Continuing Engineering Education as Work Based Learning - Results from an EU Leonardo Project

A European Union funded Leonardo da Vinci Pilot Project on Work Based Learning ended September 2005 (Leonardo 2003). This paper gives some of the key findings from this project. The project idea was to bring together a number of European universities exploring the area of Work Based Learning (WBL) in relation to Continuing Engineering Education (CEE). The paper discusses two areas of the overall project. The role of tacit knowledge and its interaction with explicit knowledge in WBL Combination of experiences from Problem Based Learning with WBL The conclusions for the project are based on tests from industrial cases carried out in the United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal and Denmark. Also partners from Finland, Austria and Hungary have been involved in the project. Results to be discussed includes problems with understanding the concept, needs for teacher training, benefits for the learner and her/his company, need for a dynamic learning contract, and the issue of defining learning objectives. Also discussed are the issues of priority given to learning agreements compared to other activities in the company and the importance of a company strategy and culture that includes learning. Two processes are proposed; Facilitated Work Based Learning (FWBL) and Continuous Professional Development (CPD) by WBL Toolkit. 2. Introduction