CAREER MODELS AND INCENTIVES

While universities use and develop career models, the career paths of staff in teaching‑weighted positions have been neglected. The prestige of teaching work must be improved and the career models for teaching staff require development. Teaching quality has been acknowledged through, for example, the Teacher of the Year award and admission into the Teachers’ Academy.

However, paths for systematic career progress do not exist. The career path opportunities of educational administration staff must also be developed. So far, the career models have focused on the development of researcher career paths, which require further development. Career paths in research must be used to promote the regularisation of researcher positions and researcher career progress.

YLL’s views on the use of career models and incentives

Career model development must take into account all staff groups.

University career models and incentives must be equally introduced to all teaching and research staff regardless of whether their duties are teaching‑ or research‑weighted. Teaching work must be an element of significant weight in career progress. If the position does not allow for genuine research, the use of salary development, status improvement and other incentives must be based on, for example, teaching experience-based competence, completed degrees, pedagogical qualifications, or responsibilities within a discipline.

It must be acknowledged that the requirements and responsibilities of teaching work increase due to, for example, an increased and more organised knowledge of the discipline as well as increased teaching and guidance experience. Responsibilities in the work community increase in connection with curriculum design and mentoring work and discipline coordinator duties. The importance and effectiveness of teaching and guidance must be recognised at all levels of teaching. Staff in teaching‑ or administration-weighted positions must also be offered opportunities to conduct research which develops their discipline and obtain scientific merits, within the framework of their overall workload.

All career stages must allow staff to seek out a career path which leads to a professorship.