1. 1st Vienna Conference on Western Balkan Labor Markets
Strengthening Work-Based Learning in VET: Why? What Works? and How To Get There?
1st Vienna Conference on Western Balkan Labor Markets
April 4-5, 2017
Margo Hoftijzer
Education Global Practice

2. Why Promote Work-Based Learning in VET
Why Promote Work-Based Learning in VET? Better alignment of skill supply with demand while sharing costs among actors
Youth Employment
Skill Shortages
VET
Quality & Relevance
Cost-sharing
WBL

3. Work-Based Learning in VET: What Works?
20 Guiding Principles for High Performing Apprenticeships and WBL
National Governance and Social Partners’ Engagement
Clear and consistent legal framework, enabling all partners to act effectively and ensure mutual rights and responsibilities.
Structured, continuous dialogue with transparent method of coordination and decision making between WBL partners.
Strong ownership and implementation of social partners, supported through capacity building.
Have systematic and effective cooperation between VET schools and companies.
All WBL partners (companies, VET providers, learners) share costs and benefits.
Support for companies, in particular for SMEs, which participate in WBL
Support measures to make WBL more attractive and accessible, especially for SMEs
Achieving the right balance between skill needs of firms and learning needs of students
Particular attention paid to supporting firms without experience in WBL provision
Particular attention paid to supporting firms offering WBL to disadvantaged learners
Companies are motivated and supported to assign qualified trainers and tutors
Attractiveness of WBL and career guidance
Ensure pathways between VET and other education pathways exist
The image of VET and WBL are improved by promoting excellence.
Sound career guidance is provided to ensure young people make well-founded choices
Increase attractiveness of WBL by raising quality of VET teachers.
Promote attractiveness of VET and WBL through awareness-raising activities.
Quality Assurance in WBL
Clear framework for quality assurance exists at the system, provider, and company levels, with systematic feedback.
Training provision is responsive to changing skill needs in companies and society
Mutual trust and respect between WBL partners is fostered through regular cooperation
The assessment of learning outcomes is fair, valid, and authentic
In-firm trainers can access continuous professional development and have adequate working conditions

4. Work-Based Learning in VET: What Works?
Effective WBL in practice: strong institutions
Denmark
Local Training Committees (employers/ employees) support VET providers, e.g. on finding WBL placements
Students maintain a ‘personal education portfolio’ to promote quality assurance and raise student awareness of the learning process
Austria
Apprenticeship Offices in regional Economic Chambers: main contact for firms on questions/information related to apprenticeships
Apprenticeship Offices, with Chamber of Labour, accredit firms before WBL engagement
Voluntary sectoral training funds use a wage levy, to finance WBL providing firms
Ministry of Economy awards Company Awards for strong performance in apprenticeships
Social partners monitor WBL performance of firms based on annually evaluated indicators, to provide targeted support to weak-performing firms
Ireland
Liaison officers from the “Further Education and Training Authority” advise firms on WBL
Finland
National Board of Education made guidelines on teacher competencies, requiring teacher work placement period of at least 2 months
NBE developed Workplace Instructor Training within the National Qualifications Framework, including extensive support materials
Switzerland
Tools exist for firms to self-evaluate strengths and weaknesses related to WBL provision, alongside a formal licensing system

5. WBL in VET: How to Get There?
A smooth transition from school-based to in-firm learning
Largely school-based VET
VET providers: limited capacity and commitment
Weak QA system & culture
Outdated curricula, equipment, teacher skills
Private sector: weak and unorganized
Lack of trust
Financial constraints
What: Focus on the Fundamentals:
Appropriate governance and financing framework
Effective stakeholder consultation and coordination
Adequate incentives and capacity of VET providers (incl. training centers)
Adequate incentives and capacity of firms;
Mechanisms for Quality assurance;
How: Ensuring a smooth transition (ETF):
Do involve all key stakeholders, and ensure they share the same vision
Do avoid competition between the new and existing approaches to practical learning
Do start with pilot programmes, and capture and use lessons learned
Do invest in building tools to support WBL (e.g. skill lists for firms and students, assessment tools
Do invest in building capacity of implementing actors
Do actively market and communicate the WBL approach to stakeholders at all levels.

6. WBL in VET: How to Get There?
Transition examples from Latvia and Poland
Latvia – systematic approach to gradually strengthen and expand WBL
Baseline: fragmented, outdated, school-based, limited private sector engagement
Overall VET reform: optimize network; engage social partners; legal reform; WBL
WBL Activities:
Bottom-up approach, with strong championship from MoE and inspired by international examples
Small initial pilot, followed by gradual expansion
Intensive consultations informed legislation and guidelines
EU-financing (ca. euro 20 mln, )
Poland – pilot project to test different approaches to WBL
Context: World Bank TA to strengthen WBL, under EU-financed ‘Catching-Up Regions Initiative’
Baseline: legislation allows WBL, but in practice the incidence is very low. No “WBL champion”
WBL Activities:
Regional VET Working Group established to agree on goals, challenges, and opportunities
In-depth analysis of challenges for WBL implementation, incl. based on international practices
Intensive consultations with regional stakeholders
Design of EU-funded pilot project (ca. euro 4 mln, )
Pilot project will fund grant mechanism for bottom-up proposals, TA, and monitoring and evaluation
Lessons from pilot project expected to be used to further strengthen WBL in future

7. Thank you!
Questions?