Work & Learning Partners

So far the comparative analysis of different preconditions for workplace learning partnerships has highlighted diferent institutional and organisational starting points and relate working perspectives. In this respect I have emphasised the following approaches to the creation and promotion of workplace partnerships:

• Educational approaches that focus on the incorporation of workplace learning into vocational curricula (and on the attainmen of related qualification goals);
• Work process -oriented approaches that focus on the incorporation of training provisions (or virtual learning arrangements) into the culture of  organisational learning and process improvement;

• Virtual networking initiatives that try to create joint resource pools among training providers and partner enterprises (and to promote related capability for knowledge sharing and networking).

Although this is a rough categorisation, it gives an idea how different boundary conditions are characteristic of the counry contexts in which the members of the WLP project team are working. However, in order to get a clearer idea on possible arenas for piloting we need to be more specific on the preconditions and on the process dynamics that are related to partneship creation and/or to the supporting activities.

Therefore, I would like to draw attention on the way that the preconditions for partnership creation (and for related support activities) vary in different developmental contexts. In this respect I would highlight the following contextual settings:

a) Co-development and accompaniment of multi-player partnerships

This kind of partnership concept has been brought forward in the application phase and in the initial phase of the WLP project. The  German predecessor projects GOLO and GAPA can be seen as forerunners of a transition strategy in which the VET colleges adopt a new role in supporting workplace learning and regional or sectoral initiatives. From the industrial perspective this kind of partnership concept has been brought forward by the UK cases that higlight the role of training and learning in the context of supply chains.

b) Outreach activities of training providers and/or training enterprises

This kind of partnership concept comes into picture as the most likely actual starting point or as a potential working perspective. The most striking example is the Solski Center Velenje and its outreach activities (from the educational perspective) or the Estonian enterprises and their potential cooperation with the regional training providers (from the industrialperspective).

c) Facilitator-supported search for joint resource pools or networking concepts

This kind of partnership concept has been brought into discussion in the Italian context with reference to virtual networking and to joint resource pools for knowledge sharing. On the other hand this kind of partnership-oriented approach is coming into picture in the analyses on cross-border cooperation and trans-national synergies between France, Germany and Switzerland.

I think this is enough on this topic at the moment. With this interim remark I have wanted to open the prospects for a more differentiated piloting phase with an understanding on the different preconditions for partnership-creation, networking and using virtual support.

Pekka Kämäräinen