Work Simulation: A Natural Environment for Learning Job Skills and Job Attitudes

The current development of automation and information technology creates a growing gap between education and the labour market. Recent studies reveal that vocational skills and also social skills and attitudes must be integrated in vocational training.

One of the promising possibilities to realise these educational goals is to build work simulations in which the job reality is transferred. Integrated learning of skills and attitudes mentioned above can take place in this authentic situation. A survey was initiated to investigate what forms of work simulation exist in secondary vocational training and adult education. Another subject of study was the question of advantages and disadvantages of work simulation. Effectiveness of work simulation was assessed too. Three models to describe types of work simulation resulted from the survey.