Western Balkans Alliance for Work Based Learning celebrating its 6th birthday
Western Balkans Alliance for Work-Based Learning (WBA4WBL) was established in 2016 within the framework of the Berlin Process, during the conference Building a Western Balkans Alliance for Work-based Learning, and formulated through a Joint Statement. The Alliance joined the VET agencies and Chambers of commerce from 6 Western Balkans economies, under the umbrella of ERI SEE and Western Balkans 6 Chambers Investment Forum, to encourage connections between education and business and join efforts for further advancements in work-based learning in the region.
The WBA4WBL continued to meet within the scope of the two regional projects led by the ERI SEE: TO REGOS and EQET SEE, making bold innovations in the standards of occupations and qualifications at regional level with strong emphasis on the labour-market needs. The cooperation between the VET centres/agencies and businesses grew stronger through years.
To analyse what was done in the last 6 years of cooperation, and what needs to be done in the future by the WBA4ABL, the ERI SEE and OeAD organised the regional workshop Public-Private Partnership for Meeting Skills Needs and Making Vocational Education and Training in cooperation with the Western Balkans Chambers Investment Forum (WB6 CIF), the Austrian Economic Chamber (WKO) and the Austrian Parliament.
The workshop was organised on 10 and 11 October 2022 in Venna, Austria. It aimed at providing a platform for sharing experience on the ways in which public – private partnership was developed during the process of introducing dual and other forms of work-based learning in the VET systems in the Western Balkans since 2016. At the same time, the regional workshop looked at the future of WBL especially in the relation to how to attract students to VET, raise company awareness, quality assurance of the WBL and efficiency of the legal framework. The workshop gathered representatives of education committees in regional parliaments, ministries responsible for vocational education and training, VET agencies and chambers of commerce.
It was concluded that, since 2016, substantial steps to enhance the quality and labour market relevance of VET systems through the introduction of different formats of work-based learning have been undertaken in the Western Balkans. Strengthening the WBL and its quality assurance became one of the key policy priorities of all VET systems in the Western Balkans. The WBA4WBL is strongly committed to continuing its work in this direction.
