‘LEAN methodieken integreren bij het leren op de werkplek’

The project '‘LEAN methodieken integreren bij het leren op de werkplek’, part of the Limburgse Inclusieve Arbeidsmarkt, aims to translate LEAN methodologies from the business world into secondary / high school education. The project focuses on developing an implementation scenario with didactic material, making it easier for educational institutions to integrate LEAN principles. These techniques, focused on eliminating waste and continuous improvement, will be applied both internally in schools (vertically) and in collaboration with external parties (horizontally). In the Maasland region and former mining municipalities, various ad hoc projects are ongoing where schools and enterprises collaborate, but they often lack a sustainable and qualitative character. This project aims for structural improvements, providing students with qualitative and fair opportunities in the workplace and protecting them from accidental economic downturns, restructuring, or takeovers. The overall objective of this project is to further develop and elaborate on workplace learning through internships, workplace learning, and dual learning in a more qualitative and sustainable manner.

Seven highschoolgroups will set up ten pilot projects aimed at improving the alignment between school and work-related learning. Collaboration will take place with both Limburg companies and VKW Limburg, as well as with Hogeschool PXL, known for its expertise in LEAN, and Hogeschool UCLL, which focuses on scientifically underpinning the project.

The integration of LEAN methodologies into secondary education offers benefits to the professional field: on the one hand, companies gain employees familiar with LEAN principles, and on the other hand, students become more attractive to the labor market. This project facilitates cross-pollination between companies applying LEAN and schools, allowing even smaller companies to qualitatively improve workplace learning.