BACKGROUND To realise the ambitious growth targets set by each fabrication country in Europe will require a flexible and mobile workforce with the skills and knowledge to implement the new fabrication and assembly methods, and technologies deployed by the leading multinational fabrication and supplying companies. This growth in fabrication must be achieved efficiently, alongside high standards of Health, Environment and Safety regulations, the mitigation of environmental impact and new ICT skills. This necessitates an upgrading of workforce skills and qualifications through the deployment of more innovative and accessible work-based learning systems that can fully motivate and support staff development and the attainment of nationally recognised qualifications that are respected by industry. NUMBER AND PROFILES OF PARTICIPANTS Whilst there are some effective VET systems to support youth development, most notably in Norway and Sweden, mature entrants are not so well served. They currently lack structured in-company support during work based training activites and practice, including support from tutoring staff during learning and implementation of theory at companies that may be located far away from the VET providers. At the same time too many staff with strong practical skills face learning and writing disabillities, while other experience challenges related to the young school leavers. In some countries like Hungary, once in employment, formal VET pathways leading to the completion of a National Qualifications (NQs) in fabricatin are hard to access or not well supported. Approximately, only 10% of the inspector workfoce in Norway and Sweden has got a NQ. Therefore, most of the workforce remains un-qualified and highly dependent on informal inhouse training (non-formal VET) provided by the companies themselves. OBJECTIVES The ultimate goal is to develop a new team supported work based learning process within fabrication VET that improves the conditions for learning theory for inspector opperative staff with strong practical skills, but which at the same time are challenged with learning and writing disabillities or has experienced to be a school leaver. It enables individual’s informal competences and skills to become recognised and accepted, within fabrication NQ, and built on through individualised and group learning supported processes. ACTIVITIES This partnership will develop and pilot a system for the delivery of innovative ‘individualised’ work- based learning practices supported by in-company teams. The pre-requisite processes recognising prior learning and flexible learning resources will be aligned to a shared framework of industry endorsed learning outcomes. The continuous assessment of practical competence at the workplace will involve employers and inform NQ assessment results that are understood by the main fabrication companies in Europe. Consequently, work-based VET pathways and qualifications will gain parity of esteem and learner mobility will be promoted, aided by European tools, including EQF and ECVET. The European industry’s aim of promoting knowledge exchange between the main fabrication countries and collective problem solving will be synergised by the shared learning system. METHODS There is a gap between the ambitions of the industry, and the current training methods which do not take into account how many staff that are champions in problem solving, while they at the same time avoid and fears the required theoretical training. This will be resolved by developing - a common framework of learning outcomes for European fabrication developed through a formalized fabrication skills and VET provider network - new work-based learning and assessment delivery systems and resources that increase capacity for fabrication skills instruction and contribute to a quality assured assessment and formal VET delivery system, supported by their VET providers - national work-based learning delivery partnerships and support teams that will update fabrication VET resources, shared by the VET provider network and their industry associated partners - piloting the delivery of fabrication NQs to work-based learners utilising shared resources and evaluating the learners’ experiences, to inform the development of improved teams supported VET learning systems RESULTS BET will help improving the fabrication VET system for staff working in fabrication industry. The new in-company team system will target this area, thus offering a system solution with standarized and harmonized methods for support during the theoretical training phases and in particular the work based training to be organized at companies that may be located in remotly geographical areas. IMPACT The overall mission is to improve the accessibility and quality of work-based learning for inspector operatives at two levels, and start preparíng for ‘harmonisation" of industry endorsed NQ, hereby promoting learner and skilled labour mobility.
The project has produced a common framework of learning outcomes for European fabrication developed through a formalized fabrication skills and VET provider network. New work-based learning and assessment delivery systems and resources that increase capacity for fabrication skills instruction and contribute to a quality assured assessment and formal VET delivery system, supported by their VET providers. National work-based learning delivery partnerships and support teams that will update fabrication VET resources, shared by the VET provider network and their industry associated partners Piloting the delivery of fabrication NQs to work-based learners utilizing shared resources and evaluating the learners’ experiences, to inform the development of improved teams supported VET learning systems
The BET project was proposed to address the needs to modernize and harmonize European VET education by focusing on increasing the quality in VET through the establishment of feedback loops to adapt VET provision. By doing so enhancing access to training and qualifications for all and offer transparency and recognition of skills and qualifications in VET education sector.The aim of the BET project has been to test and evaluate how modern ICT response tools can be used to immediately document learners’ prior workplace-based learning and propose suitable learning structures and to address this. This would lead to time and cost savings for VET providers and their local industry. It inclines a slick, invigilated multiple choice assessment process to recognize and accredit prior learning easily implemented by the teacher. The project addresses needs like harmonisation of processes in accordance with the European standards within the construction product market industry. It provides an opportunity to better integrate learners with learning disabilities in VET sector provided education in all diciplines.