Since 2008 the key stakeholder in the Inland Waterway Transport (IWT) sector are cooperating towards the harmonisation and modernisation of professional qualifications in inland navigation. These stakeholders consists of: European Commission (DG Move), River Commissions (Central Commission for the Navigation of the Rhine (CCNR), International Sava River Basin Commission and the Danube Commission), EU Social Partners (European Skippers Organisation (ESO), European Barge Union (EBU) and European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) as well as the European IWT education and training (e&t) institutes (EDINNA). Following the activities in the FP7 project PLATINA, the European Commission installed in 2012 a Common Expert Group on Professional Qualifications in Inland Navigation (CEG) co-chaired by the CCNR, in order to start the revision of the 96/50/EC in place. This resulted in 2016 in a proposal from the European Commission for a directive on the Recognition of Professional Qualifications in Inland Navigation. One key item of this directive is the fact that the competences crew members on board of inland vessels should possess are laid down in an Annex, based on a series of research activities executed. The second key item is the fact that the students that will pass an exam in line with the new directive, will receive a Union certificate, increasing labour mobility throughout the EU. On the 27 December 2017, Directive 2017/2397 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the recognition of professional qualifications in IWT and repealing Council Directives 91/672/EEC and 96/50/EC has been published in the Official Journal of the EU. For this reason, the time has come to support the implementation of the competence based IWT e&t system throughout the EU. COMPETING will develop curricula and lesson materials, as well as a Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QA/QC) system, to ensure the highest level of quality concerning the implementation of future proof IWT e&t

The project builds on the Preparatory Action (PA)‘Expert Network on Recognition of outcomes of learning periods abroad in general secondary education’ (2020-2021) involving a cross-sectoral partnership from Belgium(Flanders), Estonia and Poland, where teachers are responsible for recognition.Its objectives are:1)Promote cooperation between all stakeholders of individual pupil mobility (IPM) for the goal of automatic recognition2)Empower teachers for assessing competences - especially transversal ones- developed by pupils in individual mobility programmes, based on the PA output ‘Training Model’3)Implement a systemic approach to recognition of learning periods abroad through the adoption of National frameworks on recognition, based on the PA output ‘Proposal for a European framework’4)Ensure and sustain policy change in the field of recognition of learning periods abroad through the creation of National and European Observatories on Pupil MobilityThese objectives meet the Erasmus+ priority specific to the school sector ‘Recognition of learning outcomes for participants in cross-border learning mobility’ and two horizonal priorities:‘Inclusion and diversity’ and ‘Common values, civic engagement and participation’.The project activities consist in the adaptation,piloting and assessment of the two above mentioned outputs, through Trainings for Teacher Trainers, national teacher trainings, and meetings with IPM stakeholders.The expected results are national training models and frameworks for recognition sustained by a European network of teacher trainers and European and national networks of IPM stakeholders.Wide dissemination is foreseen through the involvement of Teacher trainers from across Europe and a European conference.The project will benefit directly 45 teacher trainers, 200 teachers, 200 pupils,40 representatives of IPM stakeholders such as school heads, pupil exchange organisations, school student unions,Ministries of Education and Erasmus+ NA...

<< Objectives >>The objective of this project is to develop a civic integration education tool using storytelling and other non-formal learning methods for refugees/migrants that have difficulties with formal learning methods. We want to improve the civic integration education provided by teachers as well as help the learners; which in turn will generate a better social inclusion, for refugees, migrants and other people with learning problems and a bigger distance to society.<< Implementation >>CASE STUDIES (to test the tools created on their usefulness, practicality and effectiveness with people in the field)TRAINING ACTIVITIES (e.g. Joint Staff Training and Train the Trainer events to test and finalize the outcomes of the case studies)MULTIPLIER EVENTS (e.g. local multiplier event and a final conference to share the results of this project with trainers, teachers and other stakeholders)PROJECT MEETINGS (for project management, sharing knowledge, creating tools and evaluation)<< Results >>* a toolkit with civic participation and integration exercises, using storytelling and other non-formal learning methods for (new) refugees as well as guidelines for teachers that work in civic integration teaching* a (digital)self-assessment tool to assess the acquired skills and level of integration in an encouraging and fun way* a blueprint on how to provide trainings using the tools * an interactive digital platform with the tools, guidelines, project information, reports on case studie

One of the most pressing problems facing Vocational Education and Training (VET) and especially in the COVID-19 context relates to apprenticeship and Work-based Learning (WBL) especially abroad. A commonly asked question by VET providers at the moment is if future mobility will be physical, virtual or blended. All partners involved in this proposal areconvinced that we have to find new solutions for the future because there is great uncertainty surrounding travel abroad. We will test virtual training and mobility in the automotive sector which is a big challenge and one of the main innovations of the project. The industry is currently under extreme pressure to innovate especially regarding e-mobility. The sector was chosen as a pilot branch because the automotive manufacturing is an important industry in most of the partner regions, and specially in Baden-Württemberg and Catalonia .The project results could be part of experiential education. There are applications in the industrial sector where technical skills are only taught by making use of virtual reality. In today’s society, it is important for everyone to gain insight into the use of digital technology and the way technologies interact. In labour market-oriented programmes we also focus on the sustainable use of computer programmes, apps and (new) technological applications. In this way, we develop future oriented training programmes for young people. This is still highly specialised, and no national education system as yet has an overall solution. That is why it is essential to tackle this on a Europe wide level. Our Target groups are policy makers, teachers and ultimately pupils in VET but industry and SMEs are essential partners to accomplish a digital shift in teaching VET.Since February 2020 the COVID-19 outbreak has had negative effects on ongoing or planned mobility activities.The European Commission published three recommendations on 1st July 2020, which can also provide a ‘support’ and favourable context to overcome the devastating consequences that the Covid-19 crisis infringed in the education, training and youth sectors:• Council Recommendation on Vocational Education and Training (VET) for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience• Youth Employment support package• European Skills Agenda – Skills for jobsIn addition, late September the •European Education Area and •the new Digital Education Action Plan were adopted.Key terms like “green and digital transition”, “accessibility”, “a modern, attractive and flexible VET” are mentioned in the three documents and are central to our proposal. The next Erasmus programme 2021-2027 proposal includes a clear focus on the green and digital transition and also address social inclusion.Development of innovative digital methods and training tools can contribute to a stable supply of apprenticeships and WBL during critical economic situations like the ongoing pandemic. In addition to this, supporting educators in their professional development enhances their increased digital readiness. It should be noted that new learning environments, tools and pedagogy linked to digitalisation are necessary for increasing the digital redness of VET institutions.Furthermore, it is relevant to mention the two following initiatives the Pact for Skills to be launched in November 2020 and the renewed European Alliance for Apprenticeships together with the above mentioned future Erasmus+ programme 2021-2027.The project will, therefore,- motivate and support the development and use of digital applications for the VET teacher to manage autonomous and social learning processes in vocational education on an individual basis- boost the digital facilitation of learning processes to ensure that learning becomes transparent, manageable, controllable and transferable- build a digital learning platform for this purpose that motivates different types of stakeholders in VET to use innovative technologies to support and challenge the learner on acustomised basis.- integrate supportive innovative technologies and digital applications including gamification and virtual reality,- enable the users to make best use of technology since pedagogy and technology have to go hand in hand.

lternative Ways to Learn a Second Language Strategic partnership between: Storytelling Centre (NL), Arbeit und Leben (D), GO! (B), Elan Interculturel (FR) and De Talentenschool (NL) Timeframe: September 2018 - August 2020 Main objective: Developing new, alternative and innovative methodologies to learn a second language using storytelling and other non-formal learning tools for students that have difficulties acquiring language skills through the existing formal learning methods. Main tangible outputs - a toolkit with guidelines for languange teachers and educators who are active in the field of language teaching to refugees (and other migrants) who have difficulties learning a language using the formal methods. Since many language teachers/coaches work as volunteers, we want to design a toolkit that is accesible and easy to use by people that are not professionally involved in this work as well; - a portal (IO8) via which information gathered during the project (like the Foundation Bricks, reports on the case studies and relevant literature and reseach results) and the final results (toolkit and guidelines) will be available. Besides we train 40 language teachers/coaches/educators in using the toolkit in the course of the project. Rationale: Many mainly Northern European countries are busy taking care of creating the possibilities for language learning and many organisations, both non-profit and commercial, discovered the market and offer courses. Of course, there are also companies developing these courses, working with experts on language and culture. Many new-comers benefit from this and learn the language and the culture more or less easy. They reach a reasonable level within a year (B2 or even B1), which serves as a base for further development. However, for a certain group this is no solution. They are not able to study using the methods that are offered to them. The reasons are various, but often we are dealing with people who did not learn to learn, mostly because they only finished primary school (or not even that), who are illiterate of who are used to read and write in a different script (Somalian, Arabic or even Chinese). For this group the existing, often formal learning methods are not beneficial at all and they keep on failing for their exams with the result that they are lagging behind in their integration process. The partners in this project have the experience in working with this group. Based on that we can state that it is often not the intelligence of the students that blocks them. It is a mismatch between their learning skills and the existing learning methods. Although different partners already developed some alternative learning methods, we notice a need of high quality, structured language learning methods for this group with fewer opportunities. That is why we decided to join forces and start a project in which we share knowledge and design a new method together. Non-formal learning is the starting point. We involve tools coming from our experience, like storytelling tools, games and dialogue tools. In order to assure high quality output, we collaborate with an experienced organisation in developing methods to acquire language skills (mainly focusing on people dealing with a second language), de Talentenschool. In order to start this development at the right level, we made a need analysis, in which we looked at our own experience and at the needs of the group we would like to serve. This need analysis is attached. One of the outcomes of this need analysis is that the use of the method should not be limited to 'new' refugees. Many people living in the partner countries for a longer time, can benefit from this method as well. They often did not learn the language properly (also because 20/30 years ago it was not obligatory to learn the language in some countries) and still have difficulties in reading and writing. Though our focus is on refugees, we do not solely focus on this target group and explore which other groups can benefit from it as well. Target groups Primary target group: language teachers and educators. (It is important to note that many people within this target group will work as volunteers and we will keep that in mind in the final design of the outputs) Secondary target group: People who want to/have to learn a new, second language but who lack the learning skills to acquire the language through existing formal learning methods. The main focus is on refugees, but the methods can be used for the language acquisition of other migrants as well.