Partners’ online meeting and final stages of the project

On the 16^th of July, the partners of Work-based learning: The Entrance to the Professional Future have met online to discuss the final stages of the project! In particular, they discussed:

1. The project dissemination, which is a crucial part of the project,
2. The progress of the Collaborative Network,
3. Financial management, and
4. The upcoming partners’ meeting in Sardinia, Italy in September 2020. The third and final partners’ meeting, which was scheduled to take place in July 2020, has been postponed due to the challenges posed by the global pandemic circumstances. Instead, the partners decided to transfer the meeting in September 2020.

All partners are working hard to complete the project activities! Among the latest actions of the project is the development of the online Collaborative Network, a tool that allows different European organisations to register and also look for potential collaborations in various EU-funded projects. The utmost purpose of the Network is to connect entities ready to strengthen the implementation of international mobility schemes and to offer more support for such opportunities for young people. To register on the Collaborative Network visit: https://work-basedlearning.eu/registration/ To find other organisations to collaborate with visit: https://work-basedlearning.eu/registered-organizations/ The partnership also published the Best Practices Report, which is the final product of the project! The report is addressed to every person of any age that wants to know more about the VET sectors in different European countries and the reality of Work Based Learning (WBL). The readers will get familiar with the definitions of the VET and WBL; they will be able to learn about the VET sectors and its specific problems in each partner country; they will see what are the common problems of this sector in the European countries participating in this project and they will gain knowledge on the Work Based Learning. The full report is available to download for free on the project website: https://work-basedlearning.eu/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/WBL_best-practices_final.pdf PDF File

Local Work Phase

Article WBL CECIS ROMANIA CECIS organized between September – December 2019 local activities within the project Work based learning – the entrance to the professional future, finance by European Union through Erasmus+ Program, Strategic Partnerships in the Youth Field. The local activities developed involved 2 parts: 1^st part – organization of meetings with VET schools from Gorj County to present Erasmus+ opportunities in VET field and establish partnerships. As result of meetings we have settled 3 local partnerships with 3 VET schools from Gorj County and we formed a National Consortium led by CECIS. Through this Consortium we have applied a VET project for students enrolled in technological high schools. 2^nd part – organization of a Youth Share event on 19 December aimed to promote international work based learning opportunities for 20 young people. The event started with the general presentation of the Erasmus+ project Work based learning – the entrance to the professional future, finance by European Union through Erasmus+ Program, Strategic Partnerships in the Youth Field.  Youth workers from CECIS presented the opportunities for work based learning and how youngsters can participate in such projects. The presentation was followed by questions and answers session. Local Work Phase Mundus The project “Work Based Learning – The entrance to professional future” is now at its Mid-stage. From Asociación Mundus in Zaragoza, we have presented during several meetings, the benefits of operating international mobility and apprenticeship to the students and schools in order to make closer the relationships between NGOs and educational providers. At the same time, we are working on better communication and cooperation with a wide range of companies who have been hosting students since 2016 and who have been awarded in the BET4VET event that took place in Zaragoza in the middle of November for their great collaboration and support.   https://asociacionmundus.com/traineeship-in-spain/bet4vet-mobility/bet4vet-mobility/ Local Work Phase all partner Local Work Phase in all partner countries The project “Work Based Learning – The entrance to professional future” is now at its mid stage. This is a very important project work stream as all partner organizations involved are required to operate local actions in order to promote such kind of learning and international mobilities in the VET field in their regions. Therefore, partners have gathered school representatives as well students and have presented the benefits of operating international mobility and apprenticeship schemes for those target groups. The idea for holding such local work phases was to put NGOs and private educational providers closer to public vocational education entities and in this way create valuable ways of cooperation, proposing sustainable future partnerships within the Erasmus+ program. Bulgaria: In Bulgaria, the leading local entity Horizont ProConsult has gathered in Sofia the representatives of almost 30 Vocational schools from all around the country. Two different meetings have been operated. During those meetings, the experts from Horizont ProConsult team have explained the steps to be done for getting EU funding for operating international apprenticeship schemes and the ways of involving students in them. Also, teachers and school staff have learned about the long-term benefits relevant for their institutions while proposing such international activities to their students. last but not least, all institutional members involved have had networking opportunities and have been introduced to the web platform which the project has developed, relevant for registering and finding new partnerships with institutions from several EU countries. Schools but also fellow NGO representatives have declared their big satisfaction out of those working and networking encounters and confirmed their interest to apply for EU funding through the Erasmus+ program for VET mobilities during 2020. The long term results out of the local work operated will be evaluated by the end of the project and within its follow up activities. Greece: Unemployment is one of the strongest challenges faced by European youth nowadays and combatting it remains as a top priority aspect for securing a positive future for young people. “Work Based Learning – The Entrance to the professional future” project aims at creating youth-centered empowering environment for enabling young people to undergo WBL mobility and promotes holistic approach for fostering youth employability by bridging non-formal, formal education and labor market sectors, contributing to the creation of long term multi-level cross-sectorial networking and cooperation In this framework, the first local work phase of the project “WBL: The entrance to professional future” on behalf of IED took place on the 1st of October 2019 in the premises of the Institute of Entrepreneurship Development in the organization’s office, in Larissa, Greece. The majority of the event’s audience was mainly higher education’s students who study in the University of Thessaly, which is located in the city of Larissa. In total, 20 students participated in the event, as well as one of the participants in the C1, which held in Zaragoza, Spain in June 2019. The event was consisted of presentations which were conducted in order to introduce the project, its purpose, targets, goals and future perspectives to the participants. Not only the project, but also the training activity which held in Zaragoza, Spain in June 2019, were presented in detail. Moreover, IED presented the future training activities that are planned for “WBL: The entrance to professional future” as well. Except for presentations regarding the project, other presentations included topics like the Work Based Learning in Europe and the chances for mobilities around this subject. At the end of the local work phase many of the participants expressed their interest in participating in the upcoming training activities of the project and keep being informed for the project’s updates. All presentations were conducted in Greek language. Cyprus: The local work phase in Cyprus was done in two separate activities: the first activity, the local work phase for youth, aimed to inform young people about the benefits of work-based learning environments and apprenticeships in companies abroad. CSI has implemented the local work phase for youth during the national festival “Up to You(th)!”, organized by the Youth Board of Cyprus on the 28^th of September 2019 in Nicosia. During the event, which has gathered hundreds of young people from all over the island, CSI invited young people to its booth, offering the project’s flyer and discussing with them the possibilities that the project can provide to young people like them. The second phase, the local work phase with stakeholders, aimed at getting interested schools and VET colleges to apply for an Erasmus+ KA1 VET proposal in February 2020. CSI has contacted numerous schools and colleges in Cyprus, informing them about the Work-based learning project and the possibility to develop a proposal in line with the project’s objectives and goals. CSI has also implemented a face-to-face meeting with a local VET college to further discuss the planning of the proposal to be developed for the upcoming Erasmus+ KA1 VET deadline. Spain: The project “Work Based Learning – The entrance to professional future” is now at its Mid-stage. From Asociación Mundus in Zaragoza, we have presented during several meetings, the benefits of operating international mobility and apprenticeship to the students and schools in order to make closer the relationships between NGOs and educational providers. At the same time, we are working on better communication and cooperation with a wide range of companies who have been hosting students since 2016 and who have been awarded in the BET4VET event that took place in Zaragoza in the middle of November for their great collaboration and support. https://asociacionmundus.com/traineeship-in-spain/bet4vet-mobility/bet4vet-mobility/ Romania: CECIS organized between September – December 2019 local activities within the project Work based learning – the entrance to the professional future, finance by European Union through Erasmus+ Program, Strategic Partnerships in the Youth Field. The local activities developed involved 2 parts: 1st part – organization of meetings with VET schools from Gorj County to present Erasmus+ opportunities in VET field and establish partnerships. As result of meetings we have settled 3 local partnerships with 3 VET schools from Gorj County and we formed a National Consortium led by CECIS. Through this Consortium we have applied a VET project for students enrolled in technological high schools. 2nd part – organization of a Youth Share event on 19 December aimed to promote international work-based learning opportunities for 20 young people. The event started with the general presentation of the Erasmus+ project Work based learning – the entrance to the professional future, finance by European Union through Erasmus+ Program, Strategic Partnerships in the Youth Field.  Youth workers from CECIS presented the opportunities for work-based learning and how youngsters can participate in such projects. The presentation was followed by questions and answers session. Croatia: Business School PAR contacted numerous schools in the VET sector during the November and December. Consequently, we organized several meetings with the school representatives. At the meeting we presented the WBL project and put emphasis on the benefits which the program offers to their students. Some of the schools were already introduced with the Erasmus+ programme, but for most of them it was something very new. School representatives gave permission to disseminate the project to their students as well. Students were very interested in the topic and overall concept and opportunities which Erasmus offers. Business School PAR has collaborated with many schools before, but for the very first time plans to engage in VET consortium. Italy: Mine Vaganti NGO carried out several local activities in different schools in North Sardinia (Italy) between September and November 2019. MVNGO organised 2 meetings with students in 2 schools in September and November. We involved a large number of students to whom we presented the project WBL and we shared the European opportunities for youth (Youth Exchange, Training Course, ESC, etc.) offered by the Erasmus Plus programme. Most of the students didn’t know about VET mobilities or any other kind of opportunities. We also identified and analysed the needs of the students with fewer opportunities during a NFE workshop. Moreover, we organised several meetings with school representatives, both in our office and schools in October and November. We presented the project and we proposed them to be part of a consortium of schools in the frame of a VET project that will apply in February 2020. We have already collaborated with different high-schools in the frame of Erasmus Plus – KA1 VET projects and we have successful implemented some of them. Article Mine Vaganti NGO carried out several local activities in different schools in North Sardinia (Italy) between September and November 2019. MVNGO organised 2 meetings with students in 2 schools in September and November. We involved a large number of students to whom we presented the project WBL and we shared the European opportunities for youth (Youth Exchange, Training Course, ESC, etc.) offered by the Erasmus Plus programme. Most of the students didn’t know about VET mobilities or any other kind of opportunities. We also identified and analysed the needs of the students with fewer opportunities during a NFE workshop. Moreover, we organised several meetings with school representatives, both in our office and schools in October and November. We presented the project and we proposed them to be part of a consortium of schools in the frame of a VET project that will apply in February 2020. We have already collaborated with different high-schools in the frame of Erasmus Plus – KA1 VET projects and we have successful implemented some of them. WBL: The entrance to professional future 1st Local Work Phase Report Event: Local Work Phase 1 for the WBL: The entrance to professional future project Host organization: Institute of Entrepreneurship Development – IED Place: Larissa, Greece Date: 01/10/2019 Unemployment is one of the strongest challenges faced by European youth nowadays and combatting it remains as a top priority aspect for securing a positive future for young people. “Work Based Learning – The Entrance to the professional future” project aims at creating youth-centered empowering environment for enabling young people to undergo WBL mobility and promotes holistic approach for fostering youth employability by bridging non-formal, formal education and labor market sectors, contributing to the creation of long term multi-level cross-sectorial networking and cooperation In this framework, the first local work phase of the project “WBL: The entrance to professional future” on behalf of IED took place on the 1^st of October 2019 in the premises of the Institute of Entrepreneurship Development in the organization’s office, in Larissa, Greece. The majority of the event’s audience was mainly higher education’s students who study in the University of Thessaly, which is located in the city of Larissa. In total, 20 students participated in the event, as well as one of the participants in the C1, which held in Zaragoza, Spain in June 2019. The event was consisted of presentations which were conducted in order to introduce the project, its purpose, targets, goals and future perspectives to the participants. Not only the project, but also the training activity which held in Zaragoza, Spain in June 2019, were presented in detail. Moreover, IED presented the future training activities that are planned for “WBL: The entrance to professional future” as well. Except for presentations regarding the project, other presentations included topics like the Work Based Learning in Europe and the chances for mobilities around this subject. At the end of the local work phase many of the participants expressed their interest in participating in the upcoming training activities of the project and keep being informed for the project’s updates. All presentations were conducted in Greek language.

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Project kick-off meeting, 17-18 April 2019, Sofia, Bulgaria

The kick off meeting has given the official start of the project implementation and aimed to foster the strategic planning of the collaboration between the partners during the whole project period. The meeting has allowed the fine-tuning of the structures and clear plan of the activities, to be implemented in the first half of the project life. Also, partners have discussed several milestones to be based on and achieved by the midterm meeting following in November 2019. Partners have discussed and confirmed the guidelines, prepared in prior, regarding how the organizations shall select their local participants for the mobilities, the needed profiles and their clear tasks. The learning activities program details on which participants were trained were also discussed.

In addition the meeting has again reviewed each partner promoters’ internal tasks and responsibilities and all representatives have clearly agreed on that matter. The project budget was an essential matter also discussed between partners especially the lack of pre-financing payments so all promoters have agreed on the fairest ways to finance the activities in meanwhile waiting for the project funding. All the agreements have been confirmed by official contracts prepared by the hosting learning project partner Horizont ProConsult and partners have duly signed them confirming their involvement in the project and agreement on all matters.

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