Product category:
Engineering Education, Resources and Standards
News Release from: EEF West Midlands
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 22 December 2005
EEF spearheads on-the-job training
initiative
Formal recognition and accreditation for on-the-job training across Europe has moved a step closer following a pilot study involving EEF West Midlands and Birmingham employer Widney.
Formal recognition and accreditation for on-the-job training across Europe has moved a step closer following a pilot study involving EEF West Midlands and Birmingham employer Widney EEF West Midlands is spearheading the UK element of a pan-European project called Exemplo, which was devised jointly with Widney
This article was originally published on Engineeringtalk on 28 Sep 2004 at 8.00am (UK)
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This is a systematic approach to on-the-job training and development which is also supported by companies in Germany, France, Spain, Poland, Finland and Norway.
No recognised process exists to provide for informal learning in the workplace.
This is a major drawback to attracting and retaining staff.
EEF West Midlands Director of Education and Training Development, Bill Nicholls, said: "The fact we have nothing in place for recognising informal learning is a big failing across Europe and we hope Exemplo will be taken up across Europe and in the UK alongside NVQs".
"The EU acknowledges that people know a lot about the job they do and learn new skills in many different ways, but are not recognised for any element of informal on-the-job training provided by employers".
"We want to give employees and employers a process that recognises the training provided by employers, in essence a process that provides excellent training which can then be accredited".
"This is different to the NVQ system which tends to focus entirely on assessment rather than the training and development individuals receive".
The Exemplo toolkit provides training tools that employers can adapt to suit their own and their employees' requirements.
In the UK, the intake of apprentices per year is 30,000 compared with 700,000 in Germany.
"We now have a two year project extension for Exemplo and are calling a regional conference in early 2006 to discuss it further," said Nicholls.
"Ultimately we want the Sector Skills Council for Science, Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies, Semta, to get on board and fund more research to turn this project nationwide and provide real help to companies".
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