Context/Background Despite WBL (work based learning) schemes including a considerable number of young people, in light the decreasing from 27,2 % to 26,5 % of the IVET work-based students, one might say that work-based learning in formal education is under pressure in Europe. Moreover, students does not like to learn in conventional environment and to practice in industry. However, the lack of welders in European labour market requires measures for making the welder professional qualification more attractive for students/apprentices. Welding is a special procedure and requires specific skills and competences. Therefore, the graduates of welding specializations from different types of formal education system cannot fit easily to job due to the large various welding applications in industry. They need to follow other non-formal study programmes in order to be qualified in specific welding procedures and then to pass an additional exam in order to be certified by a national/international body. Moreover, the certification in specific welding procedure must be renewed after a certain period. During VET studies, the students can apply for apprenticeship/internship stages if the education and training entity has signed agreements with industrial partners. This will allow them to acquire the neccessary skills using WBL concept. However, WBL approach lead to additional costs for industrial partners in term of materials and energy. These costs can be reduce if a certain time allocated for practical stage will be covered by practice on welding simulator. Objectives - Creating an open and innovative digital learning system and digital education materials dedicated to the training of apprentices. - Proposal of non-formal component of the education and training EU guidelines for the welding apprentices, in order to attract them to the knowledge and responsibilities of the profession of welder. The system will allow the apprentice to access the information and perform practice time on welding simulator - Creating conditions for international groups of apprentices to actively participate to simultaneous training and welding contests in the most possible safe conditions, by using specific stand alone simulators or in virtual classrooms. - Creating opportunity for the apprentices with difficulties in learning or economic unstable to use digital system for their training which will increase their access on the labour market. Participants - Direct Participants: project partners who will be trained during short-term courses: 24 participants - Indirect Participants: students/apprentices, unemployed adults, people with fewer opportunities and teachers/lecturers from project partners: 300 participants Activities - Implementation activities: development of Intellectual Outputs and organizing of Multiplier Events - Learning activities: 4 short-term courses in order to train the direct participants as trainers in the field of welding, digital, quality assurance, simulation; demonstrative training sessions with indirect participants - Dissemination activities: 12 workshops, 7 demonstrative activities, 5 contests, 2 webinars Methodology The methodology applied will guarantee the coherence among the project partners and the harmonization of working process through the overall implementation period of the project. The main management activities are: - Partners Meeting - Quality Management Plan - Dissemination Plan - Partnership Agreements - Interim and final reports - Sustainability strategy Results - Improving cooperation between employers and VET entities in order to promote WBL schemes through digital tools. - Improving the access of disadvantaged personel to the labour market by providing additional competence (digital competence) t - Improving the teaching/learning and digital competences for trainers through the development of digitalized teaching and examination materials togheter with a e-learning platform based on simulators. - Improving transnational cooperation in the development/updating of European Guidelines for the training of welders, curricula and teaching materials. Impact - target group will obtain new skills (welding processes) and competences (digital) - streghtening the link between stakeholders needs, VET curricula, skills and competences of apprentices - new teaching methods and new technologies in digital era will bring school close to students and students close to labour market Longer term benefits - The certification issued after the training and qualification will be recognized in more than 150 countries - The learning materials will be available for free on the website - The digital tool will be installed for free on the simulators/computers and for the future - Cooperation between the consortium and the stakeholders and the high- and VET schools will continue after the end of the project - Cooperation between project partners will continue after the end of the project in other future projects
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