Visitors:

A. Getting the Right Meaning of the Learning Area Concept

 We have inherited a term that must still be considered to be ‘under construction’. Learning Regions, Learning Communities, Learning Areas …these ideas have only existed for a short time among the few specialists, technicians in the consultative, policy-making, administrative side of the sector. As the meaning of this message diffuses, we can see that the idea is actually difficult to understand for those who have not followed its development, despite its conceptual simplicity. (I say conceptual simplicity, because the implementation of the idea is in fact extremely complex).

 Right Understanding

 Here we are dealing with a project that will attempt to set up a regionally scaled, market-based, good governance model for developing the human resource potential required by  the tourism industry of the 21^st century. 

 Tourism Learning Area = Tourism Sector Formal and Informal Learning Co-ordination Process/System.  Integration and Coherence are the keywords. It should be made clear that this process or system will contain features common to all large scale systems (see box below).

 In the system, two component parts interact - Learning Experience Providers and Learning Experience Clients.

 Their action creates multiple market places for interaction and exchange. (Universities, training centers, schools, offices, hotels, the home, the street, theatres & cinemas,  IT devices, etc …

 Learning Experiences are the ‘goods’ that are exchanged by these two groups.

A Learning area has a lead player, ie a co-ordinator. This role may be taken on by any stakeholder, but is the duty of tourism and education public/government bodies to facilitate. (Better Regulation Package June 2002)

  The Coordinator identifies their own Learning Area’s

•          level of territorial interest,

•          the multiple Stakeholders, and the

•          Multiple Market-Places

that will constitute their Provisional Learning Area.

 At this point it will be necessary to conceptualise how all the local links can then be made between these elements, using the Tourism Learning Area Model of Excellence and  large-scale systems analysis as the blueprint to describe the system.

 This can be displayed as a website. This will provide a visual map of the Tourism Learning Area in question.  It will demonstrate the potential of connectivity within a previously random form of interactions. 

 The coordinator then maps these elements as networks. This will produce a complex matrix of interactions that require coherent linkages.

 A Report on how the pubic and private governance of the system is re-organized to optimize human resource potential development for that Learning Area is produced.

 Results are compared between the Learning Area Experiences in a European Seminar.

 Within this process, the Handbook is drafted, tested and finalized  to match the experiences of the PLAs.

B.   Implementing the Learning Area Concept for the purposes of Developing the Handbook

 We can now focus on the two key preliminary aspects of the project, namely:

 i) Setting up a Provisional Learning Area

ii) The Role of Specialist Experts

 We chose a methodology of testing the handbook in 7 member states. Therefore it should be borne in mind from the outset that our work is focused on pilot testing the handbook contents. The 7 Learning Areas that we  will develop are therefore not to be considered the main output of the project. However, they are an important by-product that offers several future possibilities that should be discussed as we become more familiar with the Learning Area development process.

 The following two sections provide basic list of tasks that need to be undertaken in each learning area.

 i) Setting up a Provisional Learning Area

 The following tasks need to be undertaken by the Provisional Learning Areas Coordinators

Phase 1

•          Understand the Concept

•          Prepare Material to disseminate concept in own Language

•          Develop Multi level Contact lists

•          Disseminate material

•          Call for a working meeting

Phase II

•          Identify a leading partner

•          Draw up comprehensive stakeholder lists of providers

•          Draw up comprehensive stakeholder list of clients

•          Draw up list of examples of learning experiences relevant to region

•          Develop a protocol of collaboration (open access/participation)

•          Draw up an operational  framework

•          Develop a list of practical activities

•          Develop a website

Phase III

•          Prepare a  Report for the coordinator

•          Receive draft Manual

•          Translate summary of manual

•          disseminate manual to regional stakeholders

•          Obtain feedback on manual

•          Inform coordinator of feedback

Throughout this process PLAS will be supported by the core team and coordinator, principally through the development and use of the Learning Area Implementation Toolkit (see below).

ii) The Role of Specialist Experts

Specialist Experts ‘have been appointed to provide expert guidance and additional country expertise, and will be responsible for supporting and verifying the work of the principal author, including a contents review of the final material. These experts will also ensure complete thematic and sectoral coverage of the issues.’ (quote from project tender)

The Specialist experts will be focusing on:

1.      Specific research topic areas

2. Specific Chapters of the handbook
3. The Virtual PLA

Specific research topic areas

In researching the Learning Area material it will be necessary to ensure that project synergy should be developed between:

•          The R3L Initiative

•          The Grundvig Programme

•          The DG Enterprise Tourism Units Networking Project

•          The  DG Enterprise Tourism Units Tourism And Transport Action

•          European Tourism Education Network

•          Regional Innovative Actions

Specific Chapters of the handbook

The following chapters of the handbook were prescribed in the tender:

1. The scope of Learning Areas: definition and areas of activity.

2. Stakeholders involved and the target groups.

3. Holistic support to the sector:

3.1. Provision of support.

3.2. The role of the key providers.

4. The social dimension of Learning Areas: learning, employment and

labour environment.

5. The organisation and structures in the Learning Areas:

5.1. Partnership.

5.2. Leadership: key actors.

5.3. Transparency, division of task, roles and responsibilities.

5.4. The core of the Learning Area.

6. The role of Learning Areas for innovating and improving the tourist

value chain: co-operation between Learning Areas.

7. Sources and means of funding.

8. Good practices: different models for different realities.

9. Guidelines for action: a practical check-list.

10. Conclusion.

In response to these sections we added our own structure that involved the following:

Part I (theory)

1. Background to Learning Areas
2. Theoretical Foundation of Learning Areas
3. Tourism sector

·        Thematic Issues

·        Sectoral Issues

4. Scope of Learning Areas in relation to the Tourism Sector

Part II (implementation)

5. Designing a Learning Area Model
6. Implementing a Learning Area
7. Issues for Key Stakeholders
8. Delivering Learning Experiences

·        Identifying client needs

·        Targeting SMEs

9. Focus on E-learning
10. Further Support
11. Examples of implementation

This dual contents framework will provide the starting point of the process of writing the Handbook. At all stages of research and field testing, these headings will guide team members in the formulation of their output. 

Key areas that need researching are:

1. A Literature survey
2. A Listing of Key Stakeholders and their activities
3. Good practice examples
4. ELearning opportunities
5. Social and Environmental Implications for Learning Areas
6. Implications for SMEs
7. Sources of funding

The special experts will also be involved in reviewing the draft at each stage of its development.

The Virtual PLA

The creation of the Virtual PLA is a collaboration of all the Expert Group members.

It has to draw from the World Wide Web a Tourism Learning Area of Stakeholders, and function as a market place for Learning Experiences.

1. To approach this, we need to undertake the following work:

2. Identify web-based actors who can be regarded as Tourism Learning Experience Providers. On-line information sources and courses specific to the tourism sector are an obvious starting point.

3. Identify Learning Experience Clients by

•          Stakeholder Group

•          Geographical region

•          Thematic Area

•          Sector

4. Construct the Website as an open portal to, and an open e-link between, these Learning Experience Providers and Clients

5. Link the eLearning Area to the PLAs to establish Global to Local site connectivity.

 The Learning Area Handbook Implementation Toolkit

Following this seminar, you will all receive a tool kit that will help us set up each learning area.

The contents of this toolkit will include:

1. Learning Area Tender (final version)
2. Learning Area Powerpoint Presentation
3. Learning Area Presentation Notes
4. Learning Areas: 3 key articles identified by the Commission
5. An Overview of Provisional Learning Area Implementation Activities
6. A Checklist of Specific Tasks
7. A Learning Area Stakeholder Listing Format
8. A Letter of reference from the European Commission
9. A Learning Area Learning Experience Listing Format
10. A Learning Area Large Scale System Analysis Template
11. A Learning Area Website Template
12. An Ecotrans Learning Area Website
13. A Calendar of Activities
14. A Project HelpLine

A full explanation of how to use each element of the tookit will accompany the information. 

Learning Area Stakeholder Listing

This list should be prepared in 4 dimensions. A template for this grid will be provided by the co-ordinators. It covers

•          Multi level 

•          Multi-sectoral

•          Multi-stakeholder

•          Multi-thematic

It will also draw on and be cross - referenced with Commission  Tourism Stakeholders categories.

Multi-level

Administrative bodies (public private and NGO)

•          National

•          Regional

•          Local

Multi-sectoral

coving economic, environmental and social dimensions of:

•          Agro-forestry

•          Energy

•          Industry

•          Transport

•          Tourism

•          Education

Multi-thematic

•          Water & Sanitation

•          Energy

•          Health

•          Agro-foresty

•          Biodiversity

Each Provisional Learning Area Co-ordinator will be asked to develop contacts in each of these categories.

Learning Area Stakeholder Listing – Draft Application to the Portuguese Context

As an example of the above, I have tentatively outlined a starting list of stakeholders who will be invited to participate in the Algarve Tourism Learning Area System (TLA - Algarve).

These stakeholders are primarily representative of Learning Area Providers, though obviously will also be clients of certain services.

Bringing individuals as clients to the Learning Area will involve targeting the media, local authorities (NUTS III - V), workplace and schooling entities.