| Name of the good practice | Learning and work tasks |
|---|---|
| Level | Micro |
| Description | To put it simply, a learning and work task is a work process-oriented project; it refers to a work process as a complete work action to fulfil a work order. The order is accepted, planned, carried out and completed, with the result of the work being a specific product or service. In the case of very complex products, e.g. in industrial production, the result can also be a partial or intermediate product. The work results can be evaluated with regard to their practical value, i.e. it can be estimated to what extent the benefit expected by the client is fulfilled. A learning and work task therefore consists of the four phases: order acceptance, order planning, order execution and order completion. These work process phases ensure that the essential action steps and design dimensions of a work process are taken into account in the learning and work task. The skills for successfully mastering the requirements in the individual work process phases are still to be developed or further developed by the trainees. Accordingly, in the individual work process phases, the targeted promotion of technical, methodological, social and personal skills takes place. |
| Agents involved | Training and teaching staff |
| Target group addressed | Normally VET-students (apprentices) |
| Benefits / impact of the good practice | Additional skills that students obtain (teamwork, communication), prepare students for work, self-organisation, increasing motivation, learning by doing, connecting practical and theoretical elements, increases problem solving skills. |
| Challenges found and how they were overcome | Resources, budget, time and room, qualified teachers/trainers. A further advantage: tasks should be integrated into circular economy – further use of products to be a good practice for sustainability, as well. |
| Transferable Characteristics | Creative solution to transfer real problems in work situations (using work-based learning) to VET school curricula (Collaboration between companies and VET-schools, link with problems) Responsive to needs of students and companies (responsiveness to needs of stakeholders) |
| Step by step for the implementation of the good practice (for transferability) | Step 1: Analysis of the prerequisites and framework conditions. As part of a condition analysis, the prerequisites (i.e. the skills and experience) of the trainees and trainers or teachers as well as the available resources are checked. Step 2: Deciding on a scenario: an idea for the learning and work task is developed and implemented in a scenario. The scenario contains information about the title of the task, the expected result and the embedding of the task. Step 3: Defining the action steps, goals and content. In the most challenging step in the development of a learning and working task, it is determined for the individual phases of the task which action steps are to be taken, which competencies are to be promoted in terms of the objective and which content the trainees should deal with. Step 4: Creation of order-specific sub-tasks. The defined action steps, content and goals are combined into subtasks. These subtasks are described in terms of the process and the result, and the equipment required and the learning materials to be used are also listed. Step 5: Create mandatory subtasks. Mandatory subtasks have a specific didactic function. Your goal is to design the start of the learning and work task, to continuously reflect on the course of the task and to make a final assessment. Step 6: Create a schedule and work plan. In the last sub-step, the results of the condition analysis, the priorities set and the subtasks are transferred to a time and work plan for the entire learning and work task. The development of a learning and work task does not take place in a strict order – as the listing of the steps might suggest at first glance. The decisions of the individual steps often intertwine and affect each other. It can happen again and again that specifications in one step retrospectively modify the specifications of another step: the development of a learning and work task is an iterative process! |
| Name of the good practice | Drop-out prevention: Senior Expert Service (VerA) |
|---|---|
| Level | Meso |
| Description | The project is targeted at all trainees in the dual vocational training, who feel that they need support. VerA aims to avoid training dropouts and to improve the training process by intervening quickly to help young people to pass their exams and achieve a training qualification. VerA provides Senior Experts to offer regular 1-to-1 assistance to young people. These mentors bring in a wealth of work and life experience. They are able to provide necessary guidance and act as confidants working together with trainees to identify solutions and possible ways forward. Senior Experts provide assistance in developing and implementing solutions, for example in: • strengthening the apprentices’ social competence and their motivation to learn • assisting them in theoretical aspects of their vocational training • helping them prepare for exams • supporting them in their practical training • helping them overcoming language deficits • building mutual trust between apprentices and instructors |
| Agents involved | The VerA Initiative is jointly supported by the • Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK) • Federal Association of Liberal Professions (BFB) • German Confederation of Chambers of Skilled Crafts (DHKT) VerA is financed by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) as a part of the initiative “Bildungsketten”. |
| Target group addressed | VET-students |
| Benefits / impact of the good practice | Thousands of benefits for the apprentice, activates relations between technical and human aspects, generation exchange, passing over skills to next generation, mentor might support to find individual ways of organising, learning, etc. |
| Challenges found and how they were overcome | To find the senior experts, to get the links to employers/school, governance must be agreed, roles must be defined, age gap might cause rejection by apprentices, maybe: skill mismatch between old and young people |
| Transferable Characteristics | • Supporting measure to help students with difficulties (focus on the student, tailor-made programme) • Assessment of skills and support for students (skills assessment, tailor made support programs, win-win action) |
| Step by step for the implementation of the good practice (for transferability) | Step 1: Find funding Step 2: Find and train mentors (work on a voluntary basis, are highly motivated and enthusiastic about their task, can empathise with problems and worries of younger people, have the necessary time and are independent, take part in a two-day course in order to prepare for their role) Step 3: Promote the initiative |
| Name of the good practice | Drop-out prevention: Stay tuned |
|---|---|
| Level | Meso |
| Description | Low-threshold support offer for overcoming conflicts that threaten training in the dual training system (developed jointly in the 1990s, firmly anchored as an offer since 2000) Aim: Avoidance of dropping out of training by sensitizing all those involved to areas of conflict in the vocational training process and stabilization of endangered training relationships through the active handling of training-related conflicts. Conceptual elements: • Advice and mediation offer • Preventive action • Interface function in the support system • Networking |
| Agents involved | University of Bremen, Chamber of Labour Bremen, Senator for Children and Education |
| Target group addressed | VET-teacher and students, companies |
| Benefits / impact of the good practice | See last one. Low threshold approach. Reaches many apprentices, companies and schools and the goal to reduce number of drop-outs. |
| Challenges found and how they were overcome | Funding needs to be found |
| Transferable Characteristics | • Low threshold support program, materials and contact lists can be easily prepared (creativity, relation between stakeholders) • Advice and mediation offers for conflicts between VET-students and VET providers (network collaboration, “win-win action” • Responsiveness of the ecosystem if there occurs a conflict in the system (link with the problems, network collaboration, responsiveness to different needs of the stakeholders |
| Step by step for the implementation of the good practice (for transferability) | Step 1: Search for funding Step 2: Designing a suitable support program for the respective VET-system Step 3: Networking Step 4: Promoting the program |
| Name of the good practice | Higher apprenticeship/dual study programme |
|---|---|
| Level | Macro |
| Description | Dual Study Program (DSI): Bachelor in Computer Science + Certificate of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce  DSI is anchored in the state education system as a cross-university programme (not commercial). This training-integrated dual study program in computer science, or DSI for short, offers a strong link between study and training: within four years, the DSI students complete their training as IT specialists with an IHK certificate and at the same time complete their computer science studies with the Bachelor of Science degree. The close dovetailing of training in the company and at the vocational school with studies at the University of Applied Sciences in Bremen and at the University of Bremen ensures practice-oriented and scientifically sound training. 40+ companies from Bremen and the region; organized by Bremen digitalmedia e.V. (IT industry association) offer apprenticeship part of DSI. Dual Master Program (DMI): Master in Computer Science + Certified Training Courses  After two and a half years, students can fully immerse themselves in the world of work with a master’s degree and extensive work experience. The high level of professional competence gained through the master’s degree and the intensity and involvement in projects in the company train good managers, because in addition to the theoretical input, the practical insight and the associated implementation are also strongly promoted at the DMI. First Base: professional skills at their companies. Second Base: Master Program at the University of Bremen or at the Bremen University of Applied Sciences Third Base: Additional qualification e.g. IT certifications, social and communicative skills Image sources: Prof. Dr. Andreas Breiter, Information Management Working Group, Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Bremen, DSI Coordinator Image sources: Prof. Dr. Andreas Breiter, Information Management Working Group, Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Bremen, DSI Coordinator |
| Agents involved | Uni Bremen, various IT companies, VET-school, Bremen digitalmedia e.V. |
| Target group addressed | DSI: Students with a General University Entrance Qualification DMI: Students with BA-degree Companies: Companies’ motivation: recruitment and training of highly qualified junior specialists |
| Benefits / impact of the good practice | Flexibility. More job-oriented than “normal” study programmes. Good access to companies. New ideas for the companies. Reduces time to be integrated in companies’ processes after graduation. |
| Challenges found and how they were overcome | Very time consuming for students. Possible challenges with different schedules (school, company, university). |
| Transferable Characteristics | Cooperation between universities, companies and VET-schools, which collaborate to make a schedule for their students (synergetic objectives, fast responsiveness to market needs) |
| Step by step for the implementation of the good practice (for transferability) | Step 1: Re-design universities curricula to allow such programmes. Step 2: Find companies for curricula-driven internships. Step 3: Establish network (ecosystem). Step 4: Promote programme |
| Name of the good practice | Tailor-made filling of training positions |
|---|---|
| Level | Meso |
| Description | School leavers and young people who are interested in VET-training in a trade and craft can get advice as part of the project “Tailored filling of training positions” and apply for a training position in the trade with support. The employees of the program offer both companies and training place applicants free consulting services. Companies receive support in their search for suitable apprenticeship applicants and they are advised on their search for suitable apprenticeship positions. Offer for companies • Collection of the requirement profile for future trainee • Search for suitable applicants for the offered apprenticeship or internship position • Support for the pre-selection of suitable applicants and forwarding the application documents • free publication of apprenticeship and internship positions in the apprenticeship exchange webpage www.lehrstellen-radar.de • Review of application documents • Information about grants • Advice on concluding an apprenticeship contract and/or an introductory qualification (EQ) • Information and advice on hiring foreign trainees Offer for applicants • Information about training occupations • Assistance in choosing a suitable one • Apprenticeship depending on inclination and interest • Review and optimization of the application documents • Information and advice on the application process • Support in finding suitable internships and/or apprenticeships • Placement in training companies • Information about entry qualification (EQ) and Funding Opportunities |
| Agents involved | Chambers. The program is funded by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection and the European Social Fund. |
| Target group addressed | Companies, Students |
| Benefits / impact of the good practice | Reduces probability of drop out. Dissemination of apprenticeship. Reduces lack of skilled workers in unknown vocations. Sample point of contact to/for all craft vocations |
| Challenges found and how they were overcome | Financing |
| Transferable Characteristics | • Involvement of chambers in recruiting VET students (network cooperation) • Competence analysis of future VET-students with respect if the chosen future VET training really fits their competences and interests (“win-win” situation for VET-schools, students and companies) |
| Step by step for the implementation of the good practice (for transferability) | Step 1:Find funding, Step 2: train staff, Step 3: network activities like: Step 4: Participation in the regional networks of actors in the transition from school to work Step 5: Organization and implementation of projects and information events with companies and schools (company tours, day of open operation, etc.) Step 6: Present professions at trade fairs and in schools |