Last week I had the pleasure to welcome Claudio Dondi and Rigo van Raai from the European project on Dual learning to Stenden University. Dondi and van Raaij are amongst the main contributors of the The EuroDuaLE Methodological Framework, representing two partners (COFORA and Sophia) of the project co-ordinated by Università di Modena e Reggio (UNIMORE).
The European Cooperative Framework for Dual Learning - is an Erasmus+ Project, involving 13 organisations in 6 different EU Member States. The goal of EuroDuaLE is to “develop an integrated transnational Dual Learning framework, where Higher Education Institutions and relevant stakeholders in the labour market establish a synergy and provide students with new curricula, combining formal training and training on-the job, physical and virtual mobility”.
The rationale of the project;
“As stated in the 2020 Strategy, Europe increasingly needs people with the right combination of transversal competences, digital skills, creativity and adaptability, together with solid technical knowledge depending on the specific field. However, a growing number of employers highlight the disequilibrium and the difficulties to recruit people matching with their constantly evolving needs. High youth unemployment, even among highly skilled young adults, is the result of such delay, particularly dramatic in southern Europe. It emerges the necessity to involve employers in the definition of the curricula provided by HEIs, introduce the opportunity for students to combine practical experience with formal learning. In this context, Dual Learning Systems seem to have the potential to substantially increase the employability of young people at the end of the educational experience”.
With over 15 years of experience in work based learning (in a work study concept) at Stenden combining practical experience and formal learning is at the core of the dual concept. In full-time Bachelor and Associate programs dual learning is part of the educational concept in a hybrid menu of lifelong learning options. The work /study concept is specifically designed for peoplewho want (or need!) to combine the worlds of work, study and everyday life. It is a specific dual concept for working adults aged 18 and up, to open up new career possibilities, to upskill, prepair for transfer to other work and to keep up with fast changing demands in the workfield. I was happy to explain the dual concept of Stenden where working and learning is integrated from start to finish in the flexible Associate degree, Bachelor and Master programs.
Quite a unique concept in Europe with a lot of experience in the co-operation with the industry, with students and … in the transition process that the institution had to go through to design, organise and deliver this concept successfully! Stenden and EuroDuale share a strong interest in making quality dual learning a key element of both initial higher education and lifelong learning programmes for people already working. On the basis of this interest they are now considering possible collaborations in adapting the EURODUALE framework in order to integrate elements of the lifelong learning pioneering experience of Stenden University. This could be useful in supporting a variety of possible learning programmes, including those with an explicit international study and work component.
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