Here you can find information on European Union projects in the field of VET and work-based learning.
- Driven By Danube - Enhance Skills And Competences To Boost Material Innovations And Eco Innovations In Automotive Industry
- Iv4j - Innovation In Vet For Jobs And Employment
- Dualplus - Increasing The Attractiveness Of Dual Education For Skilled Crafts And Trades In The Alpine Space
- Innovet - Development Of New Innovative Methods For Cross-border Development And Promotion Of Dual Training In The Metal Sector
- Boosting Business Integration Through Joint Vet Education
- National Authorities For Apprenticeships: Development Of Apprenticeship Learning In Ivet In Romania
- Developing An Efficient Locally Managed Model Of Vocational Education And Training
- Deployment Of High Standards Of Knowledge, Practical Skills And Understanding Required For Better Employment In The Regions
- Cross-border Work-based Learning In Estonia And Latvia
- Innovative Vocational Social Entrepreneurial Training
- Promoting Entrepreneurship In The Vocational Education
- Dachprojekt Arbeitsmarkt - Koepelproject Arbeidsmarkt
- Filling The Gaps (Graduate And Apprenticeship Placement Scheme)
- Intvet - Introduction Of Elements Of The Dual Vet In The Slovak Republic
- Network "Work-based Learning And Apprenticeships
DRIVEN BY DANUBE - ENHANCE SKILLS AND COMPETENCES TO BOOST MATERIAL INNOVATIONS AND ECO INNOVATIONS IN AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY
Description:
Automotive industry became the most important economic engine of many Danube Region (DR) countries, whose problem is that however they are a manufacturing power, they experience hardship to move towards R&D and environmentally responsible industry. The aim of the main project is to close the knowledge gap, caused by shortage of highly skilled and competent professionals in new materials R&D and reuse of hardly recyclable material, within the automotive industry by implement elements of dual education and joint research centers. The result of the project will be improved education curricula and research policies particularly focused on implementation of dual education, and increased competences in research management and cooperation of companies, academia, policy makers in automotive industry and beyond.
The project aims to support the PA7 of EUSDR, and targets the topic for SMF: “Higher education institutions (HEIs), industry and government (public) institutions stimulating the automotive industry in the Danube region in order to meeting the industry’s requirement of skilled manpower - running employability - skill enhancement programs and to set - up training centers/labs - improving the competitiveness of industry - increasing the relevance and innovativeness of research in HEIs - knowledge transfer”. The main project will contribute and find synergies with other projects or initiatives supporting in PA7, PA8, PA9 aiming to close the knowledge gap. Project partially contributes to PA2 target to better interconnect regions by joint activities by focusing on research of material technologies to make the vehicles less energy demanding. The project will capitalize the findings of studies developed by PACs and DTP projects.
Program: 2014 - 2020 INTERREG VB Danube
Duration: 2018-2019
Lead partner: Slovak Center of Scientific and Technical Information
IV4J - INNOVATION IN VET FOR JOBS AND EMPLOYMENT
Description:
Seven organizations from 5 countries were partners in this project and more than 800 participants were involved in teaching, learning and training activities: VET teachers / trainers and trainees. The overall objective of the partnership was to improve the skills and competences of VET teachers so that their teaching meets current needs. Throughout the IV4J project, teachers / trainers learned to adapt their methods and use technology in the classroom for a modern, innovative approach to VET. This leads to increased employability of trainees in the European labor market.
Various strategic tools and methods have been used to achieve these goals. They are organized into specific objectives and have been evaluated together with the various partners in the different events carried out throughout the project (transnational meetings, learning activities, workshops, etc.).
The partnership aimed to achieve the following intellectual achievements – 7 guides:
Entrepreneurship, Work Oriented Learning, Creative Problem Solving, web2.0, Gaming Learning, Simulations, Open Educational Resources, ECVET – a collection of teaching materials that result from working together and working together. The guides cover a collection of clues, methods, strategies and innovative teaching tools: digital tools – software, Web 2.0, tutorials, practical applications.
Program: Erasmus+
Duration: 2016-2019
Lead partner: FA-Magdeburg GmbH
DUALPLUS - INCREASING THE ATTRACTIVENESS OF DUAL EDUCATION FOR SKILLED CRAFTS AND TRADES IN THE ALPINE SPACE
Description:
Policy makers and stakeholders at national and EU level recognise the important role of dual education in addressing difficulties in the transition phase from education to work, in improving the skills supply and in fostering entrepreneurship and innovation. However, countries in Europe and the Alpine Space are in very different starting positions. Even well performing dual education systems face challenges, such as engaging employers, inclusion of marginalized groups, demographic change, and innovation and adaptation to new professional realities. One of the strengths of the Alpine economy is a strongly rooted tradition in the skilled crafts and trades sector. In order for SMEs to remain competitive in this sector, they need a skilled workforce that is able to keep up with technological, social, business and design innovations. Yet, SMEs in this field find it increasingly difficult to get new apprentices. DuALPlus will go new ways to address these challenges and to increase the attractiveness of dual education for skilled crafts and trades in the Alpine Space. The outputs and results of the project will directly benefit young individuals that decide for a career in the skilled crafts and trades sector. They will also benefit SMEs, tutors and master craftsmen that want to upgrade their teaching and technical skills. DuALPlus pursues three objectives. First, the project will improve the career guidance of youngsters and the public recognition of dual education as valuable learning path. Second, it will promote innovation and quality in dual education. And finally it will improve the framework conditions for innovation by increasing the horizontal and vertical permeability of the dual education system. The project brings together SMEs, educational institutions, business support organisations such as handicraft clusters and chambers of commerce, universities and design institutes and regional public authorities from six Alpine countries.
Program: 2014 - 2020 INTERREG VB Alpine Space
Duration: 2018-2021
Lead partner: Regionalentwicklung Vorarlberg eGen, Austria
INNOVET - DEVELOPMENT OF NEW INNOVATIVE METHODS FOR CROSS-BORDER DEVELOPMENT AND PROMOTION OF DUAL TRAINING IN THE METAL SECTOR
Description:
In the Austrian-Slovenian border region there is a marked skilled worker shortage in some occupations. For Companies it is getting harder and harder to find suitable and well educated skilled workers. Furthermore they often criticise the lack of practical experience in education which leads to a discrepancy between job seekers and employers. The situation for the border region is critical, because the worst case scenario would lead to an outflow of companies and people. The goal of this project beside the image-improvement of apprenticeships and an increasing number of skilled workers and apprentices is an improved seamless transition from the education to the job training by adaptation the occupational training to the de facto market requirements. The project develops innovative basic approaches for specific shortage occupations with the main shortage occupation metal-technicians (welder). Furthermore there will be measures to set new and better standards in the job-orientation and activities to enhance the first steps into the apprenticeships and the consciousness-improvement of the value of skilled worker education. The dual education system will get improved through an analysis and evolvement of curricula and innovative measures. By the use of new e-learning and blended learning methods the system will get fit to the modern times. Pursuant the needs the teachers and mentors will study further together and a cross-border pool of instructors will be created. Furthermore an intense exchange of experience and transfer of knowledge about the education system between the regions is planned. Through the inclusion of partners from the education sector, corporate sector and social partnerships the sustainable implementation of the developed basic approaches in the project will be guaranteed. The problems of a common job market concern both sides, so it is necessary to find common solutions through cross-border and innovative measures.
Program: 2014 - 2020 INTERREG V-A Slovenia - Austria
Duration: 2014-2018
Lead partner: Berufsförderungsinstitut Burgenland, Austria
BOOSTING BUSINESS INTEGRATION THROUGH JOINT VET EDUCATION
Description:
The goal is to make the first test bed for a joint VET-Education in the South Baltic Region. We believe in boosting business integration through joint educations. The project will use ECVET as a tool for validation. ECVET is today recognized and accepted by all the countries around the South Baltic but the authorities have no practical experience in using it. This project will give the national authorities hands on project how to use ECVET as validation tool. By working with international collaboration in joint VET Education we can help our SME´s to become more international by using trainees from another country as a link to expand their business and networks. The project will focus on an entrepreneurial approach for both students and companies. A common Labour market has now been revitalised in the South Baltic Sea region. The increased mobility of Labour calls for harmonised skills and dissemination of knowledge in and about the region. The new market conditions allow development of cross-border entrepreneurship involving a skilled and integrated Labour force in various spheres of business. Schools and other institutions providing vocational/adult training need to adapt to the new market conditions in order to give an adequate response to the market needs. The question of internationalisation of vocational education and training is not a matter of choice, but a matter of necessity. For the companies involved the project will create contacts for internationalisation, export and product development by forming a network of cluster where both the educational and business sector interacts together. Today ECVET exist and is recognize by all countries but up until today there are no practical experience in using this tool for either companies or schools. This project will bring the awareness and open up new opportunities including authorities, schools and companies that will lead to practical know-how about common validation methods.
Program: 2007 - 2013 South Baltic (PL-SE-DK-LT-DE)
Duration: 2015
Lead partner: NetPort Science Park Ltd., Sweden
NATIONAL AUTHORITIES FOR APPRENTICESHIPS: DEVELOPMENT OF APPRENTICESHIP LEARNING IN IVET IN ROMANIA
Description:
The project aims i.a. to create a starting point for the development and introduction of a work-based learning and training opportunity for young people as well as developing the basis of a legal framework for 11 introducing apprenticeship in IVET. The results will comprise i.a. a feasibility study, a master plan for the implementation of the feasibility recommendations, a training programme as well as the dissemination of information. As a follow-up to the project "Capacity Building for Teachers of VET in the Danube Region", a Romanian-German working group on vocational education was set up in order to develop and implement a joint project on the topic of modernising the vocational system in Romania.
Program: EUSDR projects related
Duration: 2014-2016
Lead partner: National Centre for TVET Development, Romania
DEVELOPING AN EFFICIENT LOCALLY MANAGED MODEL OF VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING
Description:
The proposal is intended under the Priority 1 and it is coherent to the objective of the IPA CBC Programme, First Call, in particular as it regards innovative actions on capacity building and transfer of know-how, increase in migrants’ participation in employment, facilitation of geographical and occupational mobility of workers and integration of cross-border labour markets, creation of international networks, exchange of experience and transfer of competence in the labour market and the training sector, promotion of experience exchange regarding technical and managerial competence, promotion of permanent networks between public authorities, and dissemination of best practices. DELMVET proposal will be of 30 months duration and will be articulated in five different but coherent and complementary Work Packages. According to the general concept of “Share Responsibilities, Share Benefits” each WP will be leaded by a different Partner also to facilitate the transfer of competencies in the management of European Co-funded projects. Every phase will have a Coordinator that will drive the planning, the carrying out and the follow-up of the activities, jointly developed with other partners, if and when foreseen.
Program: 2007 - 2013 Adriatic IPA CBC (IT-SI-EL-HR-BA-ME-AL-RS)
Duration: 2011-2013
Lead partner: Regional Council of Durres, Albania
DEPLOYMENT OF HIGH STANDARDS OF KNOWLEDGE, PRACTICAL SKILLS AND UNDERSTANDING REQUIRED FOR BETTER EMPLOYMENT IN THE REGIONS
Description:
The project aims at helping adult employees to adapt to rapidly changing technology environments and to embrace social skills. Due to challenges faced by the labour markets and regional economies, there is a need for a well-balanced marketing mix of the educational programmes, and some radical changes at programme and institutional levels, while looking for some very strong differentiating factors. While tackling inefficiency of labour market of the Programme area, improvement of the education system through introduction of systemic approach to the solution, while involving relevant stakeholders and applying innovative technologically and methodologically sound teaching and learning methods, could lead to impactful results, especially from the perspective of people striving to become the entrepreneurs or adjusting to rapidly changing demands for work quality. The objective of the project is to enhance employability and encourage students to gain skills to help them with career progression, while providing recognition for learners’ abilities and evidence of the skills required for success in the workplace. It is intended to carry out analysis of the current programs that are used to address targeted skills, and teaching processes that will lead to preparation of gap analysis and roadmap for introduction or update of the vocational programmes. The project will make an analysis of the current programmes of Ventspils Vocational College and Panevezys Centre of Vocational Education, based on which a roadmap for programme development and deployment will be prepared. Latter four vocational training programmes will be updated and developed based on internationally recognised standards and using the best global practices.
Program: 2014 - 2020 INTERREG V-A Latvia - Lithuania
Duration: 2018-2020
Lead partner: Ventspils Vocational College, Latvia
CROSS-BORDER WORK-BASED LEARNING IN ESTONIA AND LATVIA
Description:
ESTLAT-WBL project aims to support the cross-border mobilities of work-based learning (WBL) students (VET trainees), based on cooperation between vocational education and training (VET) schools and employers on both sides of Latvia-Estonia border. Latvia and Estonia are developing their WBL systems as successful WBL may become the source of qualified labour force and economic growth. In many cases WBL also offers direct path to jobs for young people.
ESTLAT-WBL project will arrange 112 cross-border mobilities: 80 of WBL students (young people and adults): approximately 40 from Latvian VET to Estonian SMEs, and approximately 40 from Estonian VET to Latvian SMEs. 12 to Employers tutors to VET schools ( 6 from Latvia to Estonia and 6 from Estonia to Latvia). 20 VET school tutors ( 10 from Latvia to Estonia and vice versa). In the course of matchmaking between VET and companies, Estonian VET tutors will visit several companies in Latvia, and Latvian VET tutors will visit companies in Estonia. WBL will cover sectors important for companies of the region: hospitality and catering, timber and construction, retail, IT and other industries. In addition, there will be approximately 32 mobilities of VET tutors and work-place tutors supervising apprentices from school and company side. The pairs of VET tutors and work-place tutors will be offered training in Latvia and Estonia. WBL students, VET and work-place tutors will be offered support for improving language skills (Estonian, Latvian, English) needed in international and regional environment.
The model, results and conclusions, training programme and success stories will be published in the Handbook for Cross-Border WBL to promote such mobilities after the project lifetime; Cooperation of employers/SMEs and VET schools of 2 countries, involvement of business organizations will serve as a long-term mechanism to sustain regional and cross-border approach in WBL.
Partnerships established between VET schools and enterprises will serve to support cross-border mobilities of VET trainees after the project period as well. Project partners are committed to sustain this initiative of cross-border WBL to continue it as a service in Latvia-Estonia border region. Thus, ESTLAT-WBL will be a step towards more integrated and flexible labour market, as well as better access to jobs for VET graduates and better access to employees for SMEs.
Program: 2014 - 2020 INTERREG V-A Estonia - Latvia
Duration: 2018-2020
Lead partner: Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
INNOVATIVE VOCATIONAL SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURIAL TRAINING
Description:
In view of the common needs and challenges of BM area such as slow growth, weak competitiveness, low level of entrepreneurship and a lack of innovative entrepreneurial training in the field of VET and non-formal learning, the project INNOVENTER combines strengths and opportunities of the partners to address these challenges by creation of a learning framework to promote social entrepreneurs competences and skills.
The core idea is to establish VET oriented social entrepreneurship (SE) training for SME entrepreneurs so that they innovate themselves, while at the same time also engaging disadvantaged people as employees. A gap that exists between commercial and SE will be addressed. The project embeds concepts of Social Business Initiative (Social economy and Entrepreneurship) with commercial entrepreneurship, embracing characteristics of a social enterprise and it will thrive to stimulate companies to be managed in a more open and responsible manner. Main project outputs all nationally adapted will be tailor-made ECVET compliant training courses on SE with curriculum, learning modules and handbook, online and mobile training platforms with interactive tools for SMEs and supporting knowledge database, mentoring program and employment issues. The training will be piloted and implemented through induction sessions, extended distance learning sessions and training sessions by joint team and involving a cohort of local trainees. Core end-users are decision makers in SMEs, social enterprises and business organizations.
The project adds value by networking of more than 40 VET organizations and 840 people from all partner countries in the field of SE and by creation of the basis toward further proliferation of social innovation in BM area.
Program: 2014 - 2020 INTERREG V-A Slovakia - Hungary
Duration: 2017-2019
Lead partner: National Federation of Employers of People with Disabilities, Bulgaria
PROMOTING ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN THE VOCATIONAL EDUCATION
Description:
Entrepreneurial skills are essential competences nowadays to lead a successful life, yet they are often staying neglected or unexploited. The Hungarian - Slovakian border region is not an exception in that case: the region’s entrepreneurial potential is far from being exploited at the moment. In addition, the education of the entrepreneurial skills and competences is a hard and an often argued issue for the vocational mid-level schools on both sides of the border. On the other hand, every year thousands of vocational school students are leaving the educational system with a knowledge that could guarantee the basis to a new company, or to a potential start-up business. Meanwhile, the lack of the positive examples, incentives and entrepreneurial competences are preventing them from using their professional skills to launch a new venture or to give the old family business a new direction. Therefore, we strongly believe that helping youngsters to achieve entrepreneurial skills can be essential to reduce youth unemployment, but can also be essential to help the regional economy thrive. Our project intends to create a new, cross-border capacity of educational tools and supporting networks for students in VET, while promoting the idea of entrepreneurship and encouraging young people to plan a carrier as entrepreneurs. We are also aiming to empower the economic potential of the border region, and to show that potential cross-border cooperation can offer new opportunities to the fresh entrepreneurs. Also, in a bigger context we are aiming to fight youth unemployment and early school leaving. Therefore, we are targeting the following groups in our project: young people attending to their 3rd year (out of 4) in VET in the border region; young people with professional skills; vocational schools and educational institutions. We hope that our outputs (studies, e-learning courses and methodologies) will be named as cross-border good practices in the topic.
Program: 2014 - 2020 INTERREG V-A Slovakia - Hungary
Duration: 2017-2019
Lead partner: Interregió Fórum Egyesület, Hungary
DACHPROJEKT ARBEITSMARKT - KOEPELPROJECT ARBEIDSMARKT
The project conduced to the development of a cross-border market for employments and apprenticeships within the cooperation INTERREG V A Deutschland-Nederland, to fight the upcoming lack of skilled employees and to encourage the economy's competitiveness in the border area. Existing initiatives of different local and regional actors were meant to be integrated into this umbrella project, as well as matched and connected witch each other. The project's basis was a strategical and sustainable connection of all employment and apprenticeship partners on the market of the whole region.
Program: 2014 - 2020 INTERREG V-A Germany - The Netherlands
Duration: 2015-2019
Lead partner: Eems Dollard Regio, Bunderpoort 14, Bad Nieuweschans, Netherlands
FILLING THE GAPS (GRADUATE AND APPRENTICESHIP PLACEMENT SCHEME)
Description:
GAPS aimed to enhance and improve employment within the 2 Seas area by developing new skills and strategies for young people. The project gathered together 3 local authorities, Brighton and Hove, Medway and Rotterdam, each facing rising youth unemployment rates. Young people in these areas risk suffering from long-term unemployment and social exclusion. Of particular note for employers across the 2 Seas area is the absence of soft/life skills in many of the young people they recruit.
The GAPS project activities achieved the following aims through:
- Closer dialogue with employers to develop innovative new strategies that addressed employers’ skills needs and inspired confidence for employers to engage with young people.
- Cross-border work placements of up to three months, which included language training, promoting the value of such an exercise to both young people and employers.
- Creation of a web portal that hosts and facilitates GAPS project activities, during and after its lifetime, acting as an on-line recruitment resource to advertise work placements and job opportunities.
Program: 2007 - 2013 2 SEAS (FR-UK-BE-NL)
Duration: 2011-2014
Lead partner: Medway Council, Chatham, United Kingdom
INTVET - INTRODUCTION OF ELEMENTS OF THE DUAL VET IN THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC
Description:
This project serves, on the one hand, to work out proposals for the changes that will be necessary in the Slovak Republic in order to allow a greater dualisation of vocational training. One basis for working out these proposals is a SWOT analysis carried out for the various vocational training systems of the project partners. An analysis of the requirements of companies in the Slovak Republic is intended to ensure an adjustment to the requirements of the job market and to allow a prioritisation of the occupations for introduction. A virtual Danube Academy is designed to support the introduction of new vocational training structures, e.g. by means of communications structures, qualification offers, etc. The conception and establishment of the Academy are core elements of the project. Companies and the general public will be informed of the chances and opportunities offered by dual vocational training, among other things by means of a website.
Aims and objectives:
- Promote a national VET system reform
- Set-up of a competence center for dual VET (Danube Academy)
- Mobilize SMEs and companies for dual apprenticeships
- Implement an experience exchange for apprenticeships Expected impact
- Fostering the national VET system reform
- Establishment of a Competence Centre for dual VET (Danube Academy)
- A stronger and sustainable mobilisation of SMEs and companies for dual apprenticeships
- An ongoing experience exchange for apprenticeships
Program: EUSDR projects related
Duration: 2014-2016
Lead partner: Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic
NETWORK "WORK-BASED LEARNING AND APPRENTICESHIPS"
Description:
The network’s understanding of work based learning is broader than only apprenticeship: acquisition of knowledge and skills through carrying out and reflecting on tasks in a vocational context, either at the workplace (such as alternance training) or in a VET institution. It includes WBL in Higher Education and also developments to include WBL in school-based training.
NetWBL aims to strengthen work based learning (WBL) elements in existing Vocational Education and Training (VET) systems and Higher Education (HE) and to support apprenticeship in particular.
The network addresses the key actors involved in WBL in each European country taking into account the different VET and Higher Education systems and legisatlive regulations. Furthermore, the network supports the European Alliance for Apprenticeships (EAfA).
NetWBL will make visible the results of Lifelong Learning Programme (LLP) projects on work-based learning and will support VET reforms by providing an on-line toolbox for use by policy makers, social partners and VET providers. At the same time, it will identify gaps which could usefully be filled by new products developed by Erasmus+, the new EU programme in the fields of education, training, youth and sport.
Program: Lifelong Learning programme
Duration: 2014-2016
Lead partner: Nationale Agentur Bildung für Europa beim Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung, Germany