IVETAS

Objectives

Today’s automotive sector is characterised by continuous innovation dynamics in work processes, the emergence of global networks and increasing competitive pressure. For employees, this means increasing demands in terms of the flexibility with which they respond to the changing needs of the world of work. They must be able to deal with complex work requirements which, in turn, can only be adequately determined through the interaction of all actors in this field – companies, employees, social partners, educational institutions and public institutions. Against this background, the project coordinated by DEKRA Akademie GmbH aims to create a stakeholder network for training in the automotive sector.

The consortium led by DEKRA Akademie GmbH aims to establish a network with the goal of facilitating the identification of examples of good practice in initial and continuing training and enabling cooperation in improving qualification processes. The form of the stakeholder network has the potential to realise quality assurance in training in such a way that the requirements of the work process are covered to the greatest possible extent by the knowledge, skills and competences of the employees. To create a “zone of mutual trust”, the network is to provide stakeholders with information on the training and qualification processes of the automotive sector in various European countries and thus improve transparency. On the basis of cooperation with the stakeholders, the network will develop methods for identifying qualification requirements and translating them into qualification processes. The examples of good practice serve as reference models for generally recognisable qualification standards.

The main components of the work programme are as follows:

· Creation of a knowledge database with information on the situation of vocational and work-related education and training in the automotive sector for use by all stakeholders in this sector,

· Compilation of an overview of methods for developing occupational profiles and designing qualification processes,

· Survey and evaluation of training approaches and concepts for the automotive sector at national and European level,

· Identification of examples of good practice,

· Creation of a forum for the exchange of information,

· Development of recommendations for action.

Research focus

Work and qualification processes, innovation, transparency of qualifications

Methods

The substantive work of the project is divided into three development packages as well as extensive exploitation and dissemination activities. In the course of the first work package, the consortium conducts a survey of the conditions of initial and continuing training in the automotive sector by means of source analysis and expert interviews and creates a knowledge database on this basis. This work is carried out mainly by the scientific core partners ITB (Germany), CREDIJ (France) and Politecnico di Torino (Italy).

On this basis, methods for developing vocational qualification processes and work-process-oriented qualification profiles are analysed and examples of good practice identified. This part of the research programme is coordinated by the Austrian partner 3s research laboratory. Finally, existing initial and continuing training activities are evaluated and a research report is prepared.

Results

The research activities for the work package “Development of a knowledge database” have led to the preparation of comprehensive country reports and an integrating research report. A test version of the web portal with links to four thematic databases (“Country information”, “Innovative approaches”, “VET providers” and “European resources”) and a discussion forum has been developed. The launch of the final version is planned for September 2010.

In the course of the work packages on the analysis and evaluation of methods for developing qualification processes and on the identification of examples of good practice in initial and continuing training activities, country reports and an overall report were submitted and provisional criteria for formulating a reference model were developed.