WEST PRACTICE
On April 25th 2018 the Dutch National Europass Centre, part of the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, and TSI Foundation signed an agreement to continue their joint efforts on the development of an Open Badges-infrastructure in the local Rotterdam transformation program West Practice, which TSI Foundation is working on. The agreement not only confirms this cooperation we have since 2016, it is also the starting point for cooperation on new challenges we will be facing.
One of the biggest issues in Europe is how people can be motivated and enabled to upskill themselves. Global changes in labor and technological developments are major reasons for the European Commission and national governments to come up with agenda’s and programs meaning to stimulate people in continuously improving their position on the labor market. This is referred to as Lifelong Learning.
On behalf of the European Commission, National Europass Centres (NEC’s) execute tasks that contribute to lifelong learning and labour mobility. Every country in Europe has a NEC. DUO, the execution organization of the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science is appointed as the Dutch NEC. Their focus is, amongst others, on validation and certification of non-formal learning. A relatively new instrument to certify this kind of learning is the use of Open Badges. Open Badges are digital badges, like in a computer game or like the paper certificates people received for an achievement in the old days. In the field lab West Practice, in the western part of Rotterdam, TSI Foundation is developing new forms of upskilling by applying these digital badges. This enables us to create learning paths that connect Rotterdam inhabitants with upcoming employability in the old harbors that are currently being transformed into lively areas were pioneers of the Dutch making industry meet and experiment. Together with the DUO we are developing a social and physical infrastructure needed to succeed in creating these paths.
On behalf of the European Commission, National Europass Centres (NEC’s) execute tasks that contribute to lifelong learning and labor mobility. Each European country has its NEC. DUO ‘Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs’), the execution organization of the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science is appointed as the Dutch NEC. Their focus is, amongst others, on validation and certification of non-formal learning. A relatively new instrument to certify this kind of learning is the use of Open Badges. Open Badges are digital badges, comparable to those one can obtain in a computer game or like the more old-fashioned paper certificates people received for an achievement. In the field lab West Practice, in the western part of Rotterdam, TSI Foundation is developing new forms of upskilling by applying these digital badges. This enables us to create learning paths that connect Rotterdam inhabitants with upcoming employability in the old harbor surroundings that are currently being transformed into lively areas where pioneers of the Dutch making industry meet and experiment. Together with the DUO we are developing a social and physical infrastructure conditional to succeed in creating these paths.
Last April 2018, several NEC’s from around Europe gathered for a meeting in Rotterdam, hosted by the DUO. The Rotterdam team of TSI Foundation gave a presentation and showed the visitors around in the field lab West Practice. Part of this presentation was the signing of an agreement between the DUO and TSI Foundation. By signing this agreement, we confirm the mutually appreciated cooperation we have since 2016. It is also the starting point for cooperation on new challenges we will meet in developing Open Badges as an instrument to improve upskilling and lifelong learning in the Netherlands and Europe. With that, for TSI Foundation Open Badges is a theme we will further explore and develop together with DUO, but also with new relevant actors like the Dutch Cooperation Organization for Vocational Education, Training and the Labor Market (SBB).
For the Dutch version of this comment click here.
Want to learn more about West Practice: www.westpracticerotterdam.org