"The main objective of this project was to improve the quality of mobility processes in the construction sector for learners, staff and trainers in order, in the mid term, to increase the number of European mobilities for this target group .In order to achieve this global goal, we have set up a whole process around the mobile application, to the attention of apprentices, trainers and staff, to better understand mobility, in its preparation, its implementation and its follow-up while (linking current media, including social media).In fact, starting from the initial observation that workers and, in particular, the youngest ones must be more mobile than before to find job opportunities, young people must be well prepared before going abroad as part of a mobility process and preparation is the key to a good integration. It is important to guide them using the new information and communication technologies but also social media throughout their professional training. Learners, as well as accompanying persons (trainers or staff members), really feel that there is an ever greater desire to supervise them qualitatively. The result is a sense of security and trust that encourages more willingness to participate, which is obviously one of the main objectives of SoMEx - to increase the number of mobilities - using a more dynamic and modern way of doing things, including social media and taking into account the habits of the beneficiaries, who are, for the most part, ""digital natives"". The idea is to use ""up-to-date"" methods to facilitate the process and increase the quality of investments.To do this, we started the work with a research phase to determine the habits of our beneficiaries, in terms of social media use. To this end, we also relied on the work done in the framework of a previous project called Linguistic Reform, which included an analysis of the barriers to mobility, as well as the Euro-Dim project whose main theme is virtual mobility. Based on the results of these projects, a national and transnational analysis of the habits of our target group, we have created the ""Information Guide on the Use of ICTs and Social Networks for Trainees, Trainers and Staff"". VET in the construction sector "", a real starting point for our investigations for the creation of the SoMEx APP. Following this survey, we took part in a mobility observation to determine the real needs of our target group. Through surveys and observation during the mobility process of a group by country, we drew national and transnational conclusions through intellectual production 2 ""Recommendation for the improvement of existing mobility through the use of a mobile app that meets the needs of young people, trainer and construction staff ""by putting the point of attention on the different phases of a mobility journey: before, during and after.Based on these first two products, we then thought about and created our first version of the SoMEx APP (version 1), which we tested on a group by country according to a similar framework but improved based on previous experimentation (modification of the search tools for example). Following the analysis of the mobility path with the APP, interviews and observation, we drew our national and transnational conclusions. ""IOP 4 - Recommendation for version 1 of the appen mobility according to the needs of trainees / trainers / staff "". Based on these findings and recommendations, we have modified the SoMEx mobile app to meet the needs expressed during this observation. Once version 2 of the APP was created, we tested it again with the users by going to the field and developed the IO5: ""test of the product as part of the mobility process - APP version 2 ""On which we based ourselves to finalize the APP and get our final product:"" The Android application for trade in the construction sector "", ie, SoMEx application.The app and all products and achievements of the project are now available and free of rights on www.somexproject.eu (""results"" tab) in the 6 languages ​​of the partnership."

"An increasing number of people today acquire qualifications in the field of higher education. Despite this educational expansion, many EU Member States sometimes have very high unemployment rates, also among young people with an academic qualification. At the same time, many companies in the EU are complaining about skilled labour shortage and about job applicants frequently not having suitable qualifications. To tackle these challenges effectively, education and training programmes need to be geared more strongly towards the specific qualification demands of companies. The educational reform steps taken in many Member States mainly focus on initial vocational education and training (IVET), however. In view of the far-reaching changes in the world of work due to globalisation and digitisation as well as increasing requirements made on employees, upskilling programmes should also be considered in the reform plans. To date the discourse in connection with higher qualification has been restricted to academic tertiary education. But hardly any discussions are held about vocational tertiary education – or higher VET. Here it would be necessary to establish higher VET as an equivalent supplement to academic tertiary education or enhance visibility of this sector, thus also providing qualifications of this sector with a higher degree of perception and appreciation. This is because a knowledge- and innovation-driven national economy needs both: graduates of study programmes with a focus on general education and an academic orientation as well as skilled workers who are highly qualified in their profession and guarantee the transfer of research findings to marketable products and services. One fundamental reason why higher VET has to date played a subordinate role in the educational policy discourse can be found in its heterogeneity. Academic tertiary education, which is perceived as being much more homogeneous, has a uniform qualification structure (bachelor, master, PhD) and common quality standards (i.e. Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area, ESG). In addition, academic qualifications are acquired at universities and other higher education institutions, which are generally known and which enjoy a high degree of prestige. All these “unifying elements” cannot be found in higher VET. Therefore no common understanding of higher VET has developed in many EU Member States, but also at the European level overall. The main aim of this project was to create more awareness of the significance of higher VET. In order to reach this aim it was necessary to increase the understanding of higher VET, show the charateristics of this sector and demonstrate how it works. This purpose is persued by the project's main product, i.e. the ""European Guidelines on Quality Assurance in Higher VET"", which are based on a precise definition of higher VET. The Guidelines also show which features are essential to assure the quality of this sector. On the one hand the Guidelines support players of higher VET in checking their own quality assurance measures and in improving them, if necessary; on the other hand they give all people outside higher VET an insight into this sector. Thus, the Guidelines contribute to a better understanding of higher VET and more appreciation of its qualifications.Five national organisations from AT, BE, FR, GE and GR with expertise in higher VET as well as a Eureopan organisation (UEAPME) worked together in this three-year-project to develop the products and raise more awareness of this subject matter by disseminating information about the projects and its deliverables. Methodologically the project was divided into four work phases: At the beginning the quality assurance mechanisms and systems of all partner countries were analysed on the basis of higher VET sample qualifications and later transnationally compared. This comparison formed the basis for the developement of the European Guidelines, which started in the second work phase. After a testing and dissemination phase in the third project stage the Guidelines were improved and presented during the final conference towards the end of the project. This conference also marked the launch of the ""European Network on Quality Assurance in Higher VET"", which is located at UEAPME and which should guarantee sustainability of the results also beyond the lifetime of this project. It is the aim to keep the subject of Higher VET on the educational policy agenda and to promote the use of the European Guidelines as well as develop them further."

"1. CONTEXT/BACKGROUNDTraditional crafts in the construction sector, such as stonecutter, mason or carpenter, tend to disappear because of, among others, the transition from one generation to the next one caused by the ageing of the crafts workers and the current unattractiveness of the construction sector, which resulting in a lack of qualified workforce to do restoration works. However, restoration activity is increasing in Europe, being in fact the most important activity. The development of learning resources about traditional techniques as a complement of vocational training would improve the response of VET system to market needs, increasing at the same time job expectations of youngsters and make the construction industry more appealing and sustainable.2. OBJECTIVES The project has two main objectives:* Gathering knowledge and techniques about traditional processes in the construction industry related to the renovation of buildings, in order to avoid the loss of know-how.* Training young workers in these techniques, to ensure a proper restoration of the traditional elements in old buildings in Europe.3. PROFILE OF PARTICIPANTSAs for the partnership, 6 entities experts in VET in the construction industry have participated in the project:- FLC (Leader, Spain)- BZB (Germany)- IFAPME (Belgium)- CCCA-BTP (France) - CENFIC (Portugal)- FORMEDIL-PUGLIA (Italy)All partners belong to the “Network for the Vocational Education and Training in the construction sector in Europe”, RE.FORM.E (www.reforme.org).4. METHODOLOGY AND ACTIVITIESThe project methodology is structured along 24 months, planned in different activities which included specific activities led by one project partner. The working methodology to gather and exploit information has combined several qualitative techniques: observations, case of studies and semi-structured interviews.Three phases have been set into motion to develop the project and its results:A1. PROJECT MANAGEMENT. Quality plan.A2. PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION. Development of deliverables and endorsement by core key agents. - Handy guide. European experiences in rehabilitation of buildings: Six case studies- Map of skills. Skills needs identification for restoration of traditional architecture in Europe- Training program. Rehabilitation of traditional architecture in Europe- Open educational resource: App ""Construction Inheritance"".- Experimentation and external validation: pilot courses.- Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).A3. PROJECT DISSEMINATION. Valorisation and sustainability 5. RESULTSThe main result of the project has been to gather and transmit traditional knowledge and building techniques, with the aim of training new workers concerning the restoration of old buildings in Europe. This collection of know-how has been transformed into learning outcomes that have been materialized in a training program and its corresponding open and digital learning resource – App -, which can be used by the VET system and/or in-company training. Also, the training program has been carried out under the European Qualification Framework (EQF) and the ECVET system to facilitate the accreditation of acquired skills, in order to enhance the acknowledgement of learning, also attained via non-formal and informal contexts.6. IMPACT- Trainees and apprentices, who may be able to acquire these skills by means of new technologies and increase their job opportunities in the sector.- Building workers, who may increase their skills on traditional restoration and therefore their job opportunities in the sector. - Trainers and VET providers in the construction industry, since they will have available an innovative training program with contents adapted to market needs.- Strengthening and promotion of quality, transparency and mutual trust in VET in Europe.- Higher coherency between labour market and the provision of VET, in order to get a better performance of youth employment and sectorial skills.7. LONG TERM BENEFITS- Fostering of VET European tools (EQF, ECVET), which will ensure a lasting and shared accreditation of acquired skills, encouraging the mobility of apprentices and workers in Europe.- Improvement of the construction sector image through its modernization and attention to the architectural heritage in Europe."

eMovA project-Virtual Mobility for Apprenticeship, is the result of a reflection within the European network, Euroapprenticeship, to improve the efficiency of short-term mobility internship and offer a virtual alternative to those who cannot leave.To develop virtual mobility in Apprenticeship training, the eMovA project partners, eight in number, including five types of organizations (vocational training centers, craft chambers of commerce, public bodies, European foundation, SME organization) in five European countries (France, Belgium, Germany, Slovenia and Portugal) have worked closely on the following three objectives:Objective 1: To provide ready-to-use teaching materials to facilitate virtual mobility actions.Objective 2: To accompany the actors of vocational training by sharing open and innovative practices in digital eraObjective 3: To create a virtual space on Euroapprenticeship plateform in order to inform the users about virtual mobility and explain how to use or contribute in eMovA products. To reach these three objectives, three intellectual outputs - one per objective - have been made by the partners.Thus, O1 / eMovA-activities makes available to trainers/teachers or mobility referents, 20 ready-to-use learning sequences to facilitate virtual mobility actions.Access O1: http://moodle.euroapprenticeship.eu/O2 / eMovA-videos, via its video channel on Youtube, helps the trainers/teachers in the implementation of virtual mobility with digital tools, through concrete examples realized in class.O2 Access: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyqvS2bpjijKWcud03SuZdAO3 / eMovA-space offers a virtual information and linking space on virtual mobility, specific for Apprenticeship.Access O3: http://www.euroapprenticeship.eu/en/the-mobilite-virtuelle.htmlIn addition to the development of virtual mobility for the Apprenticeship, several impacts and benefits in the short, medium and long term were identified at the end of the project, in particular:- the professional development of the trainers on ICT methodologies, - the development of hard skills (linguistic, numerical ...) and soft skills (teamwork, communication, etc.) by the beneficiaries,- the appropriation of the benefits of virtual mobility by the companies,- the dissemination of open educational resources (OER) in various European languages,- the improvement of the learning quality by providing a European dimension and encouraging the adoption of innovative pedagogical practices,- the appetite of target audiences for virtual and physical mobility,- the increase of international cooperation between the actors of vocational training,- the increase of national and international cross-sectoral cooperation between the economic, political and educational actors of the European territories.