Webinar: Opportunities and threats for digital teaching and learning in the context of work-based learning
Webinar: Opportunities and threats for digital teaching and learning in the context of work-based learning
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Experts from many international, regional and national agencies generously share their views, experiences and findings on skills, helping policy-makers among other stakeholders to understand the linkages between education, training and the world of work, and how to integrate skills into national development planning to promote employment and economic growth.
Anticipating and matching skills needs
Anticipating and building skills for the future is essential to a rapidly changing labour market. This applies to changes in the types and levels of skills needed as well as in occupational and technical areas. Effective methods to anticipate future skills needs and avoid potential mismatches include: sustained dialogue between employers and trainers, coordination across government institutions, labour market information systems, employment services and performance reviews of training institutions.
Work-based learning and skills utilization
Increasingly, countries around the world, at all levels of development are putting work-based learning, particularly apprenticeships, high on their policy agenda, recognizing its potential for reducing skills mismatch, meeting skills demand of a fast changing labour market, providing cost-effective training, promoting private sector development and smoothing transitions to the world of work.
Moreover, the issue of how skills are used in the workplace and how businesses engage with the local skills ecosystem are getting greater attention. It is increasingly recognized that workers who better use their skills are more likely to have greater job satisfaction, earn better wages and are more prepared to adapt to changes in the nature of work, while employers benefit from a more productive and innovative workforce, enabling them to maximise business performance and profitability.
Introducing digital teaching and learning (DTL) methodologies in education has been a trend for many years. The pandemic has generated a boost in these reforms in all countries. Priority has been given to the school-based component of education, with the ministries investing in new equipment for schools and training for teachers. Little has been done to support the introduction of DTL methodologies in companies in the context of the different work-based learning models.
The physical nature of the work carried out in companies has, in some cases, generated the false impression in policymakers that DTL would have brought limited added value to this part of the training. But this is only partially true. There are two main reasons which should push policymakers and companies to invest in the development/ strengthening of the use of DTL methodologies. The first refers to the nature of the work, which is changing in almost all economic sectors. For most qualifications, the digital component is becoming a fundamental element of the tasks that the employee will need to perform. The second refers to the organizational aspect of the learning process happening in companies. DTL methodologies are indeed essential to increase the effectiveness of learning at work; among others, digital tools can support learning in companies in different ways
- They can support the development and monitoring of an individual learning plan,
- They can keep apprenticeships always connected
- They can help the apprenticeships in collecting evidence of their achievements
- They can support students in tracking their feedback and progress online.
This webinar, we will try to present what are the benefits of introducing DTL methodologies in companies, highlight the challenges for companies and in-company trainers as well as debating the split of costs and accountabilities between schools and companies.
For more information and to register click here.
