Implementing Work-Based Learning

For the young student/trainee/job seeker:

• Develops job-specific technical skills, and firm-specific procedural knowledge through learning by observing and doing.
• Develops soft skills and workplace adequate behaviors through formal and informal interactions with colleagues, management and customers.
• Develops self-confidence, self-efficacy, motivation, career awareness and understanding of workplace culture and employers’ expectations.
• Improves probability of employment, higher wages, and entrepreneurship.

For educators/trainers:

• Provides opportunities to interact with private sector professionals in a specific field, and gain knowledge about new products/services, processes, and technology.
• Improves employability and labor market outcomes for graduates.
• Enhanced reputation for the organization.

For private sector employers:

• Improves productivity for newly hired employees, because recruits with work-based learning experience require less training, do higher quality work, and have more and broader skills than recruits without work-based learning experience.
• Improves recruitment process since work-based learning allows employers to gain insight on candidates’ competencies and personality traits before offering them a position with the firm.
• Improves retention of entry-level workers since employees who trained with the company before joining it are more likely to stay with that employer.
• Provides opportunities to address skills gaps by training potential new
  workers on skills not learned in school.
• Enhances company’s reputation in the community and among existing
  and potential customers.

For communities:

• Reduces youth unemployment.
• Addresses skills gaps.
• Creates collaboration across sectors.
• Leads to better functioning local labor market.
• Improves competitiveness of the city/region/country.

In Germany, the return on investment in one year of an apprenticeship is estimated at 8.2%, close to estimated return of a year of general education.

For educators/trainers who prepare and match students with work-based learning:

• Thoroughly evaluate potential WBL employers and engage only those who will commit to the quality standards of the program.
• Educators and employers should reach a comprehensive agreement on WBL goals and how they will be achieved, laid out in a contract-like document. The agreement should spell out quality standards, the content and duration of training, the assessment of expected training outcomes, and the trainers qualifications. It is optimal when WBL prepares the student and leads to an industry recognized certification.
• WBL candidates should be carefully matched to available WBL slots in terms of their readiness to do assigned duties, and their cultural fit to firm.
• Students benefit greatly from an orientation session to prepare them socially, practically and psychologically for their role in the workplace.
• Escorting the student to his/her first day on the job (when possible), and periodical check visits during WBL create stronger bond with employer, and provide the educator with opportunities to identify and address any issues and concerns.
• WBL program should be complemented with support services to disadvantaged students, such as counseling, referral network of childcare services, and transportation vouchers.

For employers who provide WBL opportunities to students:

• Establish a learning plan that lays out what each student should learn, and selecting well qualified trainers (job coaches).
• Developing job-related skills through observing and doing job duties should be complemented with developing soft skills through mentoring sessions with committed and competent mentors.
• It is important to choose well the learning activities – if people are over-challenged or under-challenged, the learning is not effective.
• Providing constructive feedback to students (from co-workers, mentors, trainers and line-managers), answering their questions and concerns, and encouraging and recognizing their progress stimulates learning.
• Fostering a collaborative work environment with mutual respect and positive attitude between all involved creates optimal conditions for learning.
• Documenting and evaluating of WBL activities and students’ results is important for continuously improving the WBL program.
• Where equipment is expensive or dangerous, simulated work environment may be more cost-effective for WBL.