<< Objectives >>Since the onset of COVID-19, there has been a dramatic reduction in the number of transnational mobility opportunities for learners across all sectors & low-skilled VET trainees in particular. PTMA aims to use digital technologies to prepare & accompany potential mobility participants so they have the confidence to take part safely in transnational mobility &/or in-person/hybrid work-based learning experiences.<< Implementation >>Our research showed that an overwhelming majority of young people aged 16-24 own a smartphone. This is where the idea for the PTMA project was born. We will create a multi-format ‘Personal Transnational Mobility Assistant’ smartphone app with customisable scenarios & solutions, access to key documents & one-touch messaging with identified contacts. We will also design multi-access interactive mobility preparation modules for trainees & a pedagogical guide for educators.<< Results >>All the PTMA results will be digitally based, open-source, available in 8 languages & tested by 48 learners & 16 tutors in the pilot studies across the 8 countries of the partnership. The PTMA results will be adaptable to other sectors, dramatically increasing the potential impact & underlining the cross-sectoral dimension of the project. In this way, the PTMA project provides innovative digital solutions aligned with the technology & needs of today without neglecting the experience of yesterday

<< Background >>Europe is facing its greatest threat since World War II. The COVID19 outbreak is triggering unprecedented social & economic consequences. We are faced with a ‘new normal’; a previously unfamiliar or ‘atypical situation that has become standard, usual or expected’, bringing established practices into question.The integration of digital tools and immediate transfer to distance training and learning has caught in surprise the centres of Vocational education and training. It is obvious that the VET system has suffered because of not only the improper preparation of the VET providers but also the lack of the materials has played an important role.The pandemic has been accompanied by a rise in nationalist sentiments in EU member countries. It has re-ignited debates about national-versus-European identity.The negative impacts of these changes have had disproportionate effects on professional courses such as Wellness and Cosmetology, with the result that teachers from these courses are facing the real need of digital, interactive and user-friendly materials for better delivering of the courses. As Cedefop reports ‘Digital gap during COVID-19 for VET learners is at risk in Europe. An entire partner organisation of VET learners has seen their education and training being interrupted. This population could suffer severe disruption of their learning if continuity of distance learning is not ensured.These preliminary conclusions raise awareness on the need to develop further the digital competences of teachers and trainers, promoting their participation in continuous professional development, facilitating their mobility, involving them in future policy design and fostering their wellbeing. To test these observations & support the clear need for this project, the project partners undertook a Needs Analysis based on internal survey: More than 50 teachers of Wellness and Cosmetology VET courses replied to the survey from all participating countries: This internal research has shown that 80% of activities in Wellness courses have turned online without proper digital materials. 75% of the teachers from partner and applicant organisations have pointed out the lack of digital materials especially in the field of Wellness and Cosmetology courses and the need of interactive, inclusive and free access online sources for both teacher and learners. Another 95% of the participating teachers have selected the fact that it has been their first experience in distance teaching, and that many of them have never used any European platform or portal for searching teaching materials.44% of them think that teachers don’t have proper preparation to teach online and use distance learning materials. Whereas 90% of them are quite sure that there is a need of a proper methodology, strategy and plan for distance teaching in VET. For 81% of the participating teachers the highest challenge they faced in distance learning was to attract the learners attention and motivate them to participate. For 95% of them the challenges with learners are due to the lack of materials, digital interactive components and the lack of methodology/strategy in distance teaching. Very often learners take the activities for granted and try to foresee the upcoming lessons.These results highlight the transformation that digital materials can bring to Wellness and Cosmetology VET sectors and how these learning materials would create a ‘win-win’ scenario where each partner brings its competences & knowledge that could benefit the others, demonstrating the potential added-value of the project.Our research underlined the urgent need for innovative solutions and digitalization in VET system.<< Objectives >>The primary objective of the project is to facilitate innovative, digital & inter-European collaboration so as to encourage Wellness and Cosmetology VET course providers, teachers and staff to learn from each other & to create new digital materials for distance teaching in VET. By connecting inter-national teachers to the European community, the project aims to improve the digital learning process of VET students through the upskilling of key competences & reinforce the ‘values of supporting development of professional networks across Europe, International dimension, Recognition and validation of skills and qualifications, multilingualism, essential parts of European identity’ (European Parliament Press, March 2021).The partners believe passionately in the concept of community of practice. However, a community of practice model should not be limited to the local area or the regional area or even within member states. The potentially most useful & impactful CoP, is a community built around the entire European Area. Each partner has competences & experiences which if shared with other groups, learning can be maximised & opportunities for fulfilling employment dramatically increased. One of the key themes running through the project is the articulation of local & European dimensions. Thus, the project starts with work at a local level within national organizations & then expands its scope to the European level through work with transnational European partners.The project addresses the 3 strategic issues of digital Erasmus, Internationalisation in VET, & Green Erasmus specified in the ‘Erasmus 2021-2027 Enriching lives, opening minds booklet’.’ These are areas where ‘EU cooperation adds value & delivers results’ (Vassilou). In this way we will ‘create and promote education opportunities & exchanges of experiences for more innovative, inclusive, digital and open access education in VET. The preliminary research undertaken partners has allowed us to prioritise the development of 3 highly pertinent key competences to meet the identified challenges facing our target groups.<< Implementation >>We will design pedagogical modules to counter the negative impacts of the pandemic & the current context identified as priorities in our research to allow VET providers and teachers better prepare for upcoming training years. We will promote digitalization in VET, internalization values and promote an awareness of the added-value of European citizenship & the Erasmus programme through international organisational & pan-European learning , tailored to meet the specific current needs of our target groups. We will take into account cultural differences & educational methodologies and requirements of partner countries to produce an adaptable programme for effective implementation throughout the EU. In this way, the project will feature international organisational groups of teachers, staff members and teaching programme Coordinators working together in a language that is not their native language.We encourage exchanges between different partner organisations and between different countries between VET educators, coordinators & tutors, VET learners; Wellness course managers. The cooperation between partners will facilitate the process of redesigning, refocusing & adapting existing tools & methods to the current rapidly changing environment. This will represent a true vehicle for promoting innovation & quality in learning systems at European level, in line with the European development policies. Situations differ across European countries & research done by partners in the 5 partnership countries before submission plus the continuing research that will be undertaken will be of value here.Teamwork between European partners allows a more comprehensive approach to needs & solutions, as it promotes a greater understanding of different realities, bringing benefits to the project in all stages of implementation in terms of quality of work & results achieved. There is a cross-sectoral element to the project through links to the VET sector, because we aim to improve access to further training & qualifications, thereby facilitating employability.We will undertake 5 pilot studies in 5 European countries involving groups of VET learners from target age-groups and Wellness and Cosmetology companies or centres. A significant number of learners will come from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds. We will implement an innovative sharing, promotion & exploitation strategy relevant to the current context in order to maximise the impact of our project.<< Results >>Towards Variable-Access & Digitalization of Wellness Courses (TOVARDIGWELVET) in VET will ‘develop smart thinking ‘tangible results, based on a modular, interactive learning, with peer-to-peer & problem-solving to facilitate both individual, autonomous & group & autonomous remote/blended/face-to-face solutions.Firstly, we will design Smart Varied-Access Pedagogical Programme with adaptable varied-access approaches; Teaching Resources; Learning Resources for Wellness and Cosmetology Course providers (R1). The target groups are VET teachers. The Pedagogical programme will be available in English and in all 5 languages of the participating partner countries.A big percentage of our pedagogical staff needs to learn new technologies and tools (video conferencing, communication software, use of key software, presentations, edit and use images and video clips) in order to work and delivery quality online or blended courses. Secondly, we will design an eBook with 6 inclusive digital didactic modules for initial vet programmes. It will be a variable-access interactive E-book For Initial VET Wellness and Cosmetology courses with 6 learning modules (R2) The eBook modules will cover the following topics: Science and Medicine, Chemistry and Cosmetology, Manicure, Pedicure, Hair removal treatments/epilation, Face treatments.The eBook will be available in English and in all 5 languages of the participating partner countries.Our main focus will be on VET teachers, VET course providers with maximum accent on Wellness and Cosmetology course providers, and VET learners’ groups aged 15-17. The project resources will be digitally-based, open-source, freely downloadable & available in 6 languages. They will empower educators, VET teachers to offer high-quality learning opportunities to their learners. They can be tailored to the needs of specific target groups, adaptable for any type of learners & used in countries not actively involved in the project, thereby dramatically increasing the project impact.As Irene Caratelli said ‘The COVID-19 crisis is an opportunity to reimagine Europe, but the ultimate responsibility will rest on people to redefine what it means to be “European”. The project aims to make a significant contribution to this process.

The European Commission thorough the Erasmus+ programme aims to develop the quality & benefits of transnational work-based learning (TWBL) across Europe & encourage greater numbers to take part. The idea for ShowValA comes from research & the observation that the learning & achievements of those who undertake a period of TWBL are often not recognised & do not always contribute to any potential certification. Furthermore, learning & achievements are frequently not effectively showcased by c&idates when looking to gain entry to the employment market. This can discourage trainees from taking part in this type of experience. There is therefore a gap between what trainees require, the level of current uptake EU tools & methods & the current situation in regard to the showcasing & valorisation of formal/non-formal learning & achievements. The ShowValA project brings together 7 partners from 5 EU member states & aims to fill this gap by producing a user-friendly & adaptable Guide, Process & Tools for educational institutions & mobility organisers on how to fully integrate a period of TWBL into a vocational pedagogical programme & assess formal & non-formal learning & achievements, leading to a recognition of the achievement of learning outcomes & their contribution to the overall course assessment & certification using ECVET principles & materials as appropriate. The guide & process will be compatible with & complement the already existing materials developed & promoted by the EU, such as Europass CV & the European Skills Passport.It will be linked to a multi-format smartphone/tablet application which will allow trainees to collect, save & organise evidence of their achievements during their TWBL on a day to day basis. It will fit in very well with their current lifestyle habits as young people tend to manage a significant proportion of their activities on their Smart phones. It will have the potential to be a complete record of their experiences, achievements & unlike a traditional diary, the interface will be structured in relation to agreed learning objectives, units of learning outcomes & skills/competences. It will be linked to the European transversal competences frame (AEFA). The stored information will be also to be uploaded into a database or a Mobility Management Platform A Guide for Trainees will also be developed in five languages with an innovative methodology for the online pre-departure preparation of trainees to use the smartphone application to record & organise their learning & achievements during the placement & post-mobility, a structured, online activity-based valorisation programme on how to link their learning during the work placement with Europass CV, Europass Skills Passport & to best showcase their achievements.Five Pilot Studies will take place, one in each of the countries of the project partners leading to facilitate extensive testing of the ShowValA Guides, Processes, Tools, Modules & Smartphone Application through transnational work-based learning of 3-42 weeks in duration. This will involve at least 50 trainees & 45 host companies. Some of these placements will involve young people who would not typically take part in transnational mobility, including those from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds. These resources will be open-source, consultable & downloadable via the ShowValA web-platform & available in the 5 languages of the project. They can be tailored according to the needs of specific target groups. They will empower schools, universities, training establishment & mobility service providers to reward trainees for high quality work-based learning. The ShowValA outputs will thus develop innovative ways to make the recognition of formal & non-formal learning acquired by trainees during TWBL accessible to smaller institutions by providing a means to collect & present clear evidence of learning whilst re-enforcing the links between ECVET, Europass & the European Skills Passport.The promotion of work-based learning will therefore be on three levels. Firstly, on the number of training institutions that reward trainees for their learning & achievements from a transnational work-placement. Secondly, on the number of trainees who undertake a period of TWBL. Thirdly, this increase in participation & recognition of achievements will improve labour market relevance of learning provision. The ShowValA project will help increase the impact of transnational work placements for the trainee, leading to added value on a CV & thereby improving employability by helping to recognise the skills that have been developed that are required by businesses. This in turn may contribute to improving the quality of the labour force & helping to promote economic development within the European Union. In the words of scientist Thomas Edison ‘There’s a way to do it better….Find it!’ This is what we hope to achieve through the ShowValA project.

Europe is facing its greatest threat since World War II. The COVID19 outbreak is triggering unprecedented social & economic consequences. It has brought into question established practices & highlighted the importance of developing digital skills & tools in order to find innovative solutions to meet the new challenges in continuing to offer transnational work-based learning (TWBL) opportunities in the VET sector.Work-based learning is one of the main areas in European VET policies. Targets & priorities are underlined within core strategies & initiatives, such as the Europe 2020 Growth Strategy, the ET 2020 Strategic Framework & the Agenda for New Skills & jobs.Before the onset of the pandemic, the difficulties encountered by trainees in securing work-based learning abroad were raised at the ‘Future of VET Conference’ in Helsinki, 11-13 Nov 2019. This was identified as a major problem that has now become even more problematic in a COVID19 world & no adequate solutions currently exist. The report ‘Digital gap during COVID-19 for VET learners at risk in Europe’ (CEDEFOP, June 2020) highlighted the digital skills gap for VET learners & the unique challenges caused by the pandemic. It also underlined the key importance of ensuring continued cooperation ‘at school-company level’ in order to ensure training continuity. There is a therefore a gap between the requirements of trainees & employers, creating a vicious circle. Trainees need work-based learning opportunities to get a job & companies need future employees with both qualifications & work-experience. There is a clear & identifiable need to help trainees find opportunities abroad & persuade employers to provide the opportunities that trainees require as the transnational element brings added-value to an application.TWBL traditionally involves a trainee working physically in a company in another country. COVID19 has reduced mobility & led to travel restrictions, thereby creating a need for innovative solutions to continue to provide appropriate opportunities for trainees if physical mobility is not possible.For this to happen, VET tutors & trainees require improved digital competences & greater awareness of available digital tools to contribute effectively to a host company if working remotely.Companies need to be made aware of the possibilities for blended & remote & TWBL & the benefits to the company of hosting a trainee from another country.The primary objective of our project is to address these challenges to develop Key Digital Skills for Staff & Trainees for Innovative Transnational Traineeships & Work-based Learning by bringing together partners from 6 EU countries & designing 3 outputs.Firstly, we will design of a pedagogical method for VET providers to facilitate digital upskilling of VET staff & trainees in a COVID19 context.Secondly, we will create interactive learning modules for digital upskilling to enable VET Tutors to create & adapt their own digital learning resources to meet the digital needs of their trainees in a COVID19 context.Thirdly, we will develop interactive learning tutorials for trainees to develop the key digital skills required by host companies during blended & remote transnational work-based learning in a COVID19 context. With many trainees currently working from home, this becomes even more important, especially for smaller VET providers, lacking resources to develop their own materials.In this way, we aim to propose innovative solutions to meet the challenges of the COVID19 pandemic & the digital needs of VET tutors & trainees for appropriate innovative TWBL opportunities.We will test our outputs in pilot studies in 6 countries, with over 30 host companies & trainees. The project will cater for all categories of VET learner with special attention to the needs of those from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds & less likely to take part in TWBL.The DSKILTI resources will be digitally-based, open-source, downloadable from the DSKILTI website & available in 6 languages. They will empower VET providers to offer high-quality TWBL to their trainees & can be tailored to the needs of specific target groups.The impacts will be on 6 levels:+ Digital upskilling of VET tutors, thereby encouraging the development of innovative & adapted digital learning solutions+ Developing the digital competences of trainees & readiness of workplace needs+ Encourage the uptake of blended & remote TWBL available to trainees & meet the challenges of COVID19+ Increase the awareness of companies of the benefits of hosting trainees via blended & remote TWBL+ Increase the number of companies prepared to host trainees & thereby the opportunities available to trainees+ Increase the satisfaction & added-value to involved partiesAs George Couros said ‘Technology will not replace great teachers but technology in the hands of great teachers can be transformational.’ This is what we aim to facilitate in the DSKILTI project.

One of the objectives of the Erasmus+ Programme is to encourage the development of high-quality transnational work placements across Europe. The idea for MATCHSI came from research and the observation that the quality of the information collected from the trainees, the vocational education training providers and the host companies, particularly small and medium sized businesses, before transnational work placements and then subsequently shared was not always in sufficient depth or as relevant as it could be. This resulted in a significant gap between the expectations and objectives of the different stakeholders involved in the process including hosting and sending organisations. In short, the needs of trainees and host companies were not always fully identified or taken into account. This in turn dramatically reduced the many benefits of this type of mobility experience resulting in disappointment and even disillusionment amongst those involved. The MATCHSI project brought together eight partners from seven EU member states and aimed to fill this gap by producing a user-friendly and adaptable Toolkit to facilitate the identification, the collection and the transmission of all the relevant information. These innovative, up to date resources are compatible with and complement the already existing tools and methods developed and promoted by the EU, such as Europass CV. The Toolkit was tested on a control group of 119 trainees who undertook a transnational work placement of 3 weeks to 6 months in duration. The materials were also tested by the project partners through their networks on over 600 additional placements, involving more than 40 educational establishments and VET providers, more than 350 host companies and over 30 additional interested parties, such as local public administrative bodies. A significant number of these placements involved young people who would not typically have taken part in transnational mobility, including 22 from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds. Project Partners also undertook in-depth research in each partner country and produced a work-based learning Compendium of Good Practice for Transnational Work-placements, available in 7 languages. The bringing together of these resources from seven European countries in one place has helped to make the information easier to find and to encourage improvements in the quality of collaborative work between VET providers, mobility service providers, businesses and other stakeholders and perhaps even the development of new cooperative approaches and solutions. The project was managed by a steering committee and featured 2 sub-working groups. All resources and materials produced through the project are freely consultable and downloadable via the MATCHSI website and are be available in the seven languages of the project as appropriate.The results of the MATCHSI project will help increase the impact of transnational work placements, leading to added value on a trainee’s CV and thereby improving employability by helping to develop the skills required by businesses. This in turn may contribute to improving the quality of the labour force and help to promote economic development within the European Union. Another long-term benefit of our project is to facilitate stronger partnerships between the educational and business sectors by increasing the involvement and ownership of host companies in the work-based learning process. As the renowned scientist Laurence Bragg said in 1958, ‘The important thing is not necessarily to discover new facts, but to develop new ways of thinking about them’ This is what we have achieved through the MATCHSI project.