European Monitoring Conference – Work based Learning Apprenticeships

The conference was held in Brussels 11-12.1.2014 by EACEA link. The representative from the Soulbus project attended the conference. General message in the conference was that work based learning (WBL) is at all levels the best way against unemployment.

The interesting workshops were “Work-based learning and higher education” and “Work-based learning – the role of mentors, teachers, and trainers”.
The themes were:

• Conceptual framework in order to develop a Work-based Learning Programme
• Cooperation between teachers and mentors to support the learning process
• To improve the quality of workplace training in industries in Europe
• Specific training provision for mentors
• Role of supervisor during the training process
• Communication between the professionals and the learner
• Cooperation between regions in Europe NetWBL is a special opportunity to put all the different actors together so as to reinforce WBL and apprenticeship and to attract smaller and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), showing them the benefits of WBL.

The second workshop was focused on the role of the teachers, trainers, mentors in achieving quality work based learning. The themes were:

• Different roles of a mentor
• Competences / skills / qualities that are required to be a mentor in WBL
• Cooperation between teachers and mentors to support the learning process (when both are in the same country / when both are in a different country)
• Role of these professionals as key for quality assurance
• Specific training provision for mentors and recognition of skills
• Role of teachers and mentors in the European Credit system for Vocational Education and Training -ECVET-process
• Communication between the professionals and the learner

Here’s some photos of the conference: