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TRENDS ON WBL AND EMPLOYER ENGAGEMENT

The BRIDGES Employer Engagement Framework offers practical guidance for its
implementation, examples of local employer engagement models/practices,
and success factors for each one of the four levels:

1. Building educational capacity

2. Co-designing curricula and career pathways
3. Leading and networking

4. Enhancing internationalisation

In addition, and to ensure an effective implementation of the framework in any
country, it is recommended to take into consideration also the current country’s
trends on WBL and employer engagement, as these developments can be
relevant to tailor the framework to specific contexts. Below, are summarised the
main trends – regarding policies, SDGs, digital transformation, and post-COVID
- identified by the Local Experts Groups on participating countries of the
BRIDGES project - Northern Ireland, Ireland, Germany, Portugal, England, Spain,

Cyprus, and Poland.

A special focus is put on trends on digital transformation post COVID-19 as
digitalisation has taken a sudden leap across sectors since the beginning of the
pandemic, and in the sphere of education and training in particular.
Governments all over the world have launched guidelines on the
implementation of distance learning in a short period of time and teachers and
learners had necessarily to improve their digital skills to be able to continue the

teaching-learning process from distance.

As regards to VET sector and the involvement of employers and WBL practice,
new trends have been launched. The COVID-19 pandemic has consequently
increased the spirit of resilience towards adversities normally brought by digital
transformation, opening new possibilities that continue to be explored in

different ways, depending on the context and needs of each country. Concrete
strategies to cope with COVID-19 challenges in BRIDGES’ participating countries
are suggested next.

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