<< Background >>Rural communities are small in size, sparsely populated, distant from population concentrations, and do not offer enough educational opportunities or practice (traineeship, learning by doing…). Classes in rural schools are relatively small, and teachers tend to report satisfaction with their work environments and relatively few problems with discipline.Students' motivation to learn is low because they do not have confidence in their future, do not have enough positive role models through learning and possibilities for traineeship or learning by doing. They have to work hard and make sacrifices just for the opportunity of an education.Teaching methods are more diverse, but new approaches that encourage participation and active learning are not widely spread. The project’s main objective is to use the opportunity that digitalizion offers, and to equip teachers from rural areas with techniques and skills for more participative teaching and the use of the innovative methodology of a digital traineeship. Through an innovative model of Digital Traineeship, schools will now include mentors (entrepreneurs and managers) into the mentorship work with students. These entrepreneurs will help the student learn skills they need but also give them empowerment so that they can explore more opportunities for themselves.What is really important is that these needs come from all sides, employers, students and teachers. -Employers are having problems finding qualified workers. -Students are not motivated for learning because they don't see a point of what they learn. -Teachers try to show them as realistically as possible what their job should look like, but they are not really in a business environment. Traineeships are extremely important to the development of a young person’s career and their personal progression. The Traineeship programme includes a work placement, work preparation training, on the job training with the employer and under some circumstances a vocational ‘taster.’ Through traineeship, students can work on their communications skills and relationship building with their mentor. This relationship will help them develop active listening and attention to their co-workers that will benefit their personal and professional growthWe see Digital Traineeship as a perfect solution for the students in remote (rural) areas. -The trainee is not required to attend the physical location where they work, but rather work on a specific project, related to the study and requirements of the company providing mentoring.-On the other hand, mentors will have an opportunity to help young people to gain skills that the labor market needs, without leaving their offices.With new teaching methods and more practical work, students will be better prepared for the labor market.<< Objectives >>In the past, there has been a significant divide between those who live in rural areas and those who live in urban areas. For example, studies have shown that children from non-urban populations are less likely to be enrolled in higher education programs like vocational schools. This is largely due to the fact that these students often lack access to accurate information about their educational options as well as difficulties transporting themselves and their families long distances for school visits. In some countries, especially in Eastern Europe, even if usually the educational levels are quite high, there is still a problem of illiteracy that affects mainly rural areas. Moreover, the quality of education is lower in rural areas due to both education infrastructure and level of qualification of staff. Many schools need rehabilitations and building endowments, also according to didactic needs. Usually ICT is very scarce and equipment for vocational and apprenticeship education is obsolete or missing in rural schools. Project will introduce innovative approaches that go beyond the formal education sector and improve the quality of VET in rural areas.Our vision is to raise the competences of VET students in remote (rural) areas through developing mentoring and traineeship systems in the digital environment.By implementing the project, we will achieve at least 2 highly important objectives for VET schools in European rural areas. By the end of the project, further results will be achieved:-Developed and implemented Digital mentorship/Traineeship that encourage participation and individual development of VET students in rural areas-Increased community and business sector involvement in VET education for more practice and learning by doing approach in rural areas-Improved inclusiveness of students from rural area and make VET system more sustainable<< Implementation >>Here are the steps for the development of the project:S1:Research and gathering of good practices, available options and curricula under digital mentorship and traineeship strategies. This initial research will involve exploratory, descriptive, and explanatory study using qualitative and quantitative data collection methods. The Qualitative method that will be employed includes interviews, while the quantitative approach will involve both students and teachers to express their views.S2:Analysing the data collected, listing the key findings to form a consolidated report and analyse the identified gaps. This will be the base for developing the processes needed in schools and mentors to support all steps required in digital form. Processes are required by implementing the Mentoring portal and developing the Competence and Skills matrices of target groups involved.S3: Based on the findings, we will develop a Skill Matrix for all three target groups. These results will be evaluated in focus groups with the help of external experts and finalised in the final DigTrain methodology.S4: Skill matrices will define the structure of Digitrain educational content, educational goals, and topics to form the base structure for the development of the program. Data collected from previous steps will be utilised to create a draft. Again, focus groups of experts will check the structure and give feedback before developing content and teacher training programmes for teachers, students and mentors.S5: All prepared materials will be supported with a training preparation set: surveys, checklist, assessment tools, feedback forms, described methodology, training plans, lessons, guidelines and other didactic tools to allow easy implementation in any VET organisation. S6: Meanwhile, the development of the mentoring portal is already in effect, implementing all prepared processes into digital form, easy to be used by VET schools, mentors and students. Portal will be put in the first test phase with some initial projects, repairing all bugs and then put into the actual pilot phase.S7: Prepared methodology and training materials will be checked on LTT in Porto, Portugal. Here we will educate country promoters who will later organise pilot education phases and help in implementations. Participants will also provide feedback for improvement. S8: Pilot testing phase of teacher training, students training and mentors training. This piloting will test the training programme, skills of the country promoters educated in the LTT and give feedback for improving the training programme.S9: Pilot implementation of the digital traineeship portal and all involved processes in VET schools, mentors, organisation, and VET students. It will take ten weeks and will be an important test for the project. In this period, mentors will need to submit their small projects for students, students will be applying and be involved in traineeship under the mentor's guidance, and all documents will be signed.The pilot implementation of a digital traineeship portal and all the processes involved in VET schools will be put to the test. Mentors from both private and public institutions need to submit their small projects for students, while students should select projects and apply. The 10-week test pilot will be an important milestone. All documents are signed between mentor//student with guidance from the respective school's facilitator or VET teacher.<< Results >>Outcomes of the project: • More chances for students from the rural area to become a skilled worker and to improve their future possibility to learn and work • Elevated competencies of VET students in remote (rural) areas through digital mentoring and traineeship system developed by the project • Improved teachers' competencies to improve students' mindset and motivate proactiveness in everyday life, starting with traineeship searching. • Improved digital competencies of teachers • Implemented systems of digital mentoring and traineeship, helping in small steps to the digital transformation of VET systemsTangible results of the project: • State of the art analysis of good practices of digital mentorship in Europe • Developed competence matrices of VET teachers, students and mentors in companies for the implementation of sustainable digital mentoring systems • Developed methodology for digital mentorship • Educational content designed for upskilling students, teachers and mentors based on the competence matrices • The developed teacher training program, mentoring training programmer and students lessons • Guidebooks for teachers, students and mentors • The online digital mentoring system will allow VET schools, VET teachers, students and mentors from companies working togetherResult 1 - Digital mentoring and traineeship methodology development In this PR, partners will analyze prior research, praxis and case studies about VET education in rural areas and digital traineeship possibilities. Examples of good European practice will help them get better insight into this complex problem. PR will be developing the processes required to find mentors, negotiate on mentorship, sign contracts, deliver offers for mentorship on the designed portal for students to find them and create Competence and Skills Matrix, presenting skills needed to complete any given task. Developed content will be checked and commented on by the experts in the field and academics, giving us feedback and proposals for improvements. These necessary analyses will allow us to finally create digital mentorship processes and prepare the final methodology.Result 2 - Development of educational content about Digital mentorship and traineeship based on the developed competence matrixThe goal is to prepare educational content based on prepared competence matrices for all target groups. Ready content will be checked in focus groups by field experts and then finalized by all partners. Prepared content will be used to prepare the Train the trainer's program for teachers, prepare student lessons, and prepare training programs for Mentors. This content will be checked on LTT in Cyprus.Results 3 - Guidebooks for VET schools, VET students and mentors in companiesWhile teachers, trainers and students understand better opportunities for cooperation on raising students skills, motivation and working together, they still need precise instructions on how to implement it. The general goal of this PR is to prepare convenient manuals on using our methodology, different good practices, techniques and approaches for all our target groups.Results 4 - Online digital mentorship, traineeship and talent searching portalPR will develop and implement a Digital mentorship portal, which connects all three target groups into one seamless process. Based on existing developed methods and training material, the partnership will do a user's needs analysis to build the portal. Here companies can post small projects for a traineeship program targeting students with skills in demand by industry partners. Student applicants are responsible for submitting an application form inviting them to submit their resume and any required documents from VET schools. The automated workflow is designed so every documentary requirement is fulfilled before accepting applications, making it easy for each applicant to find what they need without hassle!