Qualification at work

"BackgroundIn most of the countries, we face the problem of students not finishing their vocational studies or not even starting them because of finding the theoretical part of the studies too long, boring and difficult. Many changes have already taken place to improve the situation but still on the job learning forms only a part of the studies. For finding new pathways, methods and models for qualification studies we have in cooperation with our working life partners agreed to pilot two qualification study programs fully at work places. The qualifications are: school work assistant and health care assistant. Both qualification studies last for one year. In Netherlands Roc Noordeerport started the same kind of pilot already in Spring 2015. In Alicante, Spain, the regional policy ""dual learning model"" was looking for concrete study models to be used at work places. The Polish partner was eager to learn and develop their own work based education. The Swiss research centre was interested shared the interest. So a common interest in development of work based education was a start of this Project and Project partnership.The project objectives address to the following EU priorities: 1 work based VET development, to give more study options for students with problems to finish their studies at schools 2 increasing the cooperation between educational institutions and work places for matching of the professional competencies to the needs of the working life.3 increasing the knowledge of teachers about working life / work placements.4 Developing international cooperation skills and knowledge about various work based systems and practice Objectives:The project objectives were: -to find out new learning pathways for students who easily would be dropouts; - to Increase cooperation between schools and workplaces -to develop teachers’ methodological and international skills.Partners:Coordinator: Federation of municipalities for education in Itä-Uusimaa/Edupoli. Vocational Adult Education Centre. Finland.Partners: Roc Noordeerport Vocational institution Holland; IES LEONARDO DA VINCI, vocational school, Spain; Foundation Institute for Private Enterprise and Democracy/Fundacja, research centre, Poland; Associazione seed, research centre, Switzerland as an associated partner.Activities: 1 Work based qualification program piloting in close cooperation with employers and instructors/ Finland, Netherlands, Spain, Poland. Switzerland made a research on the work based VET in these countries and supporte in dissemination. 2 Work based education models development on the basis of the pilots.3 Teachers work placements before the pilots start and then carrying out the whole qualification program at the work place4 Transnational workshops in 4 countries. Learning about different work based systems and practise and sharing feedback, challenges and best practise of the pilots.5. Dissemination event in Finland Methodology:The project methodology was to work out, in cooperation with EU partners and working life, new models and curricula for work based VET qualifications. All the partners worked out their own pilot development projects . The results of the national projects were shared and elaborated in transnational partner workshops in each country. In between the workshops the partners worked through AC meetings. The partners cooperation in the project was useful and important: those who had ready plans and had started the piloting already supported the others, who were just in the planning phase. Results and impact attained:1. Work based VET Models of the partners (e.g.school assistant, health care assistant, automobile mechanic, ambulance health care worker, constructer) 2. Passed qualification exams of students in the pilot programs.3. Developed methods and practice for student guidance and support for the new qualification at work model.4. 2-10 teachers carried out their work placements in each country5. Education and working life cooperation increased.6. International cooperation and skills increasedThe project increased study options and gave more individual pathways for vocational qualification studies. The work-based models and methods will be used and further developed in sectors' of the pilots and also in new sectors. Students will be more motivated to study qualifications and there will be less dropouts. The close cooperation between educational institutions and employers/work places improves the competence of teachers and quality of education. Part of the students of the pilots were immigrants who stated that the work based method helped them to learn both language and vocational skills more efficiently. WorkQ Project gave an idea for a new Project on immigrant education:how to involve immigrant mothers in education. The Project was started in Finland but unfortunately was not financed By EU Erasmus+. European approach is now missing but hopefully will be included later."