<< Objectives >>“The eye of of the voter” is promoting civic engagement and at specific - election observation - among groups of voters with traditionally lower turnout rates. Building cross-border trust and understanding of cultural backgrounds is one of the main objectives of the project. The aim is also supporting the domestic observers in strengthening free, fair and democratic elections in Poland.<< Implementation >>Pre-election preparations (recruitment, kick-off), observers school (trainings and meetings with CSOs) and observation of parliamentary elections in Poland, post-observation activities (participatory sessions), presentation and dissemination (sharing results among peers).<< Results >>Engaged group of young democratic activists who will witness democracy in action and understand and appreciate the role citizens can play in fostering democratic processes. That will also result in better understanding of their own countries' electoral systems by having comparison to others.

"PARTNERSHIPThe project SPRINT: “Standardize best PRactices about INTernships” started in September 2017 and ended in December 2020. It was implemented by a consortium of European structures representing all the parties concerned by the internships: Higher Education Institutions: HEI (Paul-Valéry Montpellier 3 University), students (Trade Union Youth Plus), host organisations (The Adecco Group). The partnership was enriched by the expert structures participation in the field of standardisation (AFNOR: Association Française de Normalisation), the supervision of youth mobility in Europe for learning purposes (UNISER), the development of digital tools and the internships evaluation (InternsGoPro) and the promotion of higher vocational education inside the European Higher Education Area (EURASHE). PROJECT CONTEXTInternships play a fundamental role in the integration of students and graduates into the labour market by enabling them to acquire professional skills and to experience host organisation functioning. However, not all internships fulfil their objectives. Numerous initiatives have emerged in Europe to provide quality frameworks for placements, but they are not been applied in all European countries. OBJECTIVESThe SPRINT project has been implemented to create a common European quality framework for internships to be recognised by all the stakeholders (HEIs, students, host organisations) with an effort to improve the supervision of the internship at a European scale and thus enable better integration of the young’s into the labour market.The partners also implemented the project activities to:- establish a strong partnership between organisations working in the field of internships;- raise awareness among stakeholders of the importance of the quality of internships;- encourage host organisations to improve their practices;- prepare the different stakeholders’ training to ensure proper implementation of the internships quality criteria.These objectives have been achieved by the consortium.ACTIVITIES The SPRINT project partners carried out the following activities:> Drawing of a general report on internships’ national legislation in the member countries of the European Union and Switzerland: 182 pages.> Sending out a survey on needs and barriers about internships: 116 participants (HEIs, students, host organisations).> Production of a summary of good practices in internships.> Drawing up of the common European quality framework for internships, drafted and approved following the steps of a CEN (European Committee for Standardisation) Workshop Agreement, under the AFNOR supervision. 8 quality criteria have been identified for internships through the following activities:- Kick-off meeting of the CEN workshop (E1) (17 participants from outside the SPRINT consortium);- Drawing of the CEN workshop agreement (9 participants);- Adoption of the CEN Workshop Agreement with a 60-day comment phase open to any organisation: 28 participating organisations (64 pages of comments);> Drawing of the practical guide on the implementation of quality internships for host organisations;> Development of a self-assessment tool for host organisations on their internship programme; > Production of a guide on the quality of internships and higher education institutions; > Organisation of two training sessions (E2) (in English and French) for HEI teams in charge of student placements to raise awareness of the ""quality internship"" concept and to train them to the tools developed in the SPRINT project framework (96 participants); > Organisation of a conference (E3) aimed at explaining the European policy context concerning the quality of the internship and presenting the SPRINT tools developed to bring a concrete solution to internships improvement in Europe (153 participants).OUTCOME The implementation of the above activities led to the achievement of the following results:- Harmonisation of best practices in the field of internships in Europe;- The adoption of common quality criteria for internships;- The creation of tools for the implementation of these criteria within host organisations;- The development of a coherent evaluation system on the quality of internships valid for the whole of Europe;- The establishment of a working group on the quality internships.IMPACTSThe project enabled the partners to broaden their knowledge about internships in Europe and the pre-standardisation process.The participants in the dissemination events improved their knowledge on the quality criteria of an internship. Stakeholders interested in internships have reliable tools on the quality of internships in Europe."

The EU has set the ambitious goals to “promote smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, to find pathways to create new jobs and to offer a sense of direction to our societies” (2010). As the world becomes more interconnected and competitive and as research and technological know-how expands, new opportunities along with more complex societal challenges arise. Overcoming these challenges will require all citizens to have a better understanding of science and technology if they are to participate actively and responsibly in science-informed decision-making and knowledge-based innovation. Furthermore CEDEFOP reported recurrent shortages of STEM related skills in European economy. STEM skills attainment is not confined to higher education level but rather can be acquired through upper and post-secondary school-based VET and also through apprenticeships in several countries. The project “Mobiliteach - In-depth sectoral specialisation of VET teachers” aims at increasing the quality and efficacy of VET provision improving didactics and developing WBL european development strategies. Specifically developing and integrate cross-disciplinary didactics in VET provision and improve VET teachers and managers relevant competences; integrate work based learning mobility experiences in students curricula and improve VET teachers and managers relevant competences; structure collaborative international network among VET providers, mobility experts, education institutions and companies.The partnership is characterised by the presence of VET providers, VET mobility experts and education institutions from 6 countries. The project address mainly VET teachers, managers and administrative staff. It will reach indirectly VET students, business actors, educative institutions, public authorities in the field of education. Methodologies approaches are the main elements of innovation in the project: interdisciplinarity, collegiality and experience based approaches are geared toward the creation of a cross-disciplinary training methodology for teachers. The project will deliver a innovative training prototype designed, tested and developed through 5 international coordination meetings and the joint-staff training events. The training prototype for VET teachers is aimed to be replied in local, regional, national and European after the project end.Specific project results are: a cross-disciplinary training methodology for VET providers will be developed, tested and delivered by the project; teachers increase their knowledge on cross-disciplinary approaches and apply them to their teaching methodologies; managers increase their knowledge on cross-disciplinary courses and integrate them to their school didactics; three training events in which the partners will put together their best practices to develop and test a cross-disciplinary methodology for a training prototype for VET teachers; teachers increase their knowledge on how to plan, organise, manage and evaluate high quality WBL experiences in mobility; managers increase their knowledge on WBL mobility project and integrate them in school programmes and students curricula; developing and test a training methodology interactive and based on experience and reality: teachers and mobility experts staff will be put in places of students when participating in a mobility internship abroad; increased collaboration among VET educational system key actors to improve didactics and students curricula; partners’ internationalisation strategies and european development plans are developed/updated and implemented with the involvement of local network of stakeholders; VET providers staff and mobility experts will put in practice knowledge and competences acquired by producing development strategies after participating in transnational activities and in collaboration with local stakeholders (especially other schools and business actors); innovative forms of cross-disciplinary approaches and WBL in mobility are identified, shared, integrated and tested by participating organisations.The project’s impact at local, regional, national and European level is based on the creation of networks of stakeholders, and the intense dissemination activities foreseen. Every partner will be in charge during the entire length of the project of establishing a network of stakeholders which have interest in improving the quality of VET. This networking process will also be part of the training modules taught in trainings as well as activities carried out in local working groups with stakeholders for the development of participated didactic and internationalisation plans.

Nowadays the job market presents several challenges due to the changing demand of a more globalised and intercultural world and the rising mobility of the workforce. Internationalisation of training systems has been regarded as the crucial response to provide young people with key competences, focused on citizenship and interculturality. The European Commission has urged Member States to act in modernising and improving their education and training systems increasing the percentage of learners participating in learning mobility. The financial constraint of EU programmes and schools budget unfortunately allow only a handful of students to participate in a mobility experience every year. There is a need to find new ways of bringing Europe to local learners by introducing more Internationalisation at Home.Furthermore since March 2020 the internationalisation process that VET centers were experimenting in the last decade was strongly affected by the COVID 19 pandemic. VET students' physical mobility is strongly weakened due to the lack of common policy and the widespread restrictions to transnational travels all across the European Union (OECD,2020) . VET providers are in need of new competences and tools to implement virtual mobility, blended mobility and fostering Internationalisation at Home processes.Given this context, the general objective of the project is to strengthen the European dimension of VET centers nowadays strongly affected by the circumstances created by the COVID 19 pandemic by innovating their internationalisation strategies thanks to the use of digital tools and to the development of teachers’ digital competences. The specific objectives are:1 To innovate the internationalization of learning and to make digital some of the activities linked to VET learners physical mobility and to its preparation, monitoring and follow up2 To build capacity to implement tailor made, safer and higher quality international learners' mobility experiences enhancing cooperation between VET schools and families3 To increase teachers competences to develop Internationalization at Home activities and to deal with virtual and blended mobility The project foresees the development of three intellectual outputs related to the specific objectives of the project.IO1: Online Toolkit for teachers aimed to support them in organizing learners’ mobility with a strong digital component, by virtualizing part of the experience. It will be composed of infographics, video tutorials, examples and practices adaptable to each VET center. IO2: E - platform for a tailor made mobility in hosting families. The platform will allow local families to register and signal their availability for hosting learners. It includes the development of video guidelines/tutorials addressed to families for their collaboration with VET schools in setting up transnational mobility activities. IO3: E-learning course for teachers on the Internationalisation at Home. It will be composed of training modules on how to set up learning activities for local learners and teachers with a transnational component, some examples are: use of e-twinning and further online tools, host European students and organise classes/activities for them while they are at school, hosting training courses for European teachers etc. A special focus will be keeped on building capacities to implement blended mobility. The outputs will be tested on 12 learners participating in pilot blended mobility plus others involved through KA1 projects. The project will directly address VET teachers; headmasters; parents; learners; educators; Mobility providers’ staff and will indirectly involve local and regional authorities dealing with VET.In terms of long term impact, all the activities aim to create a sustainable and durable community of well trained VET centers and hosting families, fully equipped and prepared to ensure enriched mobility experiences for their students and to innovate their internationalisation strategies thanks to the use of new digital tools and competences. Nevertheless, raising awareness of how to integrate school’s programmes with transnational activities and provide the dedicated tools will allow improved key competences and professional competences developed by both European teachers and learners.

Context/backgroundThis project will offer an opportunity for several organisations to partner up for the good practice exchange project, which would allow to scale up the use of Open Digital Badges within our networks, sectors and countries.Among other priorities, it contributes directly to the Erasmus+ priority on TRANSPARENCY AND RECOGNITION OF SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS, stating that priority will be given to projects “promoting innovative solutions like DIGITAL BADGES to improve recognition and supporting the validation at local, regional, national or European/international levels. The interest in open badges is increasing and more organisations are willing to adapt this technology, but often lack know-how or guidance from others how to build quality recognition system. Few partners of this project were among the first one to adapt Digital badges 6 years ago and are ready to equipp other organisations in Europe with skills to scale the use of Badges for recognition. ObjectivesWe aim at achieving the following objectives:To map, exchange and disseminate good practices and lessons learned from the experience of using digital Open Badges across sectors of education, training, youth work and learning.To train staff of partner organisations to be ready to support the design, implementation and evaluation of badge based recognition systems within our networks and beyond.To promote further the adaptation of digital Open Badges as one of the tools to implement youth policy in the field of validation and recognition of learning and achievements.To build the capacity of partner organisations to be the ambassadors of Open Badges for the benefit of young people in their field of activity.ParticipantsThis project will address the following target groups:Members, volunteers and staff of partner organisationsMembers, volunteers and staff of other organisations belonging to our networks and partnershipsOther youth work organisations, VET schools and organisations, colleges and higher education institutions interested in using/researching badge based solutionsYouth policy and education policy stakeholders at European, national and regional levelsDescription of activities and methodologyThe project partners plan to implement two transnational partner meetings (kick-off and final evaluation) and three staff training activities:Staff training of Multipliers (ToM) for Badge system designStaff training of Facilitators (ToF) for external recognition of Open BadgesStudy visit for ambassadors of badge recognitionAs a follow-up of the staff training activities, partners will implement multiplier and dissemination activities to support other people and organisations in adapting Open Badges for validation and recognition of learning and achievements.The European communication strategy and resources will be developed to support partners in communicating and promoting value and benefits of digital Open Badges. We will hold meetings with other organisations, institutions and stakeholders to influence the education and youth policy to include Open Badges as one of the tools for validation and recognition of non-formal learning.Results and impact The partners of the project will map 12 good practices of using digital badges and prepare selected case examples for dissemination. At least 60 staff members of partner organisations will be equipped with necessary competences and capacity to o support the design, implementation and evaluation of badge based recognition systems within our networks and beyond. They will be training on how to design badges system and plan internal and external recognition of badges. The partner consortium will develop a communication strategy and resources to further promote the adoption of the digital Open Badges. This strategy will be adapted to the national and/or regional realities of partners and will allow reaching more than 24.000 people, 170 organisations and thousands of educators and youth workers in Europe.At least sixty staff members of the partner organisations will be involved directly in the transnational activities of this project. The partner organisations will implement 20 activities within their networks, partnerships and channels.Longer term benefitsWe expect that in the upcoming years, our local partners will create even more badge based recognition and validation systems for other activities they do and will actively join our dissemination efforts as it is in their interests to build an ecosystem of recognition, where participants of their activities can earn badges for diverse learning opportunities; collect, manage and share in places that matter and and have possibilities to open new opportunities by showing their competences gained through non-formal education programmes.