<< Objectives >>Prep4Pro has 3 objectives:1)to build a strong, sustainable (learning) network/ecosystem of matching VET providers throughout Europe that breathes mutual trust and quality 2)to facilitate and promote the organisation and implementation of long-term learner mobilities (ErasmusPro)3)to include learners with fewer opportunitiesWe thus aim to increase the employability of our VET learners, specifically of those with fewer opportunities, and implement quality internationalisation strategies.<< Implementation >>In 6 intensive work weeks, 1 international coordinator, 1 member of management and 3 VET focus sectors’ teachers from each partner build a bond and mutual trust, and work together to produce 3 comprehensive outputs that will accommodate the ErasmusPro needs of our target groups. We start from a thorough needs analysis per target group, do research and gain expert input, and then develop solutions that are verified and approved by each target group, including learners with fewer opportunities.<< Results >>Prep4Pro provides the full package to start or increase quality ErasmusPro learner mobilities: 1) a strategy, including all tools, to build a strong, sustainable network of VET providers across Europe, with ours as proof2) a roadmap book in 8 European languages as a practical framework & guide for ErasmusPro, with specific sections on learners with fewer opportunities3) communication strategies and tools to reach, inform, involve and motivate each target group to participate in ErasmusPro.

Context of the projectAs a consequence of globalisation the living circumstances and working situation for young adults in Europe are changing drastically. The environment young people live in has increasingly become more multicultural. This development has been accelerated through the mass migration to Europe in the last years. In this changing environment intercultural skills within a lifelong learning perspective are essential to cope with everyday situations as well as work related ones. Moreover, it is expected that young people are willing to move within the European market to find employment or training. To be prepared for this challenge enhanced intercultural skills are necessary.Project's objectivesWorking in this project allows students to get to know and be able to use relevant tools to be prepared for the European world of work. The objectives of this project are to prepare students for this challenge by learning how to learn such skills on their own and thereby improve their social civic competences, sense of initiative etc. which will help them to successfully apply for a place of training or employment and in their future work place. To achieve this we will mainly use student-centred leraning methods.The project will use English as a lingua franca. This project offers students and teachers the chance to work together and the possibility of a direct contact to people of other nations on various levels. On the one hand students work together on the content of the project and teachers improve their pedagogical skills. On the other hand a wider public will be informed through publications, presentations, exhibitions and workshops resulting from the project work and benefit through the produced material which will be available for everybody. This will increase awareness for the topic and motivation to improve intercultural skills as well as provide tools to reach this aim. The contacts established through the international meetings and cooperation will motivate students to think in a European and global perspective. Working in international groups allows students and teachers to share ideas, knowledge and best practise and reinforces already existing networks on a transnational level. Additionally, all participants will improve their language skills and also enhance the basic skill of literacy especially in a foreign language. The project will improve key competences and basic competences of everyone involved. Activities that have taken placeAt the start of the project a logo contest took place in all five school and a common logo was chosen. An online questionnaire, which was devised during the first teacher training, tested students' intercultural skills to find our the knowledge of the students. During the seven international project meetings students analysed their respective survey, identified their needs and then developed relevant training modules, which are accessible to anyone as an online tool and on the project website. Two short-term joint staff training events took place, the first one set up the TwinSpace are and dealt with the usage of eTwinning. The second one focused on the implementation of digital teaching tools and showed best practice examples. Project's resultsFirstly, the students gained knowledge about intercultural competences on a theoretical level as the students identified the relevant training needs by analyzing the result of the ICU survey. Secondly, by reflecting on the working process during the international group work the students gained practical knowledge about intercultural competences and could easily identify challenges of intercultural communication and ways of dealing with these challenges on a personal level.Within the project English was used as lingua franca. As a consequence the students were able to increase their knowledge and competences of English in various fields (e.g. taking part in discussions within their international project groups). The students developed their IT skills by using different digital formats for their training modules as well as their presentation skills by using different forms of presenting their results . The teachers enhanced their IT and pedagogical skills by taking part in the teacher training events and getting to know various digital learning tools (eTwinning, plickers etc.), through best practise examples. The homepage contains the various results of the project.Expected longer-terms benefitsThe expected longer-terms benefits of this project are to prepare students for the European world of work by learning how to learn such skills on their own and thereby improve their social civic competences, sense of initiative etc. which will help them to successfully apply for a place of training or employment and in their future work place. Furthermore, students are aware of intercultural differences and know how to deal with them.

"A regional planning prosess for developing 10 sustainable regional urban centres was done by Hordaland County Council (HCC) during 2012 - 2015. The regional plan resulted in an increased focus and activity on developing the urban centres and towns in the region. HCC also recognised that though Upper Secondary VET-schools mostly are situated in urban centres and are important local provider of competences and future local labour force, the schools are to a great extend not invited into the local planning and implementing processes to create these centres. Modern societies are urban and are rapidly becoming more and more urban. A general challenge is to develop towns/centres in a sustainable way, which is a multiple task requiring contribution fromm a viriety of actors/stakeholders. This requires involvemvent, competance and action. Strategies and ambitions on national and regional levels are pointing at these challenges and aiming at addressing them. Europe 2020 emphasises that a smart, sustainable and inclusive growth will deliver high levels of employment and social cohesion. To strengthen human capital, employability and competitiveness “New skills agenda for Europe” is pointing at the need for more work-based learning and business - education partnership and the importance of using cross-sectorial cooperation as a tool to promote innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship. On this background an active European partnership involving five European regions has been established; 10 partners, 2 assosiated partners operating for a project period of 27 months. The project was coordinated by HCC a regional VET provider and regional planning authority. Partners were VET schools, municipalities and regional institutions focusing on competance and employment.Together the partnership has defined the objectives and framework for the project: ""Development of sustainable urban centres with active involvement of VET"" (""VET for Urban Centres""). The project takes the New skills agenda a step further and adds local/regional authorities to the business-education cooperation. By cross-sectorial cooperation, - sharing of best practices and methods, - observing differences, challenges and solution in other regions, - making contacts with local planning authorities; new ideas and approaches has been identified, and adjusted approaches and solutions developed including focus on adjusting and improving VET programs. The objective of this innovative project is to create governance models for active involvement and participation of Upper Secondary VET schools/providers and the local businesses in the planning and development processes and development of urban centres under the responsibility of municipalities/planning authorities. Focus has also been on how VET programs correspond with actual and future needs, and how to adjust or develop new VET programmes which are more directly linking schoolwork to the challenges and possibilities in the local urban centres. Activities related to intellectual outputs, and also in transnational meeting programs had strong focus on how to create arenas for cooperation between VET providers, municipalities and businesses/ labour market. Driving issues were:- Strengthen VET programmes in line with the needs in the local/regional labour market; - Develop the innovation capacity in VET; - Strengthen VET students’ engagement in the development of their home towns/centres and thus increasing their motivation and employability.- Reduce the percentage of NEETs ; - Inform policy makers on important matters. The project has focused on two intellectual outputs and have produced two conclusive douments: O1: Develop a model for useful and efficient local cooperation to meet these challenges. O2: Develop a model a new innovative educational VET-programme. During the project period six transnational project meetings was conducted according to the origional plan. These meetings were organised as project management meetings combined with workshop activities and several site visits. Between transnational meetings, the partners made surveys, investigated possible contacts and established new cooperations, and to some extent did some testing in their home regions. A final multiplier event was held in Brussels February 2020. Several contacts and activities established in the project period as a result of project activities will be continued and further developed by the various partners. It was a general wish by partners to continue the partnership with a project on a related topic.

PEOPLE IN WBL aims to improve the system of recognition of learning in WBL field through the reinforcement of cooperation between schools and host organizations involved in building together the processes of validation of LOs in WBL paths. Project partners have a consolidated experience in running WBL paths. However, they have a limited knowledge and skills in co-design and co-implement process of validation of LOs in WBL paths in line with the ECVET principles, which can guarantee an external recognition, outside the context in which learning process takes place . European strategies underline the growing need to provide validation process of LOs in WBL, enhancing the cooperation between schools and hosting organizations also through the application of ECVET principles. Partners carried out a preliminary internal survey in each country (school / host organization) where common problems emerged: • validation processes of competences in WBL contexts are not always built on LOs units • limited sharing of LOs validation criteria • Validation process of learning in WBL contexts are often random and arbitrary (limited knowledge of the topic) As consequence, the co-design process of LOs very often takes place only at the formal level through the stipulation of an agreement, but in fact it is designed only by the school and then it is delivered to the hosting organisation. The deeper involvement of the hosting organisation can be guaranteed by a better understanding of key concepts and the promotion of all tools: in this way the hosting organisation can fully perceive the benefits participate actively in the building the whole process from the beginning. Main target group of the project is the staff of IVET providers (schools) and hosting organisations involved in designing, implementing and validating WBL paths. Beneficiaries will be obviously also IVET students involved in WBL paths. General objective of the project is to give a contribution in improving the learning recognition system in WBL contexts, through shared processes between school and. Hosting organisations. Starting point is the development of the professional skills of the staff involved. The objective will be pursued through the development of innovative solutions for building a shared model (school / hosting organisation) for the validation of LOs in WBL processes based on ECVET principles, which have the potential to enhance learning outcomes in terms of recognition and certification, obtained outside the formal environment. Specific objectives are: - Co-built and co-tested model for validation of learning in WBL contexts based on LOs units. - allocated the same value to the recognition of LOs in non formal learning, through the strengthening of trust and the construction of a common language - Implemented strategies to integrate credit / school marks system with LOs units These objectives will be pursued through the implementation of an intellectual output containing 1) a model for the recognition of the acquired LOs in WBL paths in line with the principles of ECVET framework; 2) guidelines for the implementation of the model. 3) study / analysis of the benefits to obtain through the application of the model. The model will be tested on pilot groups in each country and its effectiveness will be assessed. After making corrections, the official version along with the guidelines and the study / analysis of the benefits will be ready. The implementation of the IO will take place through a methodology based on some of the main pillars of ECVET system: LOs-based approach and use of the components of the transfer process in ECVET. The project will adopt a multi-methods approach that allows it to cope with the complex nature of project objectives, taking into account also the significant change management components. The project will provide positive impacts on the staff of IVET providers and hosting organizations involved in WBL pathways, by increasing their skills on the validation process of LOs and on the use of ECVET tools to support the recognition and transferability of learning, also in terms of credits. As result, students will also improve the quality of their WBL paths. Project results will be disseminated following a well-scheduled plan aiming to reach the different types of targets groups through several actions and channels. This will contribute to reinforce the sustainability of the project, ensured not only by the the solutions developed, but also by the composition of the partnership.

"This project is conceived as the application of good practice in the field of distance learning, in which three partner schools ETŠ ""Mija Stanimirovic"" from Nis (Serbia), School Center Kranj (Slovenia) and SPGE ""John Atanasoff"" Sofia (Bulgaria) participate in the development of the platform for distance learning and its application in the realization of practical teaching in IT occupation. As we found out that there is a problem with the realization of practical classes in programming companies which because of the specifics of jobs, time of work, limited space are not ready to provide adequate support to the school, we believe that the implementation of the platform in the teaching would be an excellent solution for this problem.During the first part of the project, a platform is being developed, which will be later applied in the classroom. When the platform is adapted to be used in the classroom, the training of three days follows. Five teachers from each of the partner schools who teach subjects in which the platform will later be applied will participate in joint training. After joint training, there is an internal training in each of the schools that aims to train representatives of social partners and other teachers in the school.The use of the platform in teaching is foreseen in the second part of the project when testing the platform for distance learning will be done. We believe that with this project, students will develop their competencies in solving practical tasks to develop their creative and innovative potential, and the participating schools will modernize the methodology of learning and improve the quality of work. The project deals with aligning students' practical skills with the current needs of the IT sector. In this way, the project will respond to the needs of the industry for qualified IT personnel who will save time and financial resources for retraining.Also, the Transnational Meetings that will be held in Kranj and in Sofia will contribute to better communication and the establishment of lasting cooperation between partner schools.It is expected that the project at the local level will stimulate other vocational schools to introduce innovative learning methods that take advantage of new digital technologies. The desired impact of the project at the local level will be the motivation of social partners to work with students. We expect an increase in the number of social partners with whom the school has signed cooperation agreements.By providing access to skills specific to the IT sector, it is expected that the project will improve the employability of young people attending vocational education.In the final project phase, project partners will organize an event to present the project tangible outcomes. The event will take place in Nis. All partners will be invited as well as other VET schools from Serbia that work on similar topics. Conference will be an opportunity for teachers to promote their work.By presenting the results of the project to teachers of other schools in the region, we expect to raise awareness about the importance of modernizing the practice of practical teaching by tasks that students will do at school or from home. In addition, developers of IT companies are the employees of partner companies with whom the school has signed long-term cooperation agreements, so that work with people who have completed the training within the project can continue introducing new methods and achieving better cooperation of schools with the economy. By organizing the presentation of the project and the achieved results at the national level within the Community of Electrical Engineering Schools of Slovenia, Bulgaria and Serbia, other schools would also be motivated to apply an innovative method of realization of distance learning.Using all the available learning and distance learning platform, the applicability of the project to the wider European level is achieved. In this way, the project will stimulate the use of a platform for cooperation by other actors at the European level.Upon completion of the project, teachers can continue to use the platform in designing projects tasks that students will do at school or from home. In addition, developers of IT companies are the employees of partner companies with whom the school has signed long-term cooperation agreements, so that work with people who have completed the training within the project can be continued."