Implementation Of Work-based Learning Research Articles

Work-based learning for the engineering field in vocational education: Understanding concepts, principles and best practices

Various learning models have been developed and implemented in vocational education in the engineering field, but still have weaknesses, especially in basic matters such as one-sided learning and lack of direct industrial involvement. Moreover, learning in educational institutions is not supported by facilities that match those in the industry, but only simulation tools. Additionally, the media used in educational institutions is not as sophisticated as that used in the industry. This study is a literature review on Work-based Learning (WBL) and the formulation of WBL concepts suitable for vocational education in the engineering field. The results of the literature review showed that the implementation of WBL in various developing and advanced countries is very effective in developing students' competencies. Educational institutions and industries work together to improve the quality of learning to produce job-ready graduates. Industries benefit from the availability of competent and professional workforce who can develop their business for global competition. There are three WBL model concepts that can be applied to vocational education in the engineering field, including integrated student work, teaching factory, and industrial internship. The formation of student competencies can be carried out through a structured program, where students will gain experience and opportunities to gradually sharpen their competencies.

Work-based Learning through School Production Unit in Polytechnic Institutes

Work-based learning (WBL) is a planned activity that integrates learning and work together to develop knowledge and skills for future employment. The study focuses on exploring WBL in the school production unit, which is a part of the school laboratory that works for the production of goods, items, or provision of services. This paper synthesizes, compares and contrasts the approaches of the WBL in production unit with the help of the literature through a systemic literature review. The production unit in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutes has been found as a contributive factor to experiential learning, active learning employability and entrepreneurship skills, work-based sustainability for students, and increased cooperation/collaboration learning ability of students. These are major applications of the implementation of WBL through school production units in TVET schools. The paper concludes that TVET education institutions anticipate the production-based modality to ensure the sustainability of WBL.

Implementation of Work-Based Learning Among Electrical Engineering Diploma Students in an Electric Utility Company

Engineering students graduating from a higher education institution (HEI) are expected to have hands-on experience to be relevance in employment. Work-Based Learning (WBL) is defined as a learning method that engages or includes students in real-world employment so that they may learn the needs of job competencies, experience the job culture first-hand, and uncover career options. Industrial training (IT) is a work-based learning approach required of engineering students as part of their diploma courses. Implementation of IT with duration of 18 weeks was employed for 27 students Diploma in Electrical Engineering students. Students undergo fields rotation with different appointed supervisors throughout the IT period. The IT that was implemented enabled students to obtain important industrial exposure. Industrial visitation at a coal power plant was arranged to give additional industrial exposure to the students. Oral presentation at the end of the course, logbook and final report submission are assessed by assigned supervisors and lecturers for evaluation of each student. The study has offered insights into current IT implementation as well as some suggestions for the future implementation. To track the institution's IT implementation, the study should be applied to the following cohorts.

Case study in New Jersey on perceptions and concerns during COVID-19: Lessons for safety and health during future work-based learning

Background: The New Jersey Safe Schools Program provides training courses to secondary school educational professionals to supervise students in work-based learning. COVID-19 suspended in-person training courses and work-based learning. As worksites reopened, concerns persisted regarding implementation of work-based learning, and safety and health. After site visits, participants completed reflection assignments. Methods: We examined statewide data from a three-day training, "Designing and Implementing Student Training Plans," from 61 participants in spring-summer 2020 regarding concerns for work-based learning during COVID-19. Qualitative analysis on open-ended responses determined emerging themes through inductive, qualitative coding in Microsoft Office spreadsheet software, Excel, followed by import of a spreadsheet-based code book to NVivo, a qualitative data analysis software tool. Results: Data revealed supervisor perspectives pertaining to re-establishing work-based learning programs (33%), COVID-19 safety and reopening measures (24%), student safety and health (17%), obstacles for in-person work-based learning (9%), future work-based learning placements (7%), and online work-based learning opportunities (4%). Conclusion: Data suggested adaptations for future in-person work-based learning experiences; future online student work placements and safety and health trainings; and insights on improving in-school learning and occupational education for students.

Industry and Education Practitioners’ Perceptions Regarding the Implementation of Work-Based Learning through Industrial Internship (WBL-II)

The crucial problem in implementing Vocational Education on diplomas in Indonesia is the relevance of competence to industry needs, work culture, and sustainable career development. The industrial internship is one of the programs and subjects organized by Vocational Education to unravel the available chain of problems. However, the fact is that the implementation of industrial internships has not positively impacted students. This study explores industry and education practitioners' perceptions regarding applying work-based learning through an industrial internship for Vocational Education Diploma (VED). Fourteen expert practitioners were involved in data collection through semi-structured interviews. Qualitative data were analyzed thematically using NVivo 12. The findings in this study were grouped into two clusters or themes, namely the role of diploma education and the skills needed by students during internships in the automotive industry. The education sector must understand the mindset, internship orientation, program planning, career path orientation in industry, and mastery of case study competencies. Internship students must master the skills of observing, increasing efficiency, productivity, service functions and access to technology, and optimizing interactions with supervisors. The success of WBL-II is in the mutual interest of stakeholders and is integrated with the higher education curriculum. This study is an input for the professional implementation of WBL-II in the future.

Current status of interaction between vet institutions and enterprises

Introduction. The implementation of work-based learning in the process of joint vocational instruction by enterprises and VET (vocational education and training) institutions is the most important focus of the educational policy in developed countries. In the Russian Federation, over the past decade, such kind of partnership has been developing both through spontaneous self-organisation and purposefully in the form of several government projects. VET education policy was focused mainly on implementing the World Skills championship movement in the domestic field. As a result, no fundamental changes in institutional and economic structure were implemented to make apprenticeship training compelling for enterprises. Nevertheless, no full-fledged accumulation of information on the dynamics of the development of various forms of work-based learning was carried out to prevent the decent assessment of the current state of apprenticeship training in the Russian Federation and to conduct a comparative international analysis.The present article aimsto determine the current status of interaction between enterprises and VET institutions, fulfil the lack of quantitative information on the topic, and test the hypothesis that under the current institutional conditions the interaction frequency and intensity between enterprises and VET institutions in the Russian Federation lag behind similar international indicators.Methodology and research methods. In the course of the research, the methods of socio-historical analysis, the instruments of theoretical and methodological analysis, hypothesis building, assessment and generalisation methods were applied. The empirical part of the present research was formed by the methods of secondary analysis of the Russian and foreign studies on the development of the VET and its interaction with the labour market. In addition, the method of comparative and retrospective analysis of statistical data from Russian and international studies was employed. Finally, the method of questionnaire survey and the method of content analysis of websites of educational institutions and enterprises were used. The study involved 603 VET institutions from 29 constituent entities of the Russian Federation.Results and scientific novelty. One of the most significant research findings is a systemic description of the current status of the partnership between VET institutions and enterprises in the Russian Federation. Main directions and forms of interaction between VET institutions and enterprises in Russia at the end of the second decade of the XXI century were outlined (curricula development, internship for students, and participation in education results assessment). The prospects for the development of partnership between VET institutions and enterprises and the influencing factors (economic and institutional) were determined. The particular Russian characteristics of the interaction between the VET system and the labour market were identified and described as an inharmonious partnership with the employer’s active articulation of a request for a high-quality human resource without proportionate participation in its instruction. The quantitative assessment of current interaction between enterprises and VET institutions in Russia allowed comparative analysis with the indicators of foreign countries to be conducted. In our country, the authors revealed a lower level of enterprises investments (especially financial ones) in the students’ human capital development.Practical significance. The sociological toolkit and schemes of dynamic and comparative analysis developed in the course of the research can be used in further research on the education system and on the related issues. The research findings can be applied while planning and implementing educational policy measures.

The state of work-based learning development in EU higher education: learnings from the WEXHE project

ABSTRACT Globalisation, technological changes and the industry-to-service economy transition has produced dramatic changes in the labour market, thus affecting higher education. It is no longer sufficient to provide students with disciplinary knowledge. Graduates are also expected to be adaptive, innovative and flexible. As these competencies are better developed in connection with practice, this implies modifications in the learning design. In this context, work-based learning (WBL) emerges as a relevant approach as it provides students learning experiences oriented for the appreciation of work and practical knowledge. However, several issues still restrain its expansion in the European Union (EU). There is (i) a great disparity in WBL implementation among EU countries which relates to educational cultures, (ii) a concentration in certain disciplinary areas such as business and engineering, and (iii) a lack of quality assurance. Drawing on reports and materials produced by the Erasmus+ project Integrating Entrepreneurship and Work Experience into Higher Education (WEXHE), this paper explores these issues by identifying differences in the level of implementation as well as design and delivery of WBL in seven EU countries across four disciplinary areas. It then brings forward success factors and drivers instrumental to the further development of better WBL.

Work-based learning tools to inform the implementation of degree apprenticeships for the public sector in England

PurposeThe article identifies and examines key elements of a work-based learning framework to consider their use as part of the higher education response to the apprenticeship agenda for the public sector in England.Design/methodology/approachThis article draws upon work-based learning academic literature and the authors 28 years’ experience of the development and implementation of work-based learning at higher education level in the UK and internationally.FindingsThe article suggests that while the experience of work-based learning at higher education level appears to offer many ready-made tools and approaches for the development and delivery of higher and degree apprenticeships, these should not be adopted uncritically and in some cases may require significant repurposing.Research limitations/implicationsThis article is intended to inform practitioners developing degree apprenticeships. Given the degree apprenticeship is still at a relatively early stage in its implementation, this has limited the extent to which it has been possible to review entire degree implementation to the point of participant graduation.Practical implicationsThe article draws upon real-life implementation of innovative curriculum design and is of direct practical relevance to the design and operation of work-based learning for degree apprenticeships.Social implicationsDegree apprenticeships have the potential to increase productivity and enhance social mobility. Effective design and implementation of degree apprenticeships in the public sector has the potential to make a significant impact on the quality of public services.Originality/valueThe article provides an informed and sustained examination of how degree apprenticeships, especially those designed for public sector employees, might build upon previous higher education experience in work-based learning.

Challenges In Developing Work-Based Learning Among Diploma III Automotive Engineering Study Program, Faculty Of Engineering, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta

Industrial development has been more challenging the technological and vocational education to strengthen their relevance with employment. Partnership with industry becomes the top priority that should be continuously pursued in order to optimize the learning process. One of the ways for continuously pursuing the optimization might be the Work-Based Learning (WBL). In relation to the statement, the study aims at identifying the obstacles within the implementation of WBL among the students of Diploma III Automotive Engineering Study Program, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta and at identifying the impacts of WBL implementation on the students’ learning process. While the study was conducted, the data were gathered through in-depth interview, questionnaire distribution and field observation. Then, the data that had been gathered were analysed using the qualitative descriptive analysis technique. The respondents who had been involved in the conduct of the study were the university students who underwent their internship program in 2017 and also the Workshop Head and mentor from the partnering companies of automotive industry around the Province of Yogyakarta Special Region and the Province of Central Java. The results of the study show that several obstacles have been found in the following aspects: (1) partnership development with the industry; (2) duration and timing of implementation; (3) activity guideline; (4) evaluation instrument; and (5) monitoring and supervision by the lecturer. On the other hand, the impact of WBL implementation on the students’ learning process is that the WBL enforces the creation of ideas that might be useful for their development in the subsequent assignments.

Experts’ Consensus to Identify Elements of Career Management Competencies in Work-Based Learning (WBL) Program Using Fuzzy Delphi Analysis

This study aimed to obtain experts’ opinion and consensus on the elements of career management competencies that can be developed through the Work-Based Learning (WBL) program in polytechnic. The research was used the Fuzzy Delphi Method (FDM) to obtain the result. An expert questionnaire based on the mapping analysis from the relevant document analysis and expert interviews has been constructed. This questionnaire contains 3 domains with 35 items and was administered to 16 respondents. Respondents of this study are experts who are appointed according to the expertise and experience in the implementation of WBL, particularly in polytechnic. The result of the analysis found that 31 elements in line with the FDM condition, which is the threshold value (d) surpass 0.2, group consensus among experts surpassing 75% and Fuzzy Score (A) exceeds 0.5. It indicates that all the experts had reached a strong consensus. Meanwhile, there are 4 elements were dropped due to did not meet the fuzzy score requirements. All elements of career management competencies were arranged by need and tailored according to experts ' recommendations. Our study underlines the importance of actual work experience through Work-Based Learning (WBL) to nurture the existence of career management competencies among polytechnics' students which may highly relevant to their career development. Thus, this study provides useful findings that can be used as material for research particularly in the field of career development learning, experiential learning, and tertiary education. As a result, this study produces a list of elements of career management competencies that are crucial for the graduate in an appropriate occupational direction. The result also may offer useful guidance to young workers to enter the labor market as a career-ready and competitive worker.

IDENTIFYING ELEMENTS OF CAREER MANAGEMENT COMPETENCIES IN WORK BASED LEARNING THROUGH SURVEYS OF EXPERTS

This study aimed to obtain an experts opinion and consensus on the elements of career management competencies that can be mastered by students via Work Based Learning (WBL). The research implemented Fuzzy Delphi Method (FDM) to obtain the result. Expert questionnaire based on the mapping analysis from the relevant document analysis and expert interviews has been constructed. This questionnaire contains 3 domains with 35 items, and was administered to 16 experts. The experts were selected based on their experiences and expertise in WBL implementation in polytechnic. The results of analysis found that 31 elements in line with the FDM condition, which is the threshold value is less than 0.2, group consensus among the experts is over 75% and the Fuzzy Score exceeds 0.5. It indicates that the experts had reached a strong consensus. Meanwhile, there are 4 elements were dropped due to did not meet the fuzzy score requirements. All elements of competencies were sorted by priority and were refined as recommended by experts. As resulted, this study provided lists of competencies that are crucial for graduate to enable them become a competent and competitive worker.

Exploring Career Management Competencies In Work Based Learning (WBL) Implementation

Graduates' employability is a commonly highlighted issue in tertiary education due to today's job market that highly expects the limited vacancies to be filled with competitive and competent graduates. Higher education institutions play a significant role in ensuring and understanding the skills that are needed by the graduates to meet the demand of the professional industry; hence, better job opportunity for the graduates. Work Based Learning (WBL) is one of the platforms for students to gain actual working experience in addition to developing career management competencies to prepare for starting a career. The purpose of this study is to explore the career management competencies that students can master through WBL. This study is a qualitative study that uses analysis of documents and interviews as the primary methods of data collection. Document analysis has been conducted to explore the key elements of competence from the theoretical and literary perspective. Semi-structured interviews were carried out on five selected research experts from various backgrounds and positions in the WBL implementation in polytechnics. Coding and analysis process were conducted based on the recorded transcript of the interview. The collected data were analysed based on the themes that answered the research questions. This study has identified 20 sub-elements covering three key elements of career management competency in the implementation of WBL, namely learning and work exploration, career development, and personal management. The findings of this study are intended to be used as the basis for an effective application of career education in the WBL implementation.

Key Challenges of Work-Based Learning Application in Teaching and Learning Strategies for Accounting Programs

Malaysian Institutions of Higher Learning (IHLs) are expected to provide effective and innovative teaching and learning practices. Academics are to be of high quality and equipped with vital knowledge and skills to assist the IHLs in producing holistic and work-ready graduates. In order to meet these expectations, the implementation of a work-based learning (WBL) strategy is a possible significant learning strategy. However, obstacles and challenges accompany any implementation process. Hence, the purpose of this study is to identify and understand the key challenges faced by a group of academics who have incorporated a work-based learning (WBL) strategy into their teaching and learning activities. In an attempt to reach an inductive conclusion, the researchers used observations as main research strategy, supported with indirect oral interviews as additional sources of evidence. The research processes observed those people who were directly or indirectly involved in implementation of WBL at the Teaching Accountancy Firm Salihin – UiTM, Faculty of Accountancy, Universiti Teknologi MARA. Their observations and indirect oral interviews regarding the WBL implementation started on 1 March 2017, and data gathering processes were conducted during the first half of the second year of the WBL implementation. The main findings revealed that academic acceptance, industries’ acceptance, operationalization, and talent are the key challenges faced by participants. In conclusion, smooth and effective implementation of the WBL can be achieved if these four key challenges can be resolved in advance.

Level of Soft Skill in the Implementation of Work-Based Learning among Community College Students

The issue of graduate unemployment often crops up in the mass media; and more often than not, the discussions have centred on the failure of tertiary educational institutions to churn out quality graduates. Thus, the method of work-based learning (WBL) is seen as a way to improve the soft skills of the graduates. The study was conducted using quantitative research survey; the design of the study used an adapted questionnaire as an instrument. Data were analysed using Statistical Package of Social Science (SPSS) version 20. The respondents consisted of 97 students who attended WBL programmes at a community college. Descriptive statistics was used to extract data from the questionnaires for the calculation of mean. The findings reveal that the level of soft skills among community college students was high, and they include these abilities: communication skills, problem-solving skills, learning and information management, professional ethics skills and leadership skills.

Education - employment partnership for VET in the fashion sector

The paper presents the objectives, the innovative aspects, the planned outputs and the current results of the project entitled “Education - Employment Partnership for VET in the fashion sector”. The project is co-financed by the European Commission under the Erasmus+ Programme, Key Action 2 - Strategic Partnerships in the Field of Education, Training, Youth and Sport. The project aims mainly the at developing a European teaching and training Toolkit for supporting the implementation of Work-Based Learning (WBL) in all stages of vocational education and training (VET) in the fashion sector. Moreover, the project will support the implementation of quality assurance mechanisms for WBL in VET in the fashion sector with a specific focus on feedback loops between iVET and cVET systems. The project consortium is composed by nine partners from four countries (Romania, Bulgaria, Italy and Netherlands) representing two iVET providers, a university a Chamber of Commerce, a Federation of SMEs connected with fashion industries, one research institution, one company in clothing and fashion sector, two consulting companies with experience in education and training policies. The actual research results presented in the paper are based on the survey oriented to the training needs and the impact and benefits of WBL implementation. The data were collected from educational organizations. Also, examples of good practices showing the different challenges and benefits of WBL implementation, were identified.

A REVIEW OF THE PRACTICE OF WORK-BASED LEARNING (WBL) AT HIGHER EDUCATION LEVEL IN THE UK

The aim of the study is to review the practice of work-based learning (WBL), based on the experience of higher education institutions in the United Kingdom. Methods. The methods of system and comparative analysis, synthesis and generalization are used. Results. The background and development of WBL is given; the importance and value of this form of education in the modern, rapidly changing society is shown. The main characteristics are selected and basic aspects of WBL programs profitable different from traditional university programs are designated: relevance to real production processes; student centricity; flexibility of con-tent which is built proceeding from interests of an employer and a student; high extent of integration of various disciplines and fields of knowledge; recognition of the prior certified and independent training; optimization of time expenditure; possibility of the choice of the place of training, its sequence, schedule of control actions, and other advantages. Options of a program implementation of WBL, complexity of their implementation and methods of their overcoming are described. A few critical remarks concerning WBL programs are also presented. Scientific novelty. For the first time the analytical review of WBL practice at a higher education level, which is widespread in English-speaking countries over the last 25 years, is presented in the Russian scientific literature in education. Practical significance. The materials provided in the article can be useful to heads of services of professional development, managers and teachers of higher education institutions. The materials provided in the article can be useful to heads and teachers of institutions of higher education; methodologists of structures of vocational preparation and advanced training of personnel of high technology productions; the employers heading large-scale industries and interested in upgrading of employees’ educational level.

Role of Social Partners for Work-Based Learning: Results of Surveys

Abstract Introduction of work-based learning (WBL) in Latvia has required new approaches in decision making of different stakeholders. Experience from countries with long-standing WBL tradition has shown the numerous advantages but also the challenges this approach presents. One of these challenges is the need for new forms and mechanisms of cooperation among the key stakeholders – policy makers, public administrators, employers, educators and social partners. The current paper analyses the results of scientific research in this field, as well as uses the empirical results of two surveys performed by the authors: a survey of public sector experts and a survey of employers in Latvia. In order to obtain detailed results, the evaluations of respondents on multiple aspects analysed in the surveys were evaluation in the scale 1–10. The data of both surveys have been analysed by descriptive analysis, cross-tabulations and multivariate analysis – factor analysis. The results have indicated that the views of employers and social partners on the most of the key aspects of introduction and implementation of WBL are similar. However, a more profound analysis has to be performed in order to develop proposals or the most efficient approach to WBL.

The Problems of Bilateral Relations between Educational Institutions and Industrial Committee towards Work-based Learning in Malaysia

Abstract Work-Based Learning (WBL) is a teaching and learning method which requires students to go through industrial training, where the employers will be responsible for teaching and providing evaluation of the students. However, several problems exist in the area of cooperation between the educational institutions and the industries in Malaysia. Therefore, this study aims to explore the issues concerning the bilateral relations of educational institutions and industrial committee towards the WBL Programme in Malaysia. The findings show the critical bilateral relations brought to unsuccessful of WBL implementation because of no understanding exists between both parties.

Direct Care Worker’s Perceptions of Job Satisfaction Following Implementation of Work-Based Learning

The purpose of this study was to understand the impact of a work-based learning program on the work lives of Direct Care Workers (DCWs) at assisted living (AL) residences. The research questions were addressed using focus group data collected as part of a larger evaluation of a work-based learning (WBL) program called Jobs to Careers. The theoretical perspective of symbolic interactionism was used to frame the qualitative data analysis. Results indicated that the WBL program impacted DCWs' job satisfaction through the program curriculum and design and through three primary categories: relational aspects of work, worker identity, and finding time. This article presents a conceptual model for understanding how these categories are interrelated and the implications for WBL programs. Job satisfaction is an important topic that has been linked to quality of care and reduced turnover in long-term care settings.

Implementing complex innovations

Middle manager resistance is often described as a major challenge for upper-level administrators seeking to implement complex innovations such as evidence-based protocols or new skills training. However, factors influencing middle manager support for innovation implementation are currently understudied in the U.S. health care literature. This article examined the factors that influence middle managers' support for and participation in the implementation of work-based learning, a complex innovation adopted by health care organizations to improve the jobs, educational pathways, skills, and/or credentials of their frontline workers. We conducted semistructured interviews and focus groups with 92 middle managers in 17 health care organizations. Questions focused on understanding middle managers' support for work-based learning as a complex innovation, facilitators and barriers to the implementation process, and the systems changes needed to support the implementation of this innovation. Factors that emerged as influential to middle manager support were similar to those found in broader models of innovation implementation within the health care literature. However, our findings extend previous research by developing an understanding about how middle managers perceived these constructs and by identifying specific strategies for how to influence middle manager support for the innovation implementation process. These findings were generally consistent across different types of health care organizations. Study findings suggest that middle manager support was highest when managers felt the innovation fit their workplace needs and priorities and when they had more discretion and control over how it was implemented. Leaders seeking to implement innovations should consider the interplay between middle managers' control and discretion, their narrow focus on the performance of their own departments or units, and the dedication of staff and other resources for empowering their managers to implement these complex innovations.