<< Background >>The current situation calls for development of sustainable alternatives and cooperation with European partners to learn from and with each other to face today's challenges in education and society. This means that VET institutions have to provide new flexible transnational projects, which can be carried out remotely or as blended learning to adapt to the Covid-19 and other environmental or societal changes. Considering the possibilities in technology and the growing relevance of digital education, partners want to explore and share good practices in digital education, entrepreneurial projects and simulations. The aimed result is to develop a transnational, interconnected online simulation that enables business VET students to learn in a work-based environment, and encourages and stimulates them to learn more about entrepreneurship and working in a multicultural environment. In the long-term, the idea is to implement the course as a part of blended learning. The VET institutions participating in the project have an already established partnership through the European Business Baccalaureate Diploma (EBBD)-network. EBBD is a harmonized qualification that aims to equip students to master extensive soft skills and business competence in an international context and prepare them to live, study and work in Europe. This network guarantees sustainable cooperation and a common spot on the horizon for the benefit of VET students. Partners know each other and this will have a positive effect on the outcomes and expected quality of the project. The partnership consists of six schools’ experts and students: Helsinki Business College, Finland Summa College, the Netherlands Rijn IJssel, the Netherlands Skive College, Denmark Nazaret Fundazioa, Spain Charles Peguy, France<< Objectives >>Expected impacts to the participating personnel are improved skills in the evaluation of best practices, accomplishing tasks connected to the activities such as planning, implementing or reporting, and giving inputs into building the framework. The project will help business VET students to gain extensive professional skills in entrepreneurial mindset, language and international competences and they are able to utilize those skills, to become more prepared for the future work life and be able to consider career options including entrepreneurship, self-employment and international work. When more students are offered virtual options for gaining knowledge in entrepreneurship and internationalisation, it could result in a higher percentage of self-employment.The impact on an organisational level is the ability to provide internationalisation in changing circumstances. Other VET schools can benefit directly from the project outcomes. The gathered best practices and the framework on how to implement virtual business simulation into the teaching of entrepreneurial skills will give a set of theory and practical tools to use for better teaching and thus guiding the students to acquire better entrepreneurial skills.<< Implementation >>The participating partners will start by sharing good practices of entrepreneurial study projects, use of digital methods, supporting language development and international competence, compare their entrepreneurial study modules and share best practices on use of business simulators. Shared best practices will be evaluated. Based on this evaluation, success factors will be elected. From these success factors, we shall jointly develop a framework on how to implement a digitally carried out business game into existing entrepreneurial studies. The purpose of the framework is to help other VET institutions to find possibilities for cooperation and learn from our experience.To explore the findings and credibility of the designed framework, a business simulator try-out for business students and teachers is organised. The business simulation will be a rich learning and development environment for VET students. The simulation is provided by Edumundo, an organisation that focuses on creating an interactive learning experience for students by bringing the latest in digital technology to, and beyond, the classroom.<< Results >>Considering the possibilities in technology and the growing relevance of digital education, partners want to explore and share good practices in digital education, entrepreneurial projects and simulations. The aimed result is to develop a transnational, interconnected online simulation that enables business VET students to learn in a work-based environment, and encourages and stimulates them to learn more about entrepreneurship and working in a multicultural environment. In the long-term, the idea is to implement the course as a part of blended learning.The added value of transnational activity is based on partner organisations' existing knowledge, common ambitions to improve digital readiness and the need to ensure our students internationalisation in changing circumstances. Giving opportunities to work with international partners contributes to the students' competence to work in an international environment, which is highly demanded by employers, but difficult to develop, for example due to the present Covid-19 situation.The impact on an organisational level is the ability to provide internationalisation in changing circumstances. Other VET schools can benefit directly from the project outcomes. The gathered best practices and the framework on how to implement an international business simulation into the teaching of entrepreneurial skills will give a set of theory and practical tools to use for better teaching and thus guiding the students to acquire better entrepreneurial and international skills.At the regional level, the project impact will be achieved by broad dissemination of the results found in the project and raised awareness of the framework. The improved efficiency of outreach in regional level impact will raise awareness of innovative ways to teach entrepreneurial mindset, language and international competence. These impacts will be achieved by dissemination both virtually and by facilitating multiplier events. Moreover, the project results will be disseminated in the annual EBBD meeting, EBBD website. The project results will be brought to the EfVET-network and annual meeting as well.The tangible results of this project are: - a description and evaluation of the best practices of each partner - a report of key success factors drawn from the best practices and - an implementation framework - minimum 6 students/partner participating in the LTT training- minimum 2 teachers/partner learning to coach the simulation in the LTT training.

"The Care for Carers (CfC) project brought together 6 European Partners with specific expertise in training of carers or provision of care within the Dementia Care arena, either as VET organisations, Healthcare professionals or Enterprises within the healthcare education field. The partner countries are United Kingdom, Austria, Netherlands, Italy, Sweden and Turkey and provide a good geographic spread within Europe in a transnational partnership that captures a truly pan-European perspective. The partners developed an interactive learning interface to support informal carers and formal carers who provide Dementia care in the home environment, at three different levels of intervention (early, middle, final). These intellectual outputs were translated into all partner languages and are available on the Project's website. There is also a carer handbook containing guidance on the learning material, with an accompanying carer diary that will be supported with interactive materials, digital aids and smart technology apps to allow flexible support and learning that suits their time availability as well as their individual learning needs and style, through a blended learning interactive portal. It is estimated that by 2040, 14 million Europeans will be affected by Alzheimer’s disease, costing about €140 billion in care each year. It is anticipated that these figures for dementia will double every 20 years (Máire Geoghegan-Quinn Irish European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science from 2010 to 2014). These findings are further corroborated by the European Dementia Research Agenda (2011) who cite estimations of 7.3 million people living with Dementia in Europe and also anticipate that these figures for dementia will double every 20 years. Additionally, the European Commission SWD (2014) 321 'Implementation report on the Commission Communication on a European initiative on Alzheimer's disease and other dementias' Joint Action ALCOVE findings show ""that patients, family members who provide care for persons with dementia and health professionals need to have access to education on dementia care and its psychological aspects.""Home care givers are the bedrock of support and care across Europe, and there is a need for further collaborative work to improve care practice, in the home care environment where the majority of those living with dementia are situated. The primary focus of our project was to develop basic and transversal skills using innovative methods to enhance carers' capacity and sustainability. Throughout the 24 month duration of this project partners participated in 5 transnational meetings, 4 training workshops, 7 dissemination events and delivered 6 intellectual outputs that have been collated and accessible through an interactive learning portal hosted online by the lead partner, NWRC. The innovativeness of the project has been the creation and delivery of new and effective strategies for enhancing basic skills in this area founded on collaborative pooling of best transnational practice knowledge and expertise of the project partners. Through accreditation organisations such as Open College Network Northern Ireland (OCNNI), opportunities to formally acknowledge the learning outcomes achieved have also been explored and created. The partners at National level engaged with stakeholder organisations in arriving at the the definition of the three stages of care intervention that support this project. The intellectual outputs developed have been tested initially on focus groups within each partner organisation, and then trialled externally with a minimum of 12 stakeholders in each partner country. Through cascading testing phases with focus groups and 72 stakeholders in the 6 partner countries it was anticipated that a minimum of 732 participants would be engaged and have indirectly gained from the funding of this project - we believe this figure has been exceeded due to the number of dissemination events and activities arranged by partners. The objectives of the Care for Carers project are fully in line with the European Commission's aim to support patients and carers as outlined in the Joint ALCOVE findings as well as the Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership aims that correspond with the Erasmus+ VET projects priority of ""further strengthening key competences in VET curricula and providing more effective opportunities to acquire or develop those skills through I-VET and C-VET""."

The project is based on the NLQAVET model of Quality in VET which emphases the interdependency of quality system, quality culture, quality awareness and quality behaviour as fundament for sustainable implementation of improvements actions.The key factors for quality in VET can been seen from 2 different perspectives: The visible factors which include the quality system and the quality behaviour of staff, and the non-visible factors: the quality awareness of staff and the quality culture of the VET provider. The project will emphasis these non-visible factors for the development of high quality work through systematic comparing, exchanging and learning from day-to-day practices between Specialised VET providers and Regular VET providers in national and International settings.The EU policy on VET is encouraging INCLUSIVE Education and Training for All. The policy is encouraging partnerships and close cooperation between special VET providers and regular VET providers that creates the basis for a more inclusive approach on education and training.The project is based on using capacities of specialized and mainstream VET providers in creating valuable learning arrangements that results in improving current the performances and to explore opportunities for inclusive education for all. The area of quality therefore is introduced a common areas for better understanding of their practices and way of working. The project therefore has the following objectives:1. Improving the overall quality performance and quality culture (performance of Quality culture assessment tool) of special and regular VET providers by systematic benchmarking and bench learning.2. Contributing to inclusive education by creating sustainable partnerships between specialized VET providers and regular VET providers for the benefits of all learners.Prior to the project, a comprehensive needs assessment of quality culture aspects and Eqavet aspects will be carried out by all partners. The needs assessment will carried out with a questionnaire on Quality Culture aspect (Quality Culture survey) and a questionnaire that collect information of needs of the project partner on the building blocks of the Eqavet model: management culture, approaches that reflect provider circumstances, culture of self-assessment, support to training of staff and using feedback and data for improvement. Based on the needs assessment, all partners will identify and carry out two improvement initiatives: one initiative to improve quality Culture and one initiative to improve performance on EQAVET building blocks.In 8 transnational project meetings (= learning arrangements) of three days each will be organized. The topics for these learning arrangements will be derived from the needs assessment that is carried out prior to the project and linked to the improvement initiatives of the project partners. At these learning arrangements three main activities will be carried out:1. Systematic bench marking on agreed quality culture aspects and on aspect of the Eqavet model2. Bench learning activities: exchange of information, performance, interventions and daily practices with the aim of improving current performance and current practice3. Additional training by experts on quality cultural aspects and on identified aspects of the Eqavet building blocks.Expected results:1. Successful implementation of an improvement initiative related to one aspect of Quality Culture. (total 10 improvement initiatives)2. Successful implementation of an improvement initiative related to one of the EQAVET building blocks (total 10 improvement initiatives)3. Methodology on systematic benchmarking and bench learning.4. Curriculum of specific training modules related to Quality Culture Aspects and Eqavet building blocks.5. Signed agreement for sustainable partnership (continuation of cooperation) at national and/or national level to explore the feasibility and conditions for Inclusive education for all.

The MusicXchain project, by a network with the same name, consists of six (6) education providers from five (5) member states (Finland, Latvia, Germany, Netherlands and Slovenia) all offering upper secondary VET education in music. Based on the identified needs for development in the sector, which were also clearly defined in ‘A New Skills Agenda for Europe’ published a year before submitting the proposal, there is a shortage of basic, digital, transversal, and entrepreneurial skills. The agenda is based on the evidence of the existence of skills gap and mismatch across and within member states. The project focused on enhancing the following key competences of learners in the music sector by creating new and innovative ways for cooperating and learning and thus enhancing their networking and digital skills as well as fostering an entrepreneurial mindset necessary for a successful career in the creative industries.The MusicXchain project yielded a number of tangible results on completion of the project such as - a structured model for organising learning mobility in the music sector taking into consideration the strengths and expertise of each participating college;- 12 different mobility modules;- a structured, open website for managing and coordinating the network activities including a calendar, descriptions of the mobility modules and other events offered within the network;- an online platform for managing network activities and offering virtual music lab activities where masterclasses, validated technique videos and e.g. career stories of alumni can be shared or music productions can be planned;- 24 virtual music lab activities. On the participating VET providers level, the results are - an exchange of knowledge, skills and experience between organizations;- a significant increase in the number of learners in the music sector gaining an international experience through virtual communication initiatives and physical learning mobility;- European pathways for learners - Erasmus+ provides opportunities for learners to do more than one physical mobility during their VET education which (if they so choose) will provide an opportunity for them to follow an international pathway already during their studies and with the help of the structured activities provided by the MusicXchain network;- upskilling teachers – the project offered avenues for making changes in teaching as well as the professionalisation of staff e.g. in the area of using digital tools, managing an international classroom and teamwork;- a sustainable network of VET providers and industry stakeholders in the music sector - the project involves international cooperation between VET colleges in five (5) EU member states whilst creating learning mobility opportunities, (virtual and physical) this project aims to further create a strong, growing and sustainable EU partnership for learning mobility and developing education;- embedment – the project activities and results have helped to create an awareness that internationalisation provides an attractive, modern and functional context for VET curricula.

""" Quote: ""We need a new learning culture!"" (education scientist Prof. Felix Rauner/University of Bremen) ""Already in the Kindergarten contacts to the world of work should be built, for example when master craftsmen tell the children about their work ..."" (Source: http://www.sueddeutsche.de)Based on many years of experience of the partners, current statistics and the strategy of the European Union, the basic question was:What do young people need for a successful way of life, how can the social environment of the family, educators and educational institutions, educational biographies have a positive effect? How to achieve optimal transitions? Although there exist many offers and support possibilities for young people in Europe, the high number of early school leavers and vocational training dropouts present a constant challenge!During the period from 01.09.2014 to 31.08.2017 10 partners from 5 European countries were involved in this project The partners came from different fields of work : pre-school, Primary school, secondary School, vocational school, comprehensive school, project: ""Peer to Peer"", Youth work, Adult education. It was the aim of this partnership to use the experiences of the ten project partners to create one common document with advices and good practice examples that can be used as inspiration for institutions all over Europe to improve their work with children and youngsters in the field of transition.The core topics of our work were:1.) Prevention of early school leaving2.) Prevention of vocational training dropout3.) Networks and structures for the improvement of transitionThe innovative aspect of this project was the holistic approach beginning in preschool and reaching over primary school to secondary school to vocational schools to young adult education and youth work. During our work, parents, stakeholders, companies and institutions but most importantly, the young people themselves, were involved. Essentially, it was possible to have a continuous exchange with the partner organizations and to get practical experience at 8 transnational meetings, 10 Job shadowings and 2 teaching assignments. In addition, there took place 5 multiplier events and parent-teacher conferences, model projects as well as a lot of specialist events. During the three project years the partners exchanged many experiences, approaches and good practices. We visited each other, got to know the work of the partner institutions and learned about strategies and projects in the different countries. We started to adopt ideas from the others, formed new partnerships and were able to integrate the experiences from this project into our own work.Examples include the installation of a language class according to the Finnish model, the improvement of the transition between elementary school and regular school, including the social worker of the regular school and the pilot project vocational orientation in primary school.In 2015, a survey on the three core topics “Prevention of early school leaving”, “Prevention of vocational training dropout”, “Networks and structures for the improvement of transition” was conducted in all partner organizations. Participants were more than 2000 students, parents and educators. The results of the questionnaire can be found on the homepage www.consistentway.eu. It was interesting, that in all the partners’ countries the results were similar: start early, be practical, be individual and don’t forget the parents!.This study was the basis for the further work of the partners during the following two project years as well as for the creation of the 60-page Guideline, as a result of the European project “Consistent way…” , with 32 good practice examples of the partners.In order to secure the project sustainably and implement concrete practical models, a sustainability concept was developed together with the partners.We wanted to make this project a success – and we sure we did."