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Sykli Environmental School of Finland provides vocational training for waste management and water supply employees. They are working at the same time as they are studying because qualification requires work-based learning. Students are performing further vocational and specialist vocational qualification studies, which both takes about 1,5 years.
Although students have usually work experience before they start studying they also need support from the employer. Support can be e.g. personal guidance at work, practise new working skills and time to do self-study of theory. A workplace instructor from work place is named for every student. Workplace instructor guides student and take part also for competence demonstration assessment. At the moment we are attenting to support workplace instructors for helping students at work-based learning. This in something that is needed more along studies because workplace instructors have a important role to help students to proceed for performing qualification.
Adult students that need special support are recognised better than earlier. Students are personalised better and personal competence development plans are made for them to help studies. Support varies by person, it can be e.g. more time to do written material, more plain instructions or student can use oral means at competence demostration. Also accessibility must be enable if students have, say, mobility or social challenges. Study place has to have access and teamwork pleasant for everybody.
All in all, it is excellent that lifelong learning is possible and we can promote it with our adult students!