Abstract:

Introduction:
Vocational High School (VHS) apprenticeship programs combine work-based, on-the-job learning with relevant technical education in the classroom. In this paper, we describe the basic design principles and architecture of a complex MIS built for the management of the whole lifecycle of Apprenticeships (e-mathiteia.minedu.gov.gr). It was designed and developed by CTI “Diophantus”.

Cycle Phases:
Every school year the Greek Ministry of Education implements an Apprenticeship Cycle in VHS. After requirements analysis, we divided this cycle into the following phases:
1) Preparatory Phase, where companies and public sector bodies declare the number of apprenticeships they will offer, along with their specialty and location. Afterwards, each Regional Directorate of Education (RDE) issues relevant public invitations to VHS graduates to submit applications of apprentices in a specific VHS.
2) Applications and Results Phase consists of the applications submission of the candidates, their evaluation and ranking based on a scoring algorithm.
3) Registration and Classes Creation Phase, where the assignment of candidates to apprenticeship positions is taking place, and the classes are formed.
4) Apprenticeship Phase, where the apprentices work and learn and must fill monthly reports to receive a subsidy.
5) Assessment and Certification Phase, where the apprentices are evaluated, and their skills are certified.

Basic User Roles:
Candidate Apprentice / Apprentice, VHS Director, Teacher / Supervisor, RDE, Certification bodies, Cycle Admin, Financial Admin, IS Admin.

Architecture - main Systems:
The User Management System deals with the creation and management of all users and the assignment of roles to them. Each role declares access rights to functionalities of the MIS. Most users can login through SSO by using existing user accounts in Panhellenic School Network.
The Applications System supports the applications submission and their management, validation and ranking by the VHSs.
The Apprenticeships Management and Positioning System supports on the one hand the companies and public sector bodies to state the exact location and specialty of each position they offer, and on the other hand the VHSs on the task to assign these positions to valid candidate applications based on their ranking and geographical criteria.

The Apprenticeship Monitoring System supports the recording of apprenticeships presences/absences, the production of all necessary documents, the repayment of grants and the conduction on-site apprenticeship visits by supervisors.

Finally, the Reporting System produces all necessary statistical reports during the whole period of a cycle.

Interoperability:
To validate the data collected in the MIS we have implemented a Communication and Interoperability System with other e-gov MISs through secured web services. Indicatively, we validate IBANs, Tax Identification Numbers and Social Insurance numbers, teachers and VHSs information, etc..

Statistics:
Since 2019 this system has supported: Two full cycles (we are in the middle of the 3rd), 9705 users, 7390 apprentices, 840 classes. During this period more than 16 million Euros have been paid and more than 40000 documents exchanged through the system, causing the drastic reduction of bureaucracy. 3 million records have been stored in the MIS DB and the code of the system consists of more than 80.000 lines.

Keywords:

Information system design, apprenticeships, vocational training, interoperability.