Jet-Net & TechNet (JNTN)

A new organisation focused on school-company cooperation in the French region of Bretagne was launched on December 10, 2021. The launch follows an EU STEM Coalition Taskforce meeting in Fréhel, France in which several international best-practices were presented and evaluated by the working group.

The new not-for-profit association was formally launched under the name 'Bretagne Entreprise Jeunesse' (BREJ) by the representatives of the participating organisations. In its statutes the objectives of the association are established as:

1.  Support young people in their job orientation, discovery of the professional world and transition to the labour market,
2.  Allow companies to meet with and contribute to the world of education (schools, colleges, high schools, higher education and training centres) and 
3.  Allow teachers, trainers and guidance counselors to interact with the world of business in the region of Bretagne

During its inaugural meeting, it was also decided to continue to develop STEM-oriented activities under the already existing STEM Bretagne-label (created by the members of the working group prior to the launch of BREJ).

The Jet-Net&TechNet (JNTN) programme is one of the flagship programmes of the Dutch national STEM Platform (PTvT). The programme is focused on increasing STEM uptake in primary and secondary education through school-company partnerships and covers the majority of Dutch primary and secondary schools and over 2000 companies. The programme also inspired 'spinoffs' in Denmark and the Basque country. For more information about the programme and its results, please see the full programme profile in the 'programmes' section.

In response to the COVID-19 measures the JNTN programme has developed online / remote formats of several of its key activities. These include the company tours, which now take place digitally utilising existing video materials developed by companies for new employees (available via the Ozone platform). 

The popular webtool for matching company professionals and schools for guest lectures (GastlessenZoGeregeld) now supports teachers and schools with special challenges and assignments inspired by companies that teachers can use in remote learning activities. 

Finally, the JNTN programme makes extensive use of webinars. These include a webinar on the 'BètaTechMentality'-model for teachers and other stakeholders which explains how students can be triggered by STEM in various ways. This special course is now also available in webinar format and has seen a strong uptick in popularity since the COVID-19 measures were imposed. The BètaTechMentality model is based on periodic research by the Dutch national STEM platform and is available in English and Dutch (see the publication pages for a full description).

In the Basque country 37 schools and 21 companies and other partners have joined the STEAMsare programme of the Basque Department of Education. The goal of this programme is to create a network of schools, companies and scientific-technological stakeholders in the Basque country focused on the promotion of STEAM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics). 

The Minister of Education, Cristina Uriarte, the Deputy Minister for Education, Maite Alonso, and the Deputy Minister for University and Research, Adolfo Morais, gave presentations at the STEAMsare program press conference. Together with them, Leire Bilbao, Managing Director of the Basque Innobasque-Innovation Agency, was also present, due to this project being developed with other stakeholders in line with other 'STEAM Euskadi Strategy' (Basque STEAM Strategy)-initiatives. 

The STEAMsare programme was inspired by a successful educational approach developed in the Netherlands (and later implemented in Denmark as well as other countries) called Jet-Net.  The main objectives of STEAMsare are to provide students with a realistic, positive and varied image of science and technology education and professions, while at the same time promoting careers in this area. Schools, companies and scientific-technological partners will work together throughout the year, with the help of one of the five partners involved. These are: Basque Innovation Agency (Innobasque), November Foundation, The Machine Tool Institute, Iraurgi Renovations and the Mondragon Corporation.

For more information, please see the full press release via the link above.

The Jet-Net&TechNet programme (JNTN) is one of the flagship programmes of the Dutch National STEM platform (PTvT). The programme is focused on increasing STEM uptake in secondary education through one-on-one partnerships between schools and companies. This document provides an overview of activities (including practical case studies) of common JNTN activities.

Young people think about technology in very different ways. The Bèta&TechMentality (BTM) model distinguishes between five types of young people, each of whom we can interest in technology in different ways through education and information. All kinds of factors play a role in this. For example: to what extent are young people already interested in new technology and confident about technological progress? Do young people have the idea that they can take on science and technology and can they improve their skills in this area? In this white paper, we describe the five types in turn and how they can be inspired by education and communication. You can imagine, for example, that "Creative Makers" and "Social Implementers" (two motivation types) find different things appealing in education. The BTM model is based on research among 9 to 17-year-olds from primary education to secondary education (VMBO, HAVO and VWO) in the Netherlands. The research consisted of two phases:

• Qualitative research: 30 exploratory paired interviews with a total of 60 children and young people, carried out by Youngworks. In it, we explored the motives and barriers that determine how young people experience technology. The insights from the qualitative research phase were translated into value propositions about their motives and attitudes toward technology.

• Quantitative research & segmentation: 1,472 children and young people then filled out a questionnaire. Based on their reactions to value propositions and a factor analysis, we determined the seven underlying dimensions of the model. And based on a cluster analysis, we identified five segments. This phase was carried out by Motivaction.

The five Bèta&TechMentality types all score differently on these seven dimensions:

1. Self-confidence in science and technology
2. Confidence in technological progress
3. Interest in new technology
4. Appreciation and respect
5. Social commitment
6. Technology can be learned
7. Practical orientation

For a summary of the key outcomes and student types, please see the white paper via the link below. An translated version of the full 40 page report is also available.

The Technology Pact 2013 - 2020 (updated in 2016) is the national STEM strategy of the government of the Netherlands. The Technology Pact is a multi-stakeholder initiative that is supported by over 60 partners. These include three national ministries (education, economic affairs and social affairs), regional authorities, employer organisations, labour unions and all education sectors. Collectively they set the priorities for the implementation of twelve headline targets that cover the entire education chain (from primary education to the labour market). 

The Technology Pact is coordinated by the Dutch national STEM platform (PTvT). PTvT provides direct support to the regions in the implementation of the Technology Pact, supports its objectives through national programmes and monitors the progress towards the objectives in the 'Technology Pact Monitor', in cooperation with the Dutch ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate (EZK). The Technology Pact monitor levarages data from the employment agency, education field and various other sources mapping trends in STEM education and labour market on national, regional and local level. A full translation of the Dutch Technology Pact is available via the link above. 

A national STEM strategy inspired by the Dutch Technology Pact was adopted by the Danish government in 2018 (Danish Technology Pact).