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Work for Adults 2.0
Start date: Sep 1, 2015, End date: Aug 31, 2017 PROJECT  FINISHED 

We are currently facing a transition in working life: professional requirements are changing, professional careers are evolving and employments get more and more periodic. Vocational education and training faces many expectations, e.g. personalised educational possibilities, flexible educational pathways and versatile learning solutions. Common and simultaneous development of education and working life is both a challenge and an opportunity. In this project the representatives of both education and working life jointly develop procedures to meet the needs of both sectors. The aim is to develop and implement together innovative and work-based learning experiences. This project aims at developing vocational education according to the principles of WBL (work-based learning). Objective is to test in cooperation with working life partners the new procedures that utilise peer learning and ICT, social media and new digital learning solutions. The project consortium (Omnia, the Joint Authority of Education in Espoo Region (Finland), Derby College (United Kingdom), Ikaslan/ Education & Mobility (Basque Country/Spain), Tartu Folk High School (Estonia) and Finnish Folk High School (Sweden)) commits to enhance the partnership between working life and educational establishments, lifelong learning goals and quality of education according to the strategic goals of Education & Training 2020 framework. First-rate WBL requires persistent development of partnerships, common project between working life and education and possibilities for peer learning (Work-Based Learning in Europe, 2013). In vocational upper secondary education the cooperation with working life has been more or less limited into on-the-job learning. Common development projects that have been closely linked to vocational learning have been fortuitous. The change in occupations and growing diversity of careers further increase the need for cooperation between working life and education. PIAAC (2013) study shows that the most important competences in information society are literacy, numeracy and problem solving in technology-rich environments. According to the study from the perspective of the working life the problem solving in technology-rich environments is a critical lifelong learning skill all over Europe. The demand for digital skills and competences increases rapidly in different occupations, which also adds to the need of developing these skills as a part of vocational education. Digitalisation can be seen as a common challenge and opportunity both to working life and vocational education. Internationally there are several challenges in WBL. These challenges can be related to e.g. administration or lack of long-term partnerships, common working methods or tools or to assessment of the activities. In this project the partners bring their own experience to the discussion and also take part in peer learning. The content of the project has been set up following the strategic objectives of each partner. In this project social responsibility will be taken into account by developing tighter cooperation between educational establishment and working life, regional cooperation realises in participation of regional partners in the implementation of this project. At the same time the project develops and implements different new innovative ICT and digital learning solutions into WBL. This project is targeted to vocational education organisations, working life, different actors in vocational education and training and students. Organisations develop high quality vocational education in accordance to the WBL principles taking into account their own most important development areas. Working life is encouraged and supported to participate and the articulation of the education and training in real job situations is increased by mutual planning. Actors in vocational education and training (e.g. teachers) develop their own expertise by cooperation with working life and with the help of innovative learning solutions. Students take part into the implementation of the project in cooperation with the working life partners while attending vocational education. According to the Europe 2020 strategy and European Commission’s Council 2013 country-specific recommendations, there are more or less similar threats in all partner countries concerning the employment and the cooperation between (vocational) education and working life. These threats include among others mismatching skills and jobs, social exclusion of immigrants and high level of unemployment. The economies and societies of the European countries are changing rapidly. Several factors have impacts on today's labour market such as globalization and multiculturalism. The same approach applies to local labour force development as to workforce moving from one EU-country to another. This way the project also supports Lisbon strategy for growth.
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