In the DIME -project, five vocational schools providing horse sector education from Finland, France, Sweden and Norway established a network for exchanging experiences and benchmarking different practices of the arrangements, and assessment of students work based learning (WBL) periods. Improving students work safety was one of the most important main themes in sharing good practices. In the partner organisations work based learning has an significant role in vocational education. Guidance, monitoring and documentation requires lots of resources. By agreeing on common rules and discovering suitable tools and methods for use during WBL periods improved the quality of the studies as well as increases the students learning. By agerring on the use of common forms and platforms improved the cooperation between colleges and working life. Foreign exchange periods are also easier to arrange. Working life input was in an important role in this project and representants from trainers, professionals and other specialists joined the project meetings. During this project the project partners learned about methods and tools used in guidance, monitoring and documentation of WBL periods of the horse sector students. They identified good practices and exchanged ideas on how to develop the WBL periods. They also discovered how digital tools can better be used in the guidance, monitoring and assessment of WBL periods. Improving students work safety results also in a better learning process and a work safety checklist was completed for use in the stables. The project partners identified ways to organize WBL assessment and educate the work place instructors. Participating horse sector instructors increased their knowledge and professional skills as well as language and international skills. Participants also discussed the appeal of the horse sector education in general and found common ways to promote the international image of the education and the horse business. After this project the partner organisations will continue working together with more active student and staff exchanges. A new KA2 innovations project for creating an auditioning tool for the selection and training of so called TOP stables to be used by the schools for students international WBL periods have started.. The long-term aim is that the partner organisations have a efficient and high-quality way to use same tools and methods to guide, monitor and document horse sector students' WBL periods. In addition, the use of common rules, forms and tools will give all partners a clear idea how to best arrange their work based learning periods The project coordinator, the Federation of Education in Central Ostrobothnia (Kpedu), is a vocational college that delivers education to both adult and young students in seven educational sectors. The horse sector is the sector involved to this project. Other participants are also horse sector educators in France, Sweden and Norway. The final report summarizes the project results: - Descriptions how partner organisations are currently using different tools and methods in guidance, monitoring, documentation and assessment of students’ WBL periods. - Work safety checklist - Good practices and development ideas that have been identified during transnational and national meetings. - Good practices and development ideas that have been identified during transnational and national meetings. - Summary of the survey done to the participants, what they have learned during the project and how they will utilize these things in their own work. The final report and other produced material will be freely available in all partner´s websites. The partner organisations had already developed and carried out an international exam, the EQUES-program by 2002. The EQUES-exam is developed for easier recruitment of trained international employees. Partner organisations already exchanged students but different practices related to work safety instructions and the assessment of the students had been identified as confusing. To guarantee work safety, impartial assessment and a good WBL experience for the students the partners this project of sharing good practices was successful and important.
In the DIME -project, five horse sector education organisations from Finland, France, Sweden and Norway will develop a better network to exchange experiences and benchmark how different methods are used in guiding and assessment of work based learning (WBL) periods of students in vocational education. Work safety is one main theme in when sharing good practices. In all partner organisations work based learning has an significant role in education. Guidance, monitoring and documentation require lot of resources. To have a common rules and also tools and methods would improve the quality of the studies as well as increase the efficiency. Using common forms and platforms would also improve the cooperation between colleges and working places. That will help work place instructors more to the assessment of the horse sector students. Working life is in an important role in this project and will join all project meetings. Project group can easily collect most important things to take into account. During this project partners will learn how organisations are using different methods and tools in guidance, monitoring and documentation of WBL periods of horse sector students. They will also identify good practices and exchange ideas on how to develop their own WBL. They have learned how digital tools can be used in guidance, monitoring and guidance of WBL. Better work safety issues result in a better learning process. They will find common ways to organize WBL assessment. Participating horse sector education professionals will increase their knowledge and professional skills as well as language and international skills. Participants have found common ideas how to promote the international image of the education and horse business. After this project, partner organisations will continue working together with student and staff exchanges and new projects - aim is to apply new KA2 to create total new innovation, "guidance template". The long-term aim is that the partner organisations have a efficient and high-quality way to use same tools and methods to guide, monitor and document horse sector students' WBL periods. In addition, the use of common rules, forms and tools and would make give all partners clear idea how to arrange work based learning periods The project coordinator the Federation of Education in Central Ostrobothnia (Kpedu) is vocational college that delivers education to both adults and young in seven educational sectors. Horse sector is sector involved to this project. Other participants are also horse sector educators in France, Sweden and Norway. The project will result a final report that summarizes the project results: - Descriptions how partner organisations are currently using different tools and methods in guidance, monitoring, documentation and assessment of students’ WBL periods. - Work safety checklist - Good practices and development ideas that have been identified during transnational and national meetings. - Summary of the survey done to the participants, what they have learned during the project and how they will utilize these things in their own work. Final report and all other material project produces will be freely available in all partner´s websites. Partner organisations have already developed and used international exam in the EQUES-program. The EQUES-exam is developed for easier recruitment of trained international employees. Partner organisations already exchange students between them but they have different practices related to work safety instructions and assessment of the students. Because of this, partners have identified a need to develop common understanding and tools related to work safety and student assessment. Work safety needs to be improved during international on-the-job learning periods and impartial assessment must be guaranteed.