<< Objectives >>Project’s main aims are:1) to provide comprehensive, modern and interesting career guidance materials about mechanical engineering and metalworking (MM) industries, related education and qualifications in Latvia and Estonia ;2) to train career guidance consultants, STEM teachers and other educators and specialists in general education insitutions about career prospects in mechanical engineering and metalworking industries.<< Implementation >>Project has 2main activities:1) Established interesting digital career guidance materials for educators in Estonian, Latvian and English about mechanical engineering and metalworking industries and supported with videos for pupils and wider society;2) Training of at least 50 (25 per national country) career guidance consultants, STEM teachers and other educators and specialists in general education insitutions; about career possibilities in mechanical engineering and metalworking industries<< Results >>To strengthen support for Career guidance consultants, STEM teachers and other educators and specialists in general education insitutions with interesting digital teaching materials about mechanical engineering and metalworking industries, related education and qualifications in national languages and English thus educators, mobile laboratories could increase pupils interest about STEM education and professions.

"""Education and Training 2020"" sets common strategic objectives for EU member countries for 2020. One of benchmarks is: the share of low-achieving 15-year-olds in reading, mathematics and science should be less than 15 % in 2020. According OECD, in 2018 about every fifth 15-year-old pupil in Europe showed insufficient abilities in science (in Latvia were 18,5%, in Lithuania - 22,2%, in Estonia- 8,8%) and in mathematics (In Latvia- 17,3%, in Lithuania - 25,6% in Estonia – 10,2%). Only Estonia reached benchmark of ET 2020. Low achievements in science and mathematics leads to situation when general education pupils after graduating do not choose VET or higher education in science, technologies, engineering, mathematics (STEM) or are not able to graduate STEM direction and obtain qualification which results in insufficient supply of qualified workforce in manufacturing, also in metalworking and mechanical engineering. Lack of qualified workforce forces sector associations to involve in education processes by providing information about career prospects in sector by mobile laboratories. Mobile laboratories which are fully equipped with modern technologies and supported with highly educated STEM trainer has successfully complemented the educational process by informing, presenting and demonstrating modern technologies, their capabilities and operational principles in general education schools. However, the capabilities of the mobile laboratories are much broader and can be integrated into the general education process, adding to the vital component of STEM knowledge-building exercises in the real environment. For integration of STEM knowledge provided by mobile laboratories in general education curricula, it is planned to develop up-to-date cognitive and educational content on contemporary technologies, their design, capabilities and applications, deploying and making them available in digital form and environment. This material will also support educators because here is lack of digital, interactive materials about STEM in national languages.Main objectives of the project are:1)Promotion of pupils’ achievements in STEM in attractive way. 2)Strengthening support for educators by open source, interactive, digital training materials about STEM.3)Strengthening responsibility and involvement of sector business representatives in education process.Main activities/ results of the project are:1)Open source, interactive, digital training materials about STEM for pupils in four languages – English, Latvian, Lithuanian and Estonian.2)Teacher’s manual to support educators about usage of interactive, digital training materials in four languages – English, Latvian, Lithuanian and Estonian.3)Guidelines for sector representatives for improvement of STEM knowledge in four languages – English, Latvian, Lithuanian and Estonian.4)3 promotional and testing events for educators about usage of interactive, digital training materials (at least 30 educators in each country, not less than 90 in total).5)At least 100 pupils trained in pilot trainings in each country (at least 300 in total) covering all regions of involved countries.6)National competition of pupils about improvement of training materials 7)3 project promotional events (not less than 135 participants), at least 6 publications. All project activities are sequential and support project progress toward project main objectives. Pupils and educators are main target group and will be involved in testing, improving intellectual outputs, in pilot trainings and promotional and testing events. Guidelines for sector representatives will be prepared to provide insight how provide sustainability of project idea and strengthening responsibility and involvement of sector business representatives in education process.Project is innovative of specific focus on establishment interesting content for pupils, also with involvement of them (in time of contest) in field of STEM. This content will support idea provided in mobile laboratories and can also be used as support material of STEM teachers in general education.Main target groups are:1)Pupils of general education. 2)Educators (teachers of STEM subjects, carrier guidance and support specialists) of general education. 3)Sector representatives (the national and sectorial, regional) and other stakeholders who can be involved in improvement of STEM knowledge.4)Learners, educators in other education levels, parents, policy makers.All partners have wide experience and expertise in STEM, establishing of training materials, pilot trainings which will help to achieve best result and contribute transnational value of the project.Project will ensure long term impact on participants and also participation organizations, supporting implementation of project's objectives."

<< Background >>Technology based industries, including mechanical engineering and metalworking (MM) industries, play a crucial role of European economy and in the Baltic countries as well. MM industries are characterised by strong traditions as well as good preconditions for further growth. In Baltic countries MM industry is the third biggest industry. The main challenge the sector is facing lack of skilled specialists, especially for those with VET education and qualification in the sector. High drop-out rates in VET approves that VET education should be more linked with metalworking companies, increasing attractivenes of metalworking thus promoting achievements and skills of VET students in mechanical engineering and metalworking industries. The promotion of VET students achievements and skills in metalworking sector in attractive way can be supported by organization of sectoral competitions for VET pupils, involving the business and companies in VET. Need for raising attactiviness of VET, forces sector associations MASOC (LV), Linpra (LT), EML (EE) and mobile laboratories VJLMTC (LT), Merkuur (EE), Tehnobuss Latvia (LV) to involve in education processes. Organizing national and international competitions about MM industry for VET students, project will promote VET students' achievements, knowledge and skills in mechanical engineering and metalworking industries thus increasing atractivness of their choosed qualification and thus supporting sector with skilled workforce. Aslo dissemination materials (articles, videos) about VET, VET students achievements in the competition, will disseminated to all VET schools and also to other learners (for example, in general education, or for unemployed) thus demostrating the skills and achievements which can be gained in VET thus attracting new potential workers in the sector.<< Objectives >>Main objectives of the project are: 1) to organize national competitons and Baltic countries' competition for vocational education and training ( VET students) in mechanical engineering and metalworking industries by involvement of sector business representatives in Baltic countries 2) to increase attractiviness of vocational education and training (VET) by demostrating skills, knowledge and achievements of VET students in mechanical engineering and metalworking industries.<< Implementation >>Main activities, who support reaching of project objectives, are: 1) Development of country analyses about good practices of sectoral VET competitions will cover topics as well about requirements of Euroskills & Wordskills, requirements of qualification exams, analyses of requirements for metalworking sector VET students, proposals for common tasks of skills competitions. Analyses will be made in English, at least 20 pages per country. 2) Preparation of practical and theoretical tasks at least 3 qualifications in metalworking at least 30 theoretical tasks& at least 6 practical tasks per qualification will prepared in four languages:LV, LT, EE, ENG 3)Establishment of Regulations for competition organizing regulations and assessment methodology linked with practical and theoretical tasks (IO1) will be established in four languages: LV, LT, EE, ENG4) Development of Practical training course about about engineering technologies with real examples and with at least 80 theoretical and practical tasks and their assesment methodologies in LV, LT, EE 5) Preparation of dissemination materials: newsletters, at least 6 articles, 6 videos (2 per country), information in project partners homepages6) Intelectual output testing events (comptetitions) with involvement of more than 110 participants, mostly VET students and respresentatives from business7) Transnational partner meetings, Project streering board meetings and meetings with project target groups and other stakeholders etc.<< Results >>Main results of the project:1) 3 country analyses about good practices of sectoral VET competitions will cover topics as well about requirements of Euroskills & Wordskills, requirements of qualification exams, analyses of requirements for metalworking sector VET students, proposals for common tasks of skills competitions in English, at least 20 pages per country. 2) Al least 108 practical and theoretical tasks for at least 3 qualifications in metalworking will prepared in four languages:LV, LT, EE, ENG 3)Regulations for competition organizing and assessment methodology linked with practical and theoretical tasks (IO1) will be established in four languages: LV, LT, EE, ENG4) Practical training course about about engineering technologies with real examples and with at least 80 theoretical and practical tasks and their assesment methodologies in LV, LT, EE, ENG5) At least 6 articles, 6 videos (2 per country) about VET competitions prepared and distributed to target groups6) Organized 3 national competitions and 1 international competition for VET students in mechanical engineering and metalworking industries in Baltic states with active involvement of business representatives6) Improved knowledge and achievements of at least 100 VET students in mechanical engineering and metalworking industries in Baltic states.