coffee’. The student can
review the existing QRCs on the Q-PlaNet website and
choose the one in the region of their interest and view the
placement on offer. On the relevant QRCs’ websites they will
find appropriate information, links etc.
A very important activity of QRCs is the assessing or
‘labelling’ of the organisation offering the placement. The
QRC investigates the potential host organisation of interest
and proposes to them the implementation of a quality
framework in order to be approved to organise student
placements. Once the host organisation agrees to the
terms and conditions of labelling attestation, the labelling
procedure starts by submitting a ‘visit plan’ to the host
organisation which provides a proposed timetable for the
conditions to be assessed. Any required improvement action
identified in accordance with Q-PlaNet requirements will
be notified in writing during, or immediately following, the
assessment visit. The candidate host organisation is then
asked to advise how it intends to address the Q-PlaNet
criteria. Once the improvement action has been implemented
the Q-PlaNet label will be granted.
The label will be confirmed through surveillance visits by
the QRC, with a full reassessment periodically. The Network
assesses the quality of host organisations in Europe through
its member QRCs, while the labelling is realised by the
member QRCs, not directly by the Network. It is important
that one host organisation shall have exactly one QRC that
is responsible for its certification.
MONITORING AND
EVALUATION
An external evaluation report of the project was
commissioned three months prior to the end of the project
and submitted before the end of the project duration. Its
main objectives were, above all, to assess as to whether
the project’s activities and products (‘deliverables’) were
in line with the aims and objectives outlined in the original
application, which forms an integral part of the grant
agreement with the EU/EACEA.
SUSTAINABILITY
The website www.q-planet.org is used as a dissemination
tool and for informing partners and interested institutions
about upcoming events concerning Q-PlaNet. KOOR/BEST
at Hochschule Karlsruhe (University of Applied Sciences)
initially operated as the Project Coordinator and is now
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functioning in the role regarding the building of the network. Each
QRC has its own web space, integrated mostly on the website of
their HEI. This provides all information about the project, the host
organisations in the region, placement opportunities and more.
After the submission of the final report in November 2010, the
main focus was geared towards enlarging the Q-PlaNet Network
and on starting to award labels to enterprises. In order to spread
the Q-PlaNet spirit and, as a further goal, to invite further
partners to join the network and to become a Quality Reference
Centre, Q-PlaNet was presented at several conferences.
Furthermore, ERASMUS Consortia were contacted individually and
asked if they were interested in joining the Q-PlaNet Network.
It is one of the main tasks of Q-PlaNet to carry out the official
recognition procedure for new partners that wish to join the
network. Special seminars on reference centres and realisation
of quality-checked placements could take place to assist other
countries in adopting the system.
However, it needs more time and work to connect partners and to
reach an EU-wide acceptance of the quality placements concept.
To realise these ideas, time and work beyond the actual project
period are necessary. The project partners are committed to
create the Quality Reference Centres network within Europe, in
order to cover most regions in all member states in the next three
to five years.
IMPACT|RESULTS|OUTCOMES
ACHIEVEMENTS
The project has been very successful. The final report has been
approved by the EC and received at a global scale 10/10.
The EC were highly satisfied with the project, its results and its
dissemination activities.
The list of achievements of the Q-PlaNet project include:
• Developing of quality standards for Quality Reference Centres
and for the organisation and management of practical placements,
• Establishing the Quality Placements Network grouping Quality
Reference Centres for student placements. The network currently consists of five Quality Reference Centres. These centres
check host organisations in their region in line with the Q-PlaNet placement criteria. Career services, students, HEIs, etc. will
be able to freely access these host organisations which have
been categorised on www.q-planet.org as a guarantee for
quality training periods abroad,
• Creating guidelines for the organisation of student placements
(providing, inter alia, knowledge about setting up different
entities acting in the field of students placement and practical
training),
• Publishing 500 booklets with a detailed description about the
project, the recognition procedure and the quality standard
were published and spreading these to towards higher institutions.
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SUCCESS FACTORS
CASE 15
Q-PlaNET
ROMANIA
The key factor for the success of the project is to be found
in, explained with the strong commitment of the initiators
of the project (EUE-Net and University of Applied Sciences
Karlsruhe) and also the partners involved.
The importance of the project idea and its results is based
on the fact that, despite increasing number of student
placements all over Europe, we can observe the lack of
standardisation regarding quality in this area. Students,
universities and also future employers should be able to
check whether particular placement opportunities are in line
with necessary standards.
IMPACTS
STRENGTHS AND
WEAKNESSES
TRANSFERABILITY
THEMES
INFORMATION
SOURCES
Whilst it is too early yet to really see the full impact of the
project, the results of this project could lay the basis of a
new level in quality of mobility in European educational
programmes and could easily lead to certified placements
with a quality standard label for enterprises. As a result of
building a European Quality Reference Network, a general
standard for integrated practical training periods could be
realised.
One of the key strengths of the programme is the strength of
the Q-PlaNet network with the great personal commitment
of all the partners involved. A further strength in the transnational approach taken which allows good practice to be
spread across different regions.
One of the project weaknesses is in the further funding of
the project which could reduce the ability to disseminate
and further develop the initiatives to get the most impact.
Additionally it takes a lot of time and effort to create the
network and outreach is needed as well in order to reach
an EU-wide acceptance of the quality placements concept.
The result of the Q-PlaNet project is a new model for
quality assurance for practical placements for a student
that is based on a trans-national placement’s network. The
approach to the quality of student placements and the
methodology of quality assurance in this field could be
used by interested partners hosting students for placements
and also by HEIs organising student placements. Moreover,
the Quality Reference Centres of student placements are
an efficient, flexible structure, especially for systems and
regions with a high number of student placement motilities.
Quality assurance, Student placements, Student mobility,
Curricula development
www.q-planet.org/
(accessed 31st May 2011)
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PUBLIC CONTACT
DETAILS
CASE 15
Q-PlaNET
ROMANIA
University Transilvania of Brasov
Simona Lache
B-dul. Eroilor nr.29,
500036 Brasov,
Romania
Phone: +40268 418 967
E-mail: butila@unitbv.ro
Hochschule Karlsruhe – Technik und Wirtschaft
University of Applied Sciences Karlsruhe
KOOR/BEST
Edmund Zirra M.A.
Managing Director
Moltkestr. 30,
76133 Karlsruhe,
Germany
Phone +49(0)721 925-2825
Email: edmund.zirra@hs-karlsruhe.de
RESOURCES
DOCUMENTS AND
PUBLICATIONS
Quality standard for student placements
www.q-planet.org/D5.1.Q-PlaNet_quality_standard.pdf
Guidelines for organisation of student placements
www.q-planet.org/D4.1.Guidelines_for_organisation_of_student_
placements.pdf
DATABASES AND
WEBSITES
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www.q-planet.org/, www.eue-net.org/
(accessed 31st May 2011)