Public Defense: Nina Aakernes

This thesis explores the competence requirements for media graphics artists and how apprentices can develop vocational competence through training in school and companies. 

The thesis focuses on answering the following questions: What is the central competence in a vocation where the ways of working continually change due to the technological development? How do apprentices develop vocational competence through in-service training under these circumstances? And what conditions are essential for coherence between learning in school and learning in workplaces? 

I employ theoretical perspectives that emphasise vocational competence as holistic and multidimensional, and further, how education can be organised for students and apprentices to develop this competence. The thesis is article-based and consists of three articles.

The main research question is: What are the competence requirements for Media graphics artists, and how can apprentices develop vocational competence through training in school and workplaces?

The first article explores the conditions that were essential for the perception of coherence between learning in school and workplaces for the apprentices enrolled in the Media graphics programme. The following conditions were found to be essential: Opportunities to specialise in the chosen vocation in the school-based part of the education, and cooperation between schools and companies on placement periods. 

The opportunities for specialising were connected to the vocational background in the teacher teams and the interpretation of the regulations for the practical exam in the second year of school. Cooperation between schools and companies over placements was very limited, though the results point to the potential for developing better collaboration.

The second article explores the competence requirements for media graphic artists, the vocational relevance of the school-based part of the education, and how to facilitate vocational relevance in the new educational programme for ICT and media production. 

The investigation of the enterprises showed that media graphics artists must have high holistic competence in the design and production of electronic and paper-based media products, as well as customer service. Interdisciplinary education related to comprehensive, authentic media products is essential for school-based education to be vocationally relevant. 

The results show that it is important for the in-service training curriculum to be based in the comprehensive competence requirements in the trade. For students and apprentices to develop this competence, the curriculum must be based on analyses of how to facilitate systematic progression through the entire education. 

Educational practices that are organised for cooperation between schools and workplaces on real production work in school and placement periods in enterprises should be further developed and reinforced.

The third article explores how apprentices in the Media graphics programme develop vocational competence in workplaces where technology is continually changing. Participation in the local community of practice in the workplaces was insufficient for the apprentices’ competence development. 

The apprentices developed competence through an interplay between involvement in the local practice, participation in courses at the apprenticeship training office, and use of resources found on the Internet. In some of the workplaces, the apprentice could be an expert on digital technology. They could act as teachers for their colleagues and contribute to change and development of the production in the enterprises.

The thesis contributes to knowledge about central competence for Media graphic artists, and how vocational relevant education can be facilitated in school and enterprises. Even though design, technology and communication are essential aspects of a holistic vocational competence in the trade, the results show that design competence is the most important. 

It is a prerequisite for the tradespersons to master the technology; however, the technology is tools for performing the design. In the daily work in the enterprises, the different aspects of vocational competence appeared as an interwoven whole. Thus, education in both schools and enterprises should be organised for students and apprentices working with comprehensive tasks.

The thesis shows that apprenticeship has an innovative potential by contributing to competence development for the individual and enterprises and to further development of vocations.The results show that it is challenging for the individual teacher, the teams of teachers, and schools to facilitate vocational relevant education. 

The apprentices in this study had various experiences according to the vocational relevance of their education. These variations occurred because they had attended different schools. 

The thesis shows that despite challenges with vocational relevance, in some schools, vocational relevant education practices have been developed with good coherence between education in school and enterprises.

These education practices seek to overcome the separation between training in school and enterprises by introducing work life-based methods as work on real productions for customers. For the vocational relevance of education in the new vocational education programme for ICT and media production, these education practices should be further developed and reinforced.