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Work-related Learning (WRL) is a learning form that is discussed in many countries around the world as a means to improve the quality of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) systems and thus learners' competencies development. If work based learning (WBL) is included in an informal learning setting and is labor market oriented, the main principle of WBL is the interrelation between the two or even three learning venues, which are vocational schools, companies, and training centers. As a consequence of the relevance of WBL, there are different systematics and typologies such as work-geared learning and work-oriented learning attempting to classify learning forms according to the proximity to real work.

This article is based on the results from focus group discussions conducted during an International Research Workshop on Work-related Learning in February 2019 in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The workshop included practitioners and experts from Rajamangala University of Technology Lanna (RMUTL), Thailand, Technical University of Dortmund (TU Dortmund), Germany, and representative from Thai companies to discuss and exchange information and knowledge regarding WRL. Best practice examples of learning forms such as School-in-Factory (SIF) in Thailand and Production Schools or Learning Bay in Germany have been systematically studied and analyzed to find out about similarities, differences and problems in the implementation of WRL. The workshop concluded that there are needs for didactical development and scientific research in vocational pedagogies in Thailand. Another important challenge is in the area of curricula design that merge the subject-orientation with the demand of work. Additionally, difference forms of learning that fit to the demand of learners were also pointed out in the workshop. To enhance quality of TVET and for further development of TVET systems, it is necessary to continuously exchange knowledge between scientists and practitioners from different countries and to do research in TVET especially on WRL. Therefore, the results from this analysis are presented from the perspective of identifying additional research demand on WRL in Thailand.

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