The rising degree of digitalization and complexity of current and moreover future production processes (Industry 4.0, digitalization of the production) demands an education that can cope with the requirements. Apprentices who are particularly trained in the field of electrical engineering, mechatronics and economy who should be available as skilled workers for the enterprises, have to be able to record the data needed for the production process. Furthermore they should work the data up and integrate them into the right context. This results in new and more complex requirements for the employees An essential concern of this project is the improvement of the cooperation in the area of topics which are relevant for the practice between vocational schools and enterprises. The latter could give support to vocational schools by supervising the apprentices in specific operational processes and by providing the technical equipment. In addition the handling and the knowledge of complex technology becomes amplified. At the request of the enterprises, the cooperation should take place on the national and European level to guarantee a wide-ranging exchange of experiences concerning the work-based learning. Another intention of the project is informal spreading of the “Dual System” based on the level of practice. Thereby, countries should be addressed which are solely focused on academic education. Because of the variety of suitable topics it is necessary to limit the selection of the potential issues. The topic “energy management” offers a good intersection because of its meaning for the present age and the future. Based on a common start of learning arrangements between the vocational schools and the enterprises, the “best practice” approaches of the five European participating partner schools are being tested and if necessary optimized. This happens in two runs. By the comparison of the approaches and the determination of possibilities for improvements in the first step of the “teach-and learn-activity” and the integration of the results into the second step of the learning arrangement, the embedding of the “best practice” strategies in all situations of learning takes place. The second run is for proving and further embedding of the “best practice” strategies. The apprentices / students work self-reliant on the learning arrangements, besides the skills for managing operating assignments are trained. Following intentions are achieved by the project: 1. Optimizing of methods: concerning a. current approaches, b. self-reliance, c. the cooperation between enterprises and educational facilities.
The future Smart Factory with the increasing degree of digitization and complexity of production and maintenance processes requires training that meets these requirements. The key element and the main aim of this project was to initiate, expand and standardize the learning cooperation between vocational colleges and companies using the example of energy management in the times of Industry 4.0. Companies can enrich education through current practical problems and their solutions as well as through technical infrastructure. This integration of theory and practice can appear highly motivating for both students and teachers. For the reality is more complex and not as predictable as the next page in a book and thus always represents a challenge for students and teachers. Thus, learning cooperation can also be considered as advanced training for all parties involved in VET. The cooperation took place both at national and European level and allowed for wide-ranging exchange of experience on technological possibilities and perspectives, as well as methodological approaches in education in general, and in particular in the area of workplace-based learning. The project involved four vocational colleges from Italy, Estonia, the Netherlands and Germany as well as cooperating companies. All students involved in the project are receiving training in electrical engineering or mechatronics. They were supported by their instructors and teachers. Through the joint launch of learning arrangements, this project collected, tested, questioned and optimized the "best practice" approaches in the learning cooperation of the participating European partner schools. This took place in two runs, each consisting of an operational implementation phase and a Learning Teaching Training Activity. On the one hand, it was about finding the problem and the solution. On the other hand, the task-related subject-specific content was prepared and tested by the students, before being passed on to the European partners in the form of a creative lesson sequence. The students could choose the content themselves after consulting the company. In the first run, the focus was on energy management and in the second run on company-specific contents regarding the Industry 4.0. As the students carefully and independently developed, tested and performed their company-specific work assignments and learning arrangements for the Learning Teaching Training Activity, they were able to develop their skills for coping with future practical tasks. In addition, the project language was English, so a further professional and interpersonal challenge could be dealt with. On the one hand, the teachers involved in the project were able to gain new ideas in the technological spectrum of Industry 4.0 as well as initiate a substantive discussion with regard to the future 4.0 skilled worker. This was mainly about the generation of possible work areas in the aforementioned spectrum and the creation of concrete learning situations. On the other hand, as already described, the cooperation between learning locations was initiated, tested and assessed in collaboration with the European partners. Furthermore, a methodological guideline for standardization was cooperatively developed. The following goals were thus achieved by the project: 1. Method optimization regarding: a. previous approaches. b. the independence of the trainees in the sense of self-organized learning. c. cooperation between companies and educational institutions (cooperation between learning locations). 2. Exposing new relevant learning content in the context of "Industry 4.0". 3. Creation or strengthening of networks. Teaching in the form of a learning situation with a practical task was new in this form for the partner schools. This "best practice" approach in combination with "self-organized learning" and "students teach students" is innovative and requires an open educational landscape. Because only by “opening up” is it possible for students to live out their creativity, develop ideas and solutions, present and integrate them.