Strengthening Work-Based Learning in VET:
Why? What Works? and How To Get There?
1ST Vienna Conference on Western Balkan Labor Markets
April 4-5, 2017
Margo Hoftijzer
Education Global Practice
Why Promote Work-Based Learning in VET?
Better alignment of skill supply with demand while sharing costs among actors
Youth
Employment
VET
Quality &
Relevance
Skill
Shortages
WBL
Costsharing
1
Work-Based Learning in VET: What Works?
20 Guiding Principles for High Performing Apprenticeships and WBL
National Governance and Social Partners’ Engagement
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Clear and consistent legal framework, enabling all partners to act effectively and ensure mutual rights and responsibilities.
Structured, continuous dialogue with transparent method of coordination and decision making between WBL partners.
Strong ownership and implementation of social partners, supported through capacity building.
Have systematic and effective cooperation between VET schools and companies.
All WBL partners (companies, VET providers, learners) share costs and benefits.
Support for companies, in particular for SMEs, which participate in WBL
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Support measures to make WBL more attractive and accessible, especially for SMEs
Achieving the right balance between skill needs of firms and learning needs of students
Particular attention paid to supporting firms without experience in WBL provision
Particular attention paid to supporting firms offering WBL to disadvantaged learners
Companies are motivated and supported to assign qualified trainers and tutors
Attractiveness of WBL and career guidance
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
Ensure pathways between VET and other education pathways exist
The image of VET and WBL are improved by promoting excellence.
Sound career guidance is provided to ensure young people make well-founded choices
Increase attractiveness of WBL by raising quality of VET teachers.
Promote attractiveness of VET and WBL through awareness-raising activities.
Quality Assurance in WBL
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
2
Clear framework for quality assurance exists at the system, provider, and company levels, with systematic feedback.
Training provision is responsive to changing skill needs in companies and society
Mutual trust and respect between WBL partners is fostered through regular cooperation
The assessment of learning outcomes is fair, valid, and authentic
In-firm trainers can access continuous professional development and have adequate working conditions
Work-Based Learning in VET: What Works?
Effective WBL in practice: strong institutions
Denmark
Austria
•
Apprenticeship Offices in regional Economic
Chambers: main contact for firms on
questions/information related to apprenticeships
•
Local Training Committees (employers/
employees) support VET providers, e.g. on
finding WBL placements
•
Students maintain a ‘personal education
portfolio’ to promote quality assurance and raise
student awareness of the learning process
•
Apprenticeship Offices, with Chamber of Labour,
accredit firms before WBL engagement
•
Voluntary sectoral training funds use a wage
levy, to finance WBL providing firms
Ireland
•
Ministry of Economy awards Company Awards
for strong performance in apprenticeships
• Liaison officers from the “Further Education and
Training Authority” advise firms on WBL
•
Social partners monitor WBL performance of
firms based on annually evaluated indicators, to
provide targeted support to weak-performing firms
Finland
Switzerland
• Tools exist for firms to self-evaluate strengths
and weaknesses related to WBL provision,
alongside a formal licensing system
3
• National Board of Education made guidelines on
teacher competencies, requiring teacher work
placement period of at least 2 months
• NBE developed Workplace Instructor Training
within the National Qualifications Framework,
including extensive support materials
WBL in VET: How to Get There?
A smooth transition from school-based to in-firm learning
Largely
schoolbased VET
VET providers:
limited capacity
and commitment
Weak QA
system &
culture
Outdated curricula,
equipment, teacher
skills
Private sector:
weak and
unorganized
Lack of
trust
Financial
constraints
What: Focus on the Fundamentals:
1.
Appropriate governance and financing framework
2.
Effective stakeholder consultation and coordination
3.
Adequate incentives and capacity of VET providers (incl. training centers)
4.
Adequate incentives and capacity of firms;
5.
Mechanisms for Quality assurance;
How: Ensuring a smooth transition (ETF):
4
1.
Do involve all key stakeholders, and ensure they share the same vision
2.
Do avoid competition between the new and existing approaches to practical learning
3.
Do start with pilot programmes, and capture and use lessons learned
4.
Do invest in building tools to support WBL (e.g. skill lists for firms and students, assessment tools
5.
Do invest in building capacity of implementing actors
6.
Do actively market and communicate the WBL approach to stakeholders at all levels.
WBL in VET: How to Get There?
Transition examples from Latvia and Poland
Latvia – systematic approach to gradually strengthen and expand WBL
• Baseline: fragmented, outdated, school-based, limited private sector engagement
• Overall VET reform: optimize network; engage social partners; legal reform; WBL
• WBL Activities:
-
Bottom-up approach, with strong championship from MoE and inspired by international examples
-
Small initial pilot, followed by gradual expansion
-
Intensive consultations informed legislation and guidelines
-
EU-financing (ca. euro 20 mln, 2016-2023)
Poland – pilot project to test different approaches to WBL
• Context: World Bank TA to strengthen WBL, under EU-financed ‘Catching-Up Regions Initiative’
• Baseline: legislation allows WBL, but in practice the incidence is very low. No “WBL champion”
• WBL Activities:
5
-
Regional VET Working Group established to agree on goals, challenges, and opportunities
-
In-depth analysis of challenges for WBL implementation, incl. based on international practices
-
Intensive consultations with regional stakeholders
-
Design of EU-funded pilot project (ca. euro 4 mln, 2017-2020)
-
Pilot project will fund grant mechanism for bottom-up proposals, TA, and monitoring and evaluation
-
Lessons from pilot project expected to be used to further strengthen WBL in future
Thank you!
Questions?
6