DIVET Project is a vocational qualification project that will develop the ability to export via the internet and social media.

A training of 118 hours was envisaged for the competence to be developed within the scope of the project, and this training process was supported by a 3-month work-based learning.

Why is Work-Based Learning Important?

Work-based learning is a learning system that supports theoretical training and gives learners the opportunity to apply what they have learned in the classroom environment in the workplace. Although it is an important accumulation for learners, it is also essential for the efficiency of education.

The work-based learning implementation has three direct beneficiaries. One of them is the learner, the others are enterprises and training institutions. The fourth and most important beneficiary of the implementation is the society.

Benefits of Learners

The graduates’ lack of workplace experience may cause serious difficulties in finding a job. Learners’ willingness to do work-based implementations and evaluating this process in the most effective way will bring them following advantages.

• Perception of the Work Environment and Career Planning

Before fully embarking on business life, learner can have the opportunity to see what kind of environment they are working in in the future, by observing the business they work in, and is effective in making decisions about whether this business is suitable for them, and if not, what kind of business they can work in. By observing the environment in which they work, it helps them to understand in which department and in what position it is appropriate to work. Moreover, learner sees whether the current workplace or the profession they are studying is suitable for them, and if not, the learner can set new career goals by making new plans before it is too late. Most importantly is gaining work experience.

• Ease of finding job

The presence of workplace experience constitutes a very important evaluation item in the CV prepared while looking for a job. On the other hand, the success achieved in the company where the learner worked creates the opportunity to find a job in that company later on. Because companies tend to hire the individuals already working in their facilities, they have tried before and are satisfied with, who are focused on reducing risk in new hires. Moreover, the learner who is appreciated by managers will secure his job in the future.

• Contribution to professional development

The theoretical knowledge learned at a training institution turns into practice at the workplace during work-based learning. Thus, the satisfaction of what is learned is experienced. During the work-based learning period, useful information is learned about the business world and profession that will add value to the learner in the future. Thus, learners will have the opportunity to move forward with firmer steps in business life. Learner; acquires business practice, observes the ways and methods that will lead them to success, and experiences the consequences of their mistakes.

• Development of self-confidence

Graduating with the experience gained during the work-based implementation, the learner will not start a job with zero experience. The experience gained increases self-confidence in the future. Even in job interviews, the experience gained and the self-confidence that learner develops, makes them express themselves more effectively and gives them the opportunity of impressive marketing.

• Networking

During the working period, the learner meets many people from the business world and the company that they work for. The important thing is to establish long-term contact with these people. The learner can establish a portfolio of the individuals that prefer to stay in touch with. Recently, social media tools provide support for the establishment and execution of such a network.

Benefits of Enterprises

While the benefits of hiring interns for businesses are underestimated by employers, they are enormous. However, this requires a well-designed trainee plan. A well-designed trainee strategy, planning and implementation provides enterprises with the following significant benefits.

• A new perspective

Working with young people is important in terms of developing new and innovative ideas. Young learners who come to the enterprises for work-based learning start to work with quite new knowledge, and they bring a different perspective to the workplace. Consideration of these innovative ideas by the managers or current employees leads to focus on more innovative activities.

• Improvement of social environment

New generations have different social approaches than the previous ones. The inclusion of young learners in enterprises and their social interaction with the existing employees cause the social environment in the enterprises to be renewed in accordance with the conditions of the modern way of life. It also increases the motivation of existing employees by exhibiting current social trends.

• Recruitment of tested and proven staff

The young learner doing the work-based practices are better known by the managers and enterprises experienced the comfort of hiring people who are familiar, admired and experienced in the future. By discovering new talents, they may find the opportunity to employ people who will be of great use to them in the future.

• Reserved workforce

Interns are an extra workforce. The task given to interns in the execution of a planned activity will enable them to develop on the one hand, and support the employees in the group on the other. On the one hand, they can alleviate the workload of the existing staff, while preventing the disruption of the work.

• Creation of mentoring and management opportunities for existing senior staff

Senior staff in enterprises get the opportunity of mentoring and managing interns assigned to work for them. This opportunity also allows the senior staff to renew their knowledge, gain additional knowledge and gain management experience.

• Way of accessing to innovations; social media management and internet marketing

Generation Z is an age group born and raised in social media and the internet. They use information technologies extensively in their daily lives. Young people often have a unique perspective and insight into current trends in social media. If social media and the internet are an important part of the business, they are better equipped to manage them.

Benefits of training institutions

Internship programs also have incredible benefits for training institutions. Well-defined internship programs provide the following benefits to the training institution.

• Allow the training institution administration to determine whether learners are technically and mentally ready for “working life”.
• Raise the institution in local and international standards, increase the prestige of the institution both domestically and internationally.
• Increase the credit of its graduates in the business environment. By positively affecting the employment prospects of students after graduation, they ultimately increase the reputation of the school.
• Enable trainers to have closer relations with the business environment within the scope of internship programs, to exchange information with business management, to obtain better information about current market trends and employers’ needs, and to develop more effective curriculum and training content in line with this information.

Benefits of Society

Human capital, in other words, qualified manpower is the basic element of economic growth and social development. Well-designed training process is the only condition of increasing the quality of the workforce. A well-designed training process should include a work-based learning system. The more experienced and equipped learners graduate from training institutions will cause a higher economic and social welfare of countries.