O1 PRO-YOUTH Methodological framework for WBL schemes in the field of hospitality and heritage tourism
The participating countries are sharing the challenge of fighting youth unemployment. Especially the number of young between 15 and 24 who are not in employment, education or training (NEETs) is very high. At the same time, cultural heritage tourism has a huge development potential in all four countries, therefore PRO-YOUTH strategically involves them. It aims to direct attention toward the necessity of the development of transnational cooperation in order to combine learning with practical training in collaboration with companies and employers. As a first step, the partnership has been focusing on the development of the PRO-YOUTH methodological framework to lay out how to implement work-based learning schemes tailored to the needs of the local/regional labor markets in the field of heritage tourism. Innovation and impact: The methodological framework outlines innovative solutions for work-based learning through collaboration with companies and employers. Countries affected by high unemployment rates are looking for ways to improve the transition between school and employment and are increasingly turning their sights on WBL schemes/dual vocational trainings schemes. Combining theoretical reflection in vocational schools with practical in-company experience not only ensures that the business world will have skilled workers with real-life training, but also facilitates young people’s transition into the labor market. Content: The developed methodological framework proposes a model to answer the following challenges: - Which materials are useful for multipliers training employees in the (hospitality and heritage) tourism industry? - Which tools are needed to provide on-the-job training to unskilled youth to reintegrate them into the tourism job market, where they often end up as unskilled workers? How to assure that they will be better skilled and better paid on the long-term? - What are the most relevant skills elated to cultural and heritage tourism and how can prospective tourism employees be effectively prepared for their daily job? Steps already taken in the first 10 months of implementation: Preparation and analyses • Analysis performed and findings summarized by the coordinating partner focusing on the situation of youth unemployment and education in the EU, recent findings on employment in the cultural sector (with widening the scope to the cultural and creative industries and tourism as well), including skills needed in the field. Finally, a selection of projects already implemented related to NEETs and cultural heritage were reviewed presented.
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