Partners of Learn2Create project are focused on the development of work based learning (WBL) in cultural and creative industries (CCIs). L2C consortium has developed a learning curriculum and course content, which are based on our many years’ practice in work with artists/creatives and with trainers and VET teachers. It is also based on the research done by all partners in 6 European countries at the beginning of the project. It is worth mentioning that it was a true challenge to create a blended learning course which would suit the widely diversified set of experiences and differently organised practises and correspond to the Education and Training national systems at the European level.
Learning/teaching/training event (C1) was one of the most important and key activities planned in the work of the project. It was planned as a one week face to face training week in Matera (Italy) and 18 experienced teachers and trainers were supposed to work together to check and develop the course content. They were to explore six thematic areas in depth through specific exploration activities to identify the strong and weak areas of the course that had been created. Working together in an international context was planned as an important element. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the course in terms of how it provided teachers and trainers with skills that were useful in their educational practise. Unfortunately, because of the pandemic we had to organise the whole training week online. This was a challenge but it was also a great opportunity to test the whole programme online. Finally 15 representatives of partner organisations took part in the training week (from Poland, UK, Italy, Spain, Greece, Slovak). The event was entitled “Testing the Learning Curriculum and its content for VET Trainers in the CCIs”. The main goals of the meeting were: to test part of the curriculum content in Moodle, to discuss the mapping against the curriculum, to agree fundamental changes to the curriculum (if any) and to enhance the testing of IO3. As the course includes about 60 various exercises and tools, partners decided to select areas to focus on during the training week. Day 1 was focused on reviewing the whole course and mapping. Day 2 – “Self-Learning” and was focused on testing modules 1 and 2. Day 3 – “In context” and was focused on testing modules 3 and 4. Day 4 – “Development” was planned to test modules 5 and 6. Day 5 was designed as a hackathon – to sum up all feedback and to plan the pilot testing of the course with external beneficiaries. The training week was organised in January 2021. Rinova (UK) was leading organisation responsible for creation of the structure, agenda and gathering feedback from partners.
All partners stressed the value of such a training. Also feedback collected during LTT week gave partners the chance to improve some elements of the course and so organize and implement the L2C education and training pathway in a better way.
All partners agreed that VET trainers and teachers from CCIs need exposure to a range of situations and to develop their knowledge about WBL. They stressed that the L2C curriculum for WBL in CCIs defines a sufficiently broad range of knowledge, skills and competences, including a range of key competences. One of the strongest parts of this curriculum is information how to cooperate to establish “training alliances” to offer learners a full range of settings and tasks. This is especially important because of the uniqueness of CCIs, which are organised in a way that does not fit into traditional apprenticeship schemes of providing learning in the workplace which are more dedicated to training with a master craftsperson.
Learn2Create partnership hopes that our course may engage VET teachers and trainers by means of exercises and tools in creative and innovative tasks.