A Study on the Support System of Work Experience Centered Career Education
Yun-Kyoung Jang, Na-Ra Kim, Yoo jeong Nadine Seo
Recently, the Korean government has increased its support for the hot button issue of experience centered career education and focused on developing students' skills and aptitudes when it comes to selecting a career. In early 2010, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology(MEST) developed a work experience program that was made available to primary, middle, and high schools. MEST has also operated such work experience programs in the city and district level offices of education since late 2010.
Nevertheless, activities related to students' work experience remain limited and the educational environment for work experience in and outside of school continues to be lacking. The ability to extend career education based on work experiences in and outside of school is predicated on the conduct of an in-depth study of the support system for career education.
To this end, this study investigates the support system currently in place for active career education centered work experience and proposes related policies. The detail contents and methods employed in this study are as follows.
First, this study identifies the current issues associated with work experience centered career education in Korea, and pinpoints the problems as residing at the secondary school level. To this end, the study conducted an analysis of previous reports related to work experience and introduces school statistics pertaining to work experience status emanating from 16 cities and districts offices of education.
Second, case studies of work experience are also examined. On site visits were conducted to review examples of work experience programs, the operational measures recommended by the pertinent offices and their staffs. Moreover, interviews were also conducted with teachers and students who participated in such programs. Third, reference was also made to examples of work experience centered career education and support systems abroad.
Lastly, policy measures and suggestions pertaining to work experience centered career education and support system were introduced.
The main suggestions of previous studies related to work experience can be summarized as follows: index selection of policy evaluation through the legal regulation of work experience;
building of networks with related organizations; strengthening of liaison relationships and conciliation between departments; forging of a regular base of work experience; enhancement of experience and volunteer based career education methods; establishment of a support infrastructure for work experience; ICT or in service training reinforcement for staff members so as to increase their professionalism.
The ‘creative experience activity’ was included in the 2009 Revised National Curriculum.
More to the point, it called for 3 hours or more a week at the middle school level, and 4 hours or more a week in highschool to be set aside for work experience related activities. In late 2010, MEST developed as one of its creative experience activities a work experience program. It also funded 348 such programs at the city and district office of education levels.
MEST set up a nationwide support system connecting its Career Education and Guidance Department with the career guidance support centers established within city and district offices of education as well as individual schools' career counseling departments(20th April, 2011, MEST).
An on/offline career information center was also put into place, with online career advisory services, psychological assessment tools and job information offered through the career guidance support centers.
A questionnaire survey was distributed to members of institutes, teachers, and students regarding career education centered on work experience. The major results of this survey can be summarized as follows.
The survey of 117 school teachers revealed that while 152 programs were operated in 2010, 179 programs were in place as August 2011. While the average program ran for 8.7 hours and boasted 132 students, the main type was experience programs, accounting for 41.2% of the overall total.
Students' level of satisfaction with the program averaged 3.97. Here, girls average score (4.05) was found to be higher than that of boys (3.83) (t=-2.627, p<.01). While teachers satisfaction with the manner in which the programs operated averaged 3.48, the staff in institutes responsible for the conduct of such programs averaged 4.29.
While the major problem identified by the staff in charge of operating such programs in institutes was the limited budget and funds (34.5%), the teachers highlighted the limited number of locations and amount of information pertaining to work experience (35.9%). Meanwhile, students pointed out the inappropriate work experience placement (20.7%) and the lack of individual advice and counseling (19.2%) as the main problematic issues.
In terms of the steps which cities, districts and governments should take to enhance work experience, the teachers zeroed in on the need for the expansion of work experience locations
through the signing of government-led creative experience activity MOUs with companies(39.3%) and for schools to be able to select such programs through career exhibition shows(31.6%). For their part, students demanded a greater number of work experience programs (44.9%).
Meanwhile, the staff in charge of operating such programs in institutes focused on the need to expand the relevant government budget (37.9%).
Work experience locations are divided into those found in public and private institutions, and those in schools. In this section, the operational overview, work experience contents and support system were analyzed in turn. The public locations funded by the government which were examined herein consisted of the National Youth Space Center, Gwacheon National Science Museum and Job World. Meanwhile, those funded by local districts were the Haja Center, Suseo Youth Center, Inchon Youth Career Guidance and Supporting Center. Private locations include Kidzania, the Hansol Construction Company's Architecture Work Experience, Farm 21C Ulsan and NFTE-Korea.
School case studies consisted of the work experience programs put in place by the Busan Dong-Eui Institute of Technology and the Jeju campus of the Korea Polytechnic University.
These case studies showed that there is need for a widespread expansion of work experience locations, specialized programs at each level, and full-time and supporting human resources.
The cases of Ireland, Japan and England are investigated herein from the standpoint of operational contents, educational significance, support system and educational achievement. This investigation wielded the following implications for Korea as far as work experience centered career education is concerned.
Ireland boasts a Transitional Year(TY) work experience program. The operation of the TY program is characterized by schools use of parents, work locations, and local communities as education partners as part of efforts to maximize the efficiency of the related human resources.
Schools promote voluntary participation on the part of such entities, adopt a cooperative approach to bringing about effective TY programs, and design TY programs that reflect students' needs and requirements based on the standards and guidelines set by the Ministry of Education.
The main findings of the case study involving Japan was the presence of a nationwide five-day ‘Career Start Week Campaign’ organized by Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science & Technology that revolves around work experience activities. The ‘Month of Work Experience’ sponsored by MEST in Korea shares many similarities with this Career Start Week Campaign. This event has helped to facilitate the expansion of work locations, the tightening of cooperation amongst them, the placing of work experience programs on schools' official curriculums, and the training of volunteers as supporting human resources.
The UK only offers one or two weeks various and stable work experience programs. These programs encourage active participation as well as provide opportunities to find a job in the future. As the support system is already established, a lot of educational contributions are provided by local communities, corporations and partner institutions.
In Chapter 6, the tasks related to the activation and stabilization of the work experience centered career education support system are proposed. First, a diversity of work locations and programs must be offered and explored. Second, there is a need to enhance the professionalism and specialization of the workforce responsible for work experience programs and to ensure that the proper supporting human resources are efficiently employed and utilized. Third, an on/offline network must be installed to connect government, local communities and schools so as to facilitate the operation of effective work experience programs. In addition, practical cooperation between these entities should be achieved.
The following suggestions are made with regards to support measures for the expansion of work locations and program development. Additional work locations should be secured through pan-government unity at the national level. Moreover, steps should be taken to develop work experience programs and expand the participation of public institutes in such ventures. In addition, growth incentives should be provided to private corporations and campaigns and contests should be sponsored. At the city and district education office levels, funds should be set aside for work locations, contests should be sponsored, and videos of work experience should be produced to help overcome regional differences. Moreover, a mobile work experience exhibition bus should be set up, with diverse programs offered during the term, weekend and vacation period. At the individual school level, work locations should be found, and plans to related work experience to the curriculum drawn up.
The following support measures are introduced in conjunction with the enhancement of the professionalism and specialization of the staff in charge of work experience programs and securing the necessary workforce. As the competence of such staff remains very low, the first steps that are needed are the development and dissemination of a national manual.
At the city and district education office levels, there is a need to improve the competencies of career guidance counselling teachers and to enhance support for their specialization, make active use of school and company retirees, promote training, and utilize work experience coordinators.
The following suggestions are made with regards to the support system for the enhancement of on/offline networks and practical cooperation: the formation of local and national support committees, the holding of regular meetings in which detailed roles and collaboration is established, and the installment of a ‘work experience net’ that helps to match and share work experience resources at the local and national levels.
