Work-based learning and simulations

High-quality career guidance and counselling should be accessible to all young people. Such support enables learners to develop an understanding of the labour market and to explore a range of career pathways and employment opportunities.

Young people entering the workplace for the first time may experience uncertainty or feel unprepared for workplace expectations. They should therefore be supported through targeted guidance that clarifies their roles, responsibilities and rights, including compliance with employment terms and conditions.

Providing clear and practical information - such as working hours, dress code, supervisory arrangements, travel logistics, remuneration, and workplace health and safety - can help reduce uncertainty and facilitate a smoother transition into the workplace environment.

A range of work-based learning models and workplace simulation approaches should be made available to accommodate different learning needs and system contexts. These include:

• Apprenticeships that combine or alternate company-based training with school-based education;
• School-based VET programmes that include structured periods of on-the-job training in companies (e.g. internships, work placements, traineeships);
• School-based work-based learning activities and “work tasters” (e.g. on-site laboratories, workshops, training restaurants, junior or practice firms, and simulated or real industry projects).

Work tasters are particularly valuable, as they allow young people to explore different occupational fields prior to transition into employment. Such measures support the development of employability skills and provide early exposure to workplace cultures, enabling more informed career decisions.

Where apprenticeship opportunities are limited, work-based learning or work tasters in a school can also serve as a bridging mechanism for learners unable to access placements.

Digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, virtual reality and augmented reality, can further enhance work-based learning and simulation-based approaches by enabling more personalised learning experiences, strengthening skills development and enriching traditional school-based provision with immersive, workplace-relevant environments.

Opportunities to explore different occupational areas should be tailored to the interests, needs and capabilities of each learner. They should include preparatory activities - such as completing application forms, participating in interviews and attending briefing sessions - as well as structured reflection on the learning experience. This reflection may cover tasks performed, skills developed, and individual strengths and aptitudes demonstrated.

Close cooperation between education and training providers and employers is essential to ensure the availability of high-quality in-company learning opportunities for learners. Such partnerships are also critical to ensuring that workplace experiences are meaningful, relevant and aligned with learners’ needs.

Collaboration with employers can enhance the labour market relevance of curricula and increase its attractiveness to young people. It also enables the development of a diverse range of work-readiness activities, including career talks, work tasters and job shadowing opportunities.

Education and training providers should adopt flexible approaches to organising workplace learning opportunities in partnership with employers, taking into account varying levels of employer capacity. Delivery models may include regular placements (e.g. one day per week over a term), block placements of longer duration, or rotational placements across different departments, allowing learners to gain broader exposure to organisational functions.

Partnerships can also be developed through digital platforms, significantly expanding access to employers and broadening the range of available learning opportunities.

Employers likewise benefit from sustained engagement with education providers. Such partnerships offer opportunities to showcase sectors and workplaces, strengthen their visibility within local communities, and support the development of future talent pipelines.

Community-based organisations can play a significant role in supporting young people in their transition from education to employment. In addition to providing opportunities for work-based learning and high-quality workplace simulations, many such organisations offer complementary services and activities that foster self-esteem, motivation and the development of essential life skills.

These forms of engagement may be particularly effective in reaching young people at risk of early leaving from education and training, including those facing academic challenges or disengagement from formal learning.

Digital tools - such as mentoring platforms and e-portfolios - can further enhance support mechanisms by enabling case coordinators and workplace supervisors to monitor learner progress in real time. This facilitates timely intervention where challenges arise during placements and supports more personalised guidance.

Where work-based training is delivered in a company or another external training entity, a designated workplace tutor or mentor should be appointed to oversee the learner’s training. This role is essential for ensuring structured coordination and ongoing dialogue between education and training providers and employers, enabling coherent delivery across school-based and workplace learning components.

Such coordination can be further strengthened through the assignment of a key contact person (e.g. a case worker or learner coordinator), who supports the learner throughout the learning pathway. This helps ensure that learners feel adequately supported, while also providing clarity for employers regarding the relationship between on-the-job and off-the-job learning components.

In addition, digital recognition tools - such as digital badges and micro-credentials - can provide an effective mechanism for validating and recording skills and technical competences acquired through workplace learning or simulations. 

These portable, digital credentials enhance transparency and can strengthen the learner’s evidence of work-readiness.

Clear learning outcomes and structured quality assurance mechanisms should underpin all forms of work-based learning. Training content, roles and expectations should be formally defined and jointly agreed by schools and employers.

Regular assessment and feedback should be integrated into the learning process to ensure that workplace experiences contribute meaningfully to competence development and progression.

Employers should be supported to participate in work-based learning through appropriate incentives and enabling conditions. These may include financial compensation, administrative support, training for workplace mentors, or recognition schemes for participating companies.

Such measures help reduce barriers to participation, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and contribute to sustained employer engagement.

Work-based learning systems should be regularly monitored and evaluated to ensure effectiveness, equity and quality. Monitoring frameworks should include learner outcomes, employer satisfaction, progression into employment, and inclusiveness of participation.

Findings from evaluation should be used to continuously improve programme design, strengthen partnerships, and adapt provision to evolving labour market needs.

For more information on monitoring and evaluation see here.