WBL Guarantee is a 3 years project aiming to develop, design and validate two curriculum programmes for the professional developent of "in-company tutors" (SMEs) and "job-counselors/professionals" (public/private sector) working with WBL measures in Europe. The project identifies the new contexts (both in terms of current European labour market conditions and in the WBL measures and programme delivered) that are impacting upon, and therefore changing, the traditional roles of employers/mentors working within SMEs and employment counsellors and professionals working in VET/employment agencies asking for an enhancement of their skills and capabilities - with corresponding challenges for how this occupational profiles are to be developed, trained for and accredited across Europe. The project therefore sets out a work programme and a series of deliverables (‘intellectual outputs’) that will meet this challenge. It brings together 5 partner Countries and 11 Organisations representing WBL Alliance in Europe and coming from different sector: Public Authorities with regulatory capabilities for VET/ALMPs; VET/Employment agencies and providers; Social Partners representing SMEs and University. All the partner organisations, with different roles and ways are involved in WBL measures at National and European level. The project will look at reinforcing and upskilling the in-company tutors and job-counselors' competences following a base line study into the existence of the roles across a number of EU partners, this project will seek to indentify a set of key competencies which will then be tracked across to the EQF and NQF standards to identify if there is any scope for the development of a competency based framework. The project will also aim to develop two curriculum programmes (CVET) through a number of best practice ‘models’ , ‘tools’ and mobility programme which the successful in-company tutors and job-counselors can incorporate into their work with job seekers, learners and apprenticees/trainees to ensure successful sustained WBL outcomes.
WBL Guarantee (Public-Private Alliance to GUARANTEE quality of Work Based Learning - 2017-1-IT01-KA202 -006161) is an Erasmus KA2 project, coordinated by the Lazio Region, which began in September 2017 and ended last August 2020. It was carried out by a multi-actor Consortium, which involved 5 countries (Italy, Spain, Cyprus, Germany, Poland) and 11 organizations including public entities (Lazio Region, Cyprus Productivity Center, Andalucia Emprende), organizations from the business world (Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Confartigianato Imprese Lazio, Femeval), vocational education and training providers and employment agencies (ERIFO, FyG, MMC). The German University of Applied Labour Studies (HdBA Mannheim) and an ICT company from Poland, Danmar, also took part in the consortium The ultimate aim of the project was to contribute to strengthen work-based learning, by increasing the competences of the tutors (both in-company and training agency’s tutors) involved in work-based learning paths, in order to facilitate successful management of the transition to the labour market, as well as the quality and attractiveness of these paths. The focus of the project was the WBL experiences not included in formal learning paths, identifying and testing a methodology aimed at enhancing such experiences, also for the purpose of subsequent certification of learning or for the prosecution of one’s own studies. The main products resulting from the WBL Guarantee project are the following: 1) A study on the WBL schemes adopted in the partner countries of the consortium, also aimed at identifying the competences required for the profiles in charge of managing the various devices. The research was based on a quantitative analysis (questionnaires addressed to trainees, interns and apprentices – in-company tutors and training agencies) and a qualitative analysis of the devices adopted in each country. Based on the study, a map of the competences necessary to take on the role of tutor, both in the host companies and in the training agencies, was developed 2) The development and testing of a curriculum programme for in-company tutors (SMEs), with handouts downloadable in all partner languages. The course was developed for distance learning, as a MOOC, with slides commented in the different partner languages, as well as tested and validated through piloting activities carried out by an adequate number of in-company tutors. The course allows to acquire knowledge, techniques and tools to monitor and quantify learning, also for the purpose of subsequent certification, as well as to develop effective mentorship relationships, both for the WBL users and for the company itself 3) The development and testing of a curriculum programme for training and / or employment agencies’ tutors, who work within WBL programs, in order to strengthen their competences in planning, management, monitoring of learning. The course, designed on the basis of a training and professional standard, was accompanied by a toolkit, including the course methodology, the learning outcomes, the guidelines to deliver the course, as well as the bibliographic reference materials. Due to the Covid 19 Pandemic, the Italian version of the course was also made available for use in distance learning mode (FAD), with synchronous tutoring. The course transfers methodological skills to the tutors of the proposing bodies to design, implement and monitor WBL paths based on clear and measurable learning objectives / outcomes and that can be referenced to standardized national profiles, in order to increase the guarantee that they can be - in the next step - enhanced through a competence certification process. The Course was validated through a piloting activity conducted, as a result of COVID 19 - also remotely. 4) A training activity conducted in mobility, which involved n. 18 WBL and Employment Centers’ operators, and allowed to validate and refine the curriculum based on the training needs expressed by the technicians who took part in the mobility 5) A Handbook with tips and recommended practices to enhance the effectiveness of the WBL in non-formal learning paths. The handbook, developed on the basis of the contributions of all partners, contains suggestions on the sustainability and transferability of the WBL Guarantee methodology in other contexts and countries, in order to maximize the exploitation of the products created and stimulate an institutional reflection on the future of work-based learning The dissemination activity carried out by the consortium, through multiplier events, newsletters and social networks, involved approximately: - no. 400 final beneficiaries (WBL users) - no. 550 training/employment agencies - no. 550 companies - no. 150 public authorities - no. 100 other stakeholders.