The COVID 19 pandemic has added further urgency to the need to develop innovative digital practices in the area of education. This is particularly true for Vocational Education and Training (VET) and even more so regarding initial VET on European Qualification Framework (EQF) level 3 and 4. Due to a certain focus on manual skills, VET has been less “digital” than other areas of education. As anti-COVID 19 measures and restrictions increased across the globe, VET providers had to come up with quick solutions to maintain teaching and training provision. In many cases, this involved the deployment of digital practices and tools they were not very familiar with - without paying much attention to underlying theoretical approaches. Nonetheless, the pandemic has not only been perceived as a major challenge but also as opportunity. To some teachers, trainers and VET providers, the COVID19 crisis has acted as a catalyst accelerating the introduction of new digital practices which would have required much more time under normal circumstances. It has unlocked the creative and innovative potential of European VET teachers and trainers. So far, the COVID 19 experience and its impact on digital VET teaching practices has not been analysed in detail. The present project intends to support the uptake of innovative approaches and digital technologies in VET in a twofold manner. Firstly, it will develop a grid to analyse digital VET practice developed since the outbreak of the pandemic and create a repository of concrete good practice examples from the area of automotive VET. Secondly, the project will build on the insights from this analysis to provide general recommendations on the principles of quality digital VET and develop and test a transnational training course for teachers and trainers. To do so, the project will expand on national and European projects and initiatives, such as SELFIE and DigCompEdu and build on the shared and complementary expertise of a consortium reflecting the variety of VET across Europe. Even though the main focus will be on pedagogical support to teachers and trainers facing the “Herculean task” of abruptly adopting digital and distance learning, the project will also highlight external factors facilitating the emergence of innovative digital approaches. The project will support VET professionals in capitalising on their COVID-19 experience in developing further innovative practice. It will foster the innovative use of digital technologies and support VET providers in dealing with the “new normal” by developing suitable solutions to hybrid training. In doing so, the project intends to contribute to making responsive digital VET a crucial means for overcoming the economic and social aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis.

"Virtual Mobility in the VET System (VIMOinVET) is a strategic partnership project supporting the exchange of good practices.The project partners are: -Scuola Centrale Formazione - IT (coordinating partner and promoter of the initiative)-HETEL – ES (expert partner for good practices in the implementation of virtual mobility integrated with geographical mobility)-Roskilde College – DK (expert partner in virtual mobility, distance learning, and innovative learning spaces)-ANFA – FR (partners with great experience in transnational mobility and mutual recognition through mobility)-Masinska Skola – SR (Serbian school that launched its Internationalisation Strategy through learning mobility in 2019).The partners come from 5 countries, they have complementary, long-standing expertise on the issues of mobility and internationalization at home. The good practice intercepted here is virtual mobility in its different facets and implementation models (didactic tools and methodologies), integrated with formal learning pathways and support/preparatory to geographical mobility. The project therefore aims to qualify VET practitioners on blended mobility and internationalisation methodologies. The strategic objectives of the project are:- To implement the internationalisation strategy of VET alongside geographical mobility through internationalisation activities at home integrated with the formal learning pathways of young people coming from European VET systems; - Enabling VET educational figures (teaching and mentoring) to acquire competences of facilitating/conducting virtual learning activities (facilitating virtual exchanges, conducting transnational distance learning activities); - Integrate the dimension of virtuality in learning within the VET system with a view to inclusiveness, thus responding both to the need to intercept young people with fewer opportunities and to use educational technologies through a motivating and creative approach.The project contributes to the implementation of ""inclusive"" education through the use of technologies, intercepting even fragile pupils with fewer opportunities. This assumption is particularly relevant in this emergency time in which all regional and European VET systems need to find their place in the context of the general educational offer and therefore have the need to:- Keep pupils and families connected through e-learning with accessible tools; - Train with motivating methodologies, able to enhance young people's attitudes and strengthen the citizenship skills required by the labour market; - Integrate the most vulnerable students through the use of ""inclusive"" methodologies; - Keeping alive the vocation of VET, based on ""learning by doing"", promoting ""problem"" based and ""learner-centred"" activities that trigger creativity, collaboration and spirit of initiative. The project sees the realisation of 6 transnational meetings in the partner countries: M1 Italy December 2020M2 Spain March 2021M3 Denmark June 2021M4 France October 2021M5 Serbia April 2022M6 Italy November 2022Participants of the meetings will be distributed as following: - 11 people in M1 (IT) - 18 people in M2 (ES)- 10 people in M3 (DK) - 14 people in M4 (FR)- 14 people in M5 (SR)- 18 people in M6 (IT)All partners undertake to ensure the implementation of at least 1 virtual mobility flow to support/integrate geographical mobility to be carried out within their ordinary mobility projects (VET mobility charter ownership and own funds). Exceptionally only for the Serbian partner the project provides financial coverage for the realization of mobility of 8 students accompanied by 2 teachers and aimed at this experimentation. The M3 meeting (Denmark) is not only aimed at the exchange of good practices but also sees joint training on a specific focus ""Educational Welfare and Internationalisation"" Joint training has as objectives:-the presentation of innovative elements on the theme of learning spaces (organization of spaces, architectural choices)-focus on the relationship between learning spaces and processes (learning styles, digital tools, digital didactics)-focus on synchronous and asynchronous internationalization at home activities.The last M6 meeting will be in Italy in November 2022. On this occasion SCF and the project partners will take focus on the state of the art of management and administrative tasks. Moreover, on the occasion of the final meeting SCF will organize the DO YOUR MOB event with its own funds in order to enhance the initiative and the results obtained. The DYM will see the presentation of the Guidelines and Recommendations for the implementation of virtual mobility within the VET systems."

"The increasing digitalization of the world of work and the introduction of new technologies, systems and processes are changing the way in which companies work and, as a result, the competence requirements to the staff. New technologies require new skills that significantly exceed the traditional job profiles. The change of automotive companies from repair shops to quality service companies defines the need for technicians with diagnostic and repair skills for computer-aided integrated vehicle technology, general knowledge (e.g. on safety and environmental protection) as well as high methodical competence. At the same time, in view of the increasing shortage of skilled labour, VET must become more attractive to young people - above all through interesting new content, participatory forms of learning and access to innovative (digital) tools in the classroom.This is where our project ""Good Practice on the Move"" starts. The PROJECT OBJECTIVE was to show perspectives for a successful integration of digitalisation and innovative technologies in vocational education – exemplarily for the automotive sector, as a contribution to strengthening the attractiveness, quality and sustainability of vocational education and training, innovation excellence and ultimately the competitiveness of the European economy - in line with the EU's ""Europe 2020"" strategy. TARGET GROUPS comprised the management and teaching staff in VET and higher education, as well as the regulatory bodies. FINAL BENEFICIARIES were the trainees in automotive professions and the companies in the sector.Under the lead of the BGZ Berliner Gesellschaft für internationale Zusammenarbeit mbH, the PROJECT PARTNERS - VET schools, universities and associations from seven EU countries (Austria, Croatia, France, Germany, Italy, Lithuania and Poland) - all with long-term experience and vast expertise, joined forces to bring together a range of innovative materials and tools on digitisation and new technologies tob e used in VET, tested them for quality, practicality and transfer potential along jointly developed indicators and documented them in a good practice catalogue. Joint learning activities in the project (virtual and face-to-face) served mutual learning and supported the competence acquisition of the partners involved. In parallel, we discussed with education stakeholders, researchers, representatives of companies and sector associations as well as public authorities on the institutional anchoring of new digital technologies and digital learning forms in regular education (in curricula and teaching practice), on capacity building and internationalisation of education providers and on the further development of the VET systems. The findings from the work with trainees, students, teachers and stakeholders from education, science, business, politics and administration were and are used for the further development of materials and tools and for the capacity building. Accompanying PR and dissemination (project website and internet presences of the partners, portals, social media, project events, information in networks, etc.) made the project and its results largely visible.The RESULT is a catalogue of materials/tools for teaching new technologies in VET, indicators of good practice, questionnaires and advice on capacity building as well as lessons learned. The participating institutions use the materials and tools in the training and intensify their international cooperation. The improved competences of teachers, the closer cooperation between VET and higher education and the strengthened international exchange provide benefit both to students and teachers.The project has reached 620 people directly & 770 potentially interested. Through dissemination activities, another 3.000 actors have already benefited.IMPACT comprises more understanding of digitisation and its effects, more interest in the training courses among young people and an increase in the quality of VET in automotive professions, further development of occupational profiles, better permeability between vocational training and higher education. And through apporaching the system level, the project also influenced the regulatory VET systems.The LONG-TERM BENEFIT is an economic one, a social one and a societal one: It means increased competitiveness in the automotive industry, attractive employment opportunities for young skilled workers, more service quality for consumers, widespread use of digital solutions to expand functionality and value in use, but also to strengthen environmental protection. Finally, new technologies become an integral part of the society and their command an essential element of quality of life."