What is WBL – work-based learning?
The phrase WBL – work based learning means work-based learning. Depending on the field of the labor market and the type of work, it may take various forms. These may be training, internships, or training for a given profession, which are mainly work-based. The goal is to acquire practical, not just theoretical, knowledge. They can also be courses, retraining, seminars, workshops – there are many forms. There are also many market institutions that are involved in WBL, such as public employment services, Voluntary Labor Corps, employment agencies, training institutions and institutions of social dialogue and local partnership. The subjective scope of WBL mainly covers young people who are just entering the labor market, but adults can also take advantage of courses that will expand their horizons and skills at work (especially if they change their job).
Of course, depending on the regulations in a given country, training for a given profession is understood differently. However, for the purposes of the Recommendation, it was decided that the universal definition would be: apprenticeship is a form of education and training, regulated by an apprenticeship contract, which enables the apprentice to acquire the competences required to work in an occupation through organized and remunerated or otherwise financially rewarded training covering both on-the-job and off-the-job learning, leading to a recognized qualification.
According to the International Labor Organization: „Work-based learning plays a key role in developing workers’ skills in a changing labor market. It is not only a path for young people, but also for adults looking for opportunities to improve or change their qualifications. Promoting and wider availability of apprenticeships vocational and other work-based training opportunities can reduce youth unemployment, facilitate entry into the labor market, increase the productivity and competitiveness of enterprises, and enable workers to develop the right skills for a rapidly changing world of work. The International Labor Conference recently adopted a Recommendation on high-quality apprenticeships with 2023 (No. 208), containing detailed guidance for Member States on promoting and regulating apprenticeships.
Measuring workplace learning (WBL) is complex and multi-faceted. WBL refers to all forms of learning that take place in a real work environment. It may take place through formal and non-formal education and training, as well as informal learning that can be delivered throughout an individual’s life to improve competencies, including the knowledge, skills and behaviors needed to successfully obtain and maintain employment and to develop in individual career paths. Internships, apprenticeships, apprenticeships, and on-the-job training are the most common types of WBL. They can be paid without payment. According to the ILO: „Data from 85 countries show that approximately 25 out of every 1,000 young people (aged 15-24) participate in apprenticeship or traineeship programs. However, there are huge differences between countries and also between age groups. Most people youth learners are in Switzerland (225 per 1,000 young people), followed by Sierra Leone (140), Austria (136) and France (116). Male youth are almost twice as likely as female youth to participate in youth-based learning. on the job. National definitions of apprenticeships and traineeships vary greatly, so the reality of work-based learning would vary greatly between these programmes, ranging from traineeships lasting just a few days to gain exposure to real jobs, to structured programs lasting several years, which are organized around specific competences and complemented by off-the-job learning.
Supported by Norway through Norway Grants 2014-2021, in the frame of the Programme “Social Dialogue – Decent Work”.
