The digitalization of WBL during Covid-19 pandemic: innovative forms of work-based learning-the INNOTRAIN PROJECT’S CONTRIBUTION
The Covid-19 pandemic had a huge impact on the VET training and on the worked-based learning (WBL). Trainers, teachers, and learners had to face different challenges such as the absence of internet access or lack of digital skills. Due to the pandemic, the digitalization of the learning process transformed the WBL and produced the development of new forms of virtual transnational mobility.
The European Alliance for Apprenticeships (EAFA) is a “multi-stakeholder platform aiming at: strengthening the quality, supply and image of apprenticeships in Europe and promoting the mobility of apprentices” . In July 2020 the EAFA was renewed as a new Action Plan to reboost the apprenticeship across the EU and to try to respond to the Covid-19 challenges, together with the main stakeholders. This new Aliance also pay attention to the horizontal issues for instance social inclusion, healthcare, gender. The main objective of the pact is to upskilling and reskilling the labour force, focusing on the green and digital economy at all levels, national, regional and local .
According to what is written on an OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) paper , the e-learning methods could remain in the training process in the future and could complement the face-to-face training. In the same paper, some advantages are described. For instance, the online learning cut some costs like the equipment, in certain case the learners can not use some components because are unsafe or too expensive. In terms of inclusion, the virtual learning is more accessible for disadvantage students, even if more government’s investments are required.
VET centres increased the use of digital platforms to continue the learning process. The VET centres, even with WBL, tried to not interrupt the communication between the apprentices and companies. Lots of platforms were born and spread out from the beginning of the lockdown to overcome to the training Covid-19 difficulties. Some of those are for virtual reality field trips, like Nearpod, or some are used to facilitate the communication between mentors, learners and companies like 100Mentors. Another useful platform is Electude, a VR simulator in the field of automotive mechanics, where the learners can diagnose technical problems and solve them. Through the gamification, Electude platform assures an interactive method of learning and also offers resources for face-to-face training. Moreover, some companies decided to organize virtual visit, as an Italian company or some schools organized an international virtual mobility supported by the Erasmus+ funds .
A challenging example of new forms of WBL practices, specifically, virtual and blended mobility, is the proposal of the network Skillman, the Sector Skills Network of VET centres in Advanced Manufacturing , of which Centoform is a member. Skillman Network has developed a structured service of virtual mobility for students/trainees and teachers/staff. This is a micro-learning process that strengthen skills in a specific sector and at the end of the course learners can get the certification of competencies. Virtual Mobility is interactive and based on the learner’s needs, according to an individualized and tailored approach to learning. groups of students . Skillman Network offers an e-learning platform where you can choose a set of pathways, curricula, jobs, and certification, strongly tide up to the Made in Italy excellence. Each pathway is composed of Units of Learning, described according to ECVET standards.
Within the InnoTrain project, Centoform and its consortium partners developed the Learning Lunch, an informal and interactive way of learning online. The Learning Lunch consists in one hour of conversation among learners and the trainer about a topic while having lunch or a coffee. The Learning Lunches are online sessions run on the InnoTrain Moodle platform.
