THE “LEARNING BY DOING” PROJECT

Print

"LEARNING BY DOING” PROJECT

In the framework of the Danube Transnational Programme, the Budapest Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) takes part in the implementation of three projects from 2017 onwards. Out of these, the one that BCCI initiated as the Lead Partner is called “Learning by Doing - Targeted Capacity Building of VET Partnerships in the Danube Region for the Effective Modernisation of VET Systems”, which aims to develop Vocational Education and Training (VET) systems and to introduce an effective and modernised dual VET system. This would be achieved by increasing the capacity of institutional actors defining VET systems in the Danube Region, and through reinforcing national and transnational partnerships.

The Project that covers the entire Danube Region was launched on 1 January 2017, the implementation period will finish on 30 June 2019, and its total budget is EUR 2.359 million. Chambers linked to the Danube Chambers of Commerce Association (DCCA) form an integral part of the project partnership. Out of the 20 regional chambers under the “Learning by Doing” Project, 8 are members of the DCCA. Project and Strategic Partners come from the following countries: Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany (Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg), Hungary, Montenegro, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and the Ukraine (oblasts of Chernivtsi, Ivano-Frankivsk, Zakarpatska and Odessa).

BCCI has close ties with the National Office of Vocational Education and Training and Adult Learning  (in Hungarian: Nemzeti Szakképzési és Felnőttképzési Hivatal), VET centres, schools, apprenticeship places, VET institutions and companies of professional groups relevant to economic development. NSZI takes part in the implementation of the Project as a Project Partner. Such well-established professional relationships are indispensable for attaining the objectives of and establishing a professional cooperation within the “Learning by Doing” Project. By the decision of the Secretariat and the Managing Authority of the Danube Transnational Programme, the Project is declared to be a strategic project due to the significance and territorial relevance of its subject matter.

The “Learning by Doing” Project kick-off conference was held in Budapest between 30 January and 2 February 2017, with the participation of all 24 Project Partners. In his keynote speech, the President of BCCI emphasized that the Budapest Chamber of Commerce and Industry set the objective of establishing a company-oriented VET and adult education in Hungary, and undertook to liaise between educational institutions and economic operators. Moreover, BCCI links VET students with the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector, where the students can learn the practical skills of various professions from qualified experts under adequate technical conditions.

At the “Learning by Doing” Project kick-off meeting, almost one hundred guests, including representatives of the European Commission and other prominent international and national institutions, attended the seminar “A szakképzés átalakulása: az osztályteremtől a vállalkozásokig” (Transformation of VET: From Classrooms to Companies). Transition towards Work-Based Learning (WBL) in education serves the needs of citizens and enterprises, therefore, it is an attractive answer to the burning labour market challenges Danube countries are coping with. Within VET, WBL enjoys a special importance, since about half of the jobs in Europe require a medium level qualification, primarily acquired through VET.

The urgency of introducing more effective and more flexible forms of VET is clearly demonstrated by economic, demographic and social trends in the Danube Region. Europe is still suffering from low economic cohesion, while the Danube Region is effected by serious East-West territorial inequality in terms of economic performance (the states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg in Germany are producing almost half of the GDP in the Danube Region) and of demography and labour market.

The objective is to establish demand-driven VET schemes that decrease the mismatch between qualifications and labour market demand. At the end of the Project, VET actors will have more structured knowledge and tools to implement VET reforms in Europe. These would be attained inter alia through the critical analysis of the current VET systems, transnational knowledge-sharing, organising study visits and interactive, subject-specific capacity building workshops, drafting a handbook facilitating VET reform, and drawing up policy recommendations.

For further information, please click on the following: http://www.interreg-danube.eu/learning-by-doing.