The quality of apprenticeship training is deteriorating in many EU countries, the number of early apprenticeship leavers is increasing and has reached alarming levels even in countries which have been praised for their dual vocational system. The skills of the apprentices do not match the needs of the economy. Many VET teachers and trainers lack digital competences and are not sufficiently prepared to cope with other needs and expectations of the new generations of apprentices. The apprentices themselves lack motivation, self-esteem, communication skills. Various forms of bullying including cyber bullying among apprentices have reached the VET sector. The VET systems as a whole are not responsive enough to labour market needs. The project aims at enhancing the skills and competences of apprenticeship trainers and teachers and trainers of other VET systems, by developing training materials which provide guidance on how to cope successfully with the Generation Y and how to communicate corporate culture and values. The course content covers five subject areas: - How to find and develop apprentices - Leadership and working with generation Y - Knowledge transfer to generation Y - Leadership and corporate culture - Conflict resolution in VET The course content is developed in MicroLearning format. The content of a course consists of 20 to 25 video clips of 1-3 minutes’ duration, the same number of audio clips and so-called transfer materials (e.g. guidelines for trainers, check-lists; links for download materials). The course content will be developed in DE, EN, FR and PL language. MicroLearnings are digital flash cards which are accessible at any time from any device. This innovative and learner-centred method of learning has become increasingly popular in recent years especially in big companies. Mobile and flexible educational methods take into account both the needs of in-company-trainers as time resources for education and training are becoming more limited and of the apprentices who by using digital learning formats achieve better learning results and a higher degree of satisfaction and retention. Learning in MicroLearning format thus helps to reduce the number of early apprenticeship leavers, to increase the labour market relevance of VET and to make apprenticeships more attractive and efficient. The Consortium is composed of 5 organisations from four countries (AT, FR, PL and UK) providing training or training-related services at VET or university level. One partner is specialised in the production of MicroLearnings for small and medium sized enterprises. Each partner takes the lead in the development of one of the five subject areas. The video and audio clips are produced by the partner organisations that have the expertise in producing high quality AV content. The course content will be available as Open Educational Resources on the project website and the web platform of the partner specialised in MicroLearnings. Given the relevance of the course content and the high quality of the video clips the project’s benefits are very promising, as more and more companies with apprenticeship training consider MicroLearning as one of the most efficient learning methods for the apprentices of Generation Y. This method is being increasingly used also in other educational environments, at secondary and university level as well. The courses’ content is of relevance not only in apprenticeship training but also in (further) education and training of all categories of staff.
Vocational Education and Training (VET) systems across Europe are facing a series of challenges. According to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), a number of European countries are having difficulties recruiting and retaining highly skilled vocational teachers. The research found that VET trainers/teachers deliver their teaching in a more traditional way due to the lack of sophisticated digital skills expected by the new generation. The learning styles of the new generation are changing, with preferences for more flexible and digitalised learning using mobile devices. Therefore, the generation gap between the usually older generation of VET teachers and the new generation of apprentices is widening resulting in reducing the relevance of VET in the contemporary labour market. Questions are also raised not only about the mode of delivery but also about the content of VET training. The focus of VET is ordinarily on practical activities related to a specific vocation. However, it has been noticed that, whilst their practical skills may be adequate, the school leavers are lacking soft skills such as communication skills, self -motivation, understanding the dynamics of the work place etc. With this in mind, it seems that including teaching soft and other transferable skills during any apprenticeship should be part of any VET, so even if the apprentice decides to change the economic sector, they will still be able to use some of the skills in their new field. The “Microlearnings for trainers and teachers in VET systems” project was aiming to address the two issues of content and mode of VET by creating a training material/product. The objectives were: • The products will contribute to the development of skills and competences (including digital of in-company trainers and trainers & teachers in VET systems. • It will help to make the VET more attractive for apprentices because the training will be provided in a format more suited to the needs and expectations of the new generation of learners. • The trainers/teachers of the project partners engaged in VET and other fields/sectors of education will use the products themselves. VET teachers and trainers of other companies will be encouraged to use the products as well. • The products will ensure a high quality VET by improving the transfer and quality of knowledge. • The products are not only designed for use of the trainers /teachers but also for use by the apprentices/students themselves. The subject matters of the courses will improve motivation and other transferable soft skills of the apprentices, enhancing their professional education and training . • The use of innovative pedagogical methods to "transfer" the learning content will help to enhance the impact of the learning. All these factors will contribute to reducing the number of apprentices leaving their apprenticeships early. The products will also help to increase the relevance of VET in the labour market. • Integration of education and learning: the project will address the question of how to make intergenerational learning a success, by taking into account the needs and expectations of the young learners and their digital competences. • The training materials are developed in the innovative Microlearning (ML) format small learning units addressing a specific question within the topic in video, audio clips and download (transfer material). ML as a digital format enhances learning content and facilitates flexible learning and access through Open Educational Resources. The project was focusing on 5 draft topics/courses that were the result of the research of current provisions and agreed amongst project partners: 1. Knowledge Transfer 2. Leadership and Corporate Culture 3. Leadership and working with new generation 4. How to find and develop apprentices 5. Conflict and resolution in VET The organisation of the training material was an innovative Microlearning format, small learning units addressing a specific question within the topic in video, audio clips and transfer materials. Each topic consisted of 19-25 video/audio clips of 1-5 minutes in length. All material is available as a free on line educational resource in 4 languages (English, French, German and Polish) on our project website http://www.microlearnings.eu/. The Project partnership consisted of organisations from four countries- from old and new EU member states. The project team was a mix of organisations with different profiles and expertise involved in different economic sectors as well as various sectors of education and training. Theses consist of University, VET providers, providers of counselling and training services for public ad-ministrations, private enterprises and in particular small and medium sized companies (SME). Three partners (Ibis acam and NeuKurs/AT) and Leno (FR) provide training or training-related services in VET; the UK partner (Coventry University) provide