The aim of this project proposal is for 48 Health and Social Care, Child Care, Chef and Beauty Therapy apprentices in two flows to undertake a mobility placement with the College’s direct employer based partners in Iceland and in Sweden. This project provides College Level 3 apprentices with a 3 week European work-placement that will enhance and improve their practical skills and knowledge in the vocational areas of Health and Social Care, Child Care, Chefs and Beauty Therapy. It will also build their self-esteem and confidence as the target group are apprentices who are hard to reach and disadvantaged.The Health and Social Care and Childcare apprentices will undertake a mobility in two flows to employer-based partners in Sweden. On top of their placement within the UK as a requirement of their core programme, these European placements will further give learners the opportunity to develop a range of skills and techniques, personal skills and attributes essential for successful performance in working life. Their personal development will be further enhanced by this European perspective to allow contrasts, comparisons and incremental learning to take place.The apprentices that will be participating in this project come from very rural country areas where job opportunities are very limited and the competition for jobs that are advertised is very intense. The aim of this project proposal in the chosen vocation areas through apprentice mobilities is to enable participants to gain new skills and knowledge that make them more competitive in seeking and gaining employment in the labour market. The placement is tailored to the apprentices NVQ course and the project will find out what the young person wants to get out of the placement, which skills they want to develop, what barriers they face and what their career aspirations are. The majority of apprentices participating in this project come from areas of high social deprivation where opportunities are very limited. From the College's experience these apprentices are hard to reach out to and in many cases have low self-motivation, low self-esteem and lack a lot of confidence in their own abilities in being able to access new opportunities. The aim of this project is to provide not only an opportunity for apprentices to gain new skills but also to raise their aspirations and have a European work-placement and experience that will be life changing. This project aims to emphasise the tremendous opportunity and scope the European union offers in terms of labour market and job opportunities and being able to have the confidence to work in different countries as a result of a new language. The project aims to provide a mobility experience for groups of apprentices who, due to financial factors, do not get the chance for learning through exchange. In addition to the vocational training and skills development that apprentices will acquire, they will also gain new and more updated vocational and customer service skills, better communication skills, more improved teamwork and problem solving abilities and genuine practical life experience resulting from mobility. With regard to skills gaps apprentices need to be more flexible in their attitude, require enhanced motivation and the wider work based learning experiences that a European placement provides.For apprentices from relatively disadvantaged backgrounds, prone to risk of leaving College early and whose basic skills require nurturing, project involvement will significantly contribute to improving attainment, enhancing employability, broadening horizons and creating an energy and enthusiasm for learning. This project will develop partnerships between education and employment that significantly contribute to the development of key competences and transversal skills relevant to labour market requirements. Similarly it will enhance and reiterate the award winning international dimension of the College (winner of the 2012 British Council Further Education International Collaboration Award), which mirrors the specific objectives of the Erasmus+ programme. For example, it fully reflects the aims of mobility by supporting apprentices in the acquisition of competences (knowledge, skills and attitudes), with a view to improving personal development and employability throughout Europe. It will also raise the apprentice’s awareness and understanding of other cultures, facilitating the acquisition of international contacts which is so important in a global world. Our organisation will grow by integrating practices across our campuses and throughout Europe. It will give rise to new thoughts, practices and activities that compliment organisational objectives such as professional development, standing in the community, not to mention the enhanced learning opportunities provided by an increasingly dynamic staff with access to more and more resources, thoughts and ideas.

The domain of Observatory and Planetarium Brno, an institution financed by the City of Brno, is the scientific research and application of acquired knowledge in educational programs for public across the whole age spectrum. Our plan of mobilities was based on the current needs of the institution in the field of planetarium programming, application of space research results, digital technologies and new educational trends. On the imaginary compass, our mobilities were heading towards the North, West, Southwest, and Southeast. In the period of 24 months, we implemeted 6 mobilities, all in duration of 5-8 days, to German, Slovenian, Romanian and Greek planetariums and to our colleagues in Malta and Iceland, each for a group of 3 or 4 employees, only including relevant professional work positions from our institution. The project was intended to increase competence of educators from our institution who work in lifelong and informal learning. The main targets of this mobility during the shadowing in foreign planetariums and observatories were: - to get acquainted the Czech visiting astronomers with the process of creating educational program shows in the cooperating foreign large observatories and science parks with focus on the dramaturgic aspects of the shows in so-called streak-3D-projection; - to deepen international cooperation between individual partners, who are leaders in this form of audiovisual projection (in the so-called fulldome format) in their states - to learn the system of individual astronomical education (including support for talented individuals) that has its local specifics and modifications; - to earn new experience with digital projection technology, suited for large planetariums, with its technical capabilities, user requirements, its further development, etc.; - to observe and analyze the daily operation of interactive science and astronomical exhibitions, if they exist there; - to earn contacts for publishing activities and networking; - to find out whether it is technically possible in the future to prepare joint projects or to exchange and share them; - to support networking of European planetariums and science centers. - the acquired experience of management, deepening of language skills (we are aware that multilingualism is one of the cornerstones of EU projects) as well as cognition of different national mentalities, cultures, social behavior and common customs will not be negligible We have got these results and the following impact: visiting foreign institutions supported educators from our planetarium in acquiring and using new knowledge and skills, in improving the quality (and innovation) of the public work system, in increasing the attractiveness of science and technology, increasing intergenerational interaction in common visitor activities (parents and grandparents are influencing children), improving the quality and increasing the volume of cooperation between equivalent institutions (at national levels, the possibilities of interchange between planetariums are limited). Furthermore, the mobility project supported the development of innovative lifelong learning practices and due to the need of creation of new fulldome programs (with the possibility of mutual transfer), it supported the development of digital technology innovations.

"CONTEXT In 2016 South West College (SWC) were awarded the VET Mobility Charter recognising our operational capacity to manage high quality VET mobility projects, our long-term commitment to continuous improvement of mobility and the strategic approach of the organisation to incorporate transnational mobility in its activities. In line with the commitments in our International Strategy & VET charter application this project ‘ Sustainable Employment Through Skills"" will enable 100 apprentices to undertake a 2 -3 week traineeship in European companies related to Hospitality, Computing, Construction, Beauty Therapy, Hairdressing, Travel and Tourism, Childcare and Health & Social Care. The traineeships will be linked the participants NVQ and BTEC level 3 programmes. The Sustainable Employment Through Skills"" project will also enable the college Quality Assurance and HR staff to undertake a training mobility that will assist them in advancing their practice and knowledge in areas of Quality assurance,for apprentices, gender equality, Happiness, and Health and Wellbeing. This will help in supporting the college policy for curriculum teams, apprentices and informing the curriculum in areas of contemporary practice in a country such as Iceland which is famous for its innovation for continuous improvement training in areas of quality, happiness, Gender Equality for women and Health and well being. OBJECTIVES 1. To offer 100 apprentices a 2- 3 week traineeship mobility in Europe. 2. To specifically focus on the inclusion of participants with fewer opportunities particularly those facing cultural, geographical & educational barriers. 3. To improve the transversal skills & competences of young people and particularly those running a high risk of being unemployed and socially marginalised. 4. Encourage international staff training mobility’s as a mechanism to innovate & improve current pedagogical practices. 5. To ensures that the learning outcomes of participating staff & students are properly recognised & validated though Europass & ECVET. PARTICIPANT PROFILE The apprentices will be 17 years of age studying vocational full time programmes at level 2 & 3. They will be a mixture of male & females, Roman Catholic & Protestants & ethnic minorities. The participants will all be from very hard to reach rural areas who face a range of obstacles & few opportunities. Due to the age group of the participants, accompanying tutors will support all mobility flows to oversee the activities & ensure the safe guarding of all participants and one for the staff mobility. METHODOLOGY & ACTIVITIES 1. Mobility opportunities will be internally promoted & participants will make an application relevant to their curriculum area & attend a short interview. 2. Selected participants & accompanying persons will participate in the required cultural, language & academic preparation and will be supported to complete mobility agreements. 3. Apprentices will travel in flows of 12 & work in an enterprise organized by the Intermediary Vocational College partner. The placements will all be vetted by College tutors prior to the placement commencing & training will be mapped to the apprentices NVQ programme. 4. Final evaluations, reporting and recognition of learning will be completed post mobility. The project will facilitate: (Apprentice Training plans See appendix 1) 12 chef apprentices will train in Icelandic Restaurants. 12 Computing apprentices will train in Spanish Computer Enterprises 12 Beauty Therapists and Chefs will train in Astrurius Health Salons and Restaurants in in Spain. 12 Hairdressing, will work in Hair-salons in Teneriffe Spain. 12 Sports will work in Hotel Gyms in Teneriffe Spain. 12 Travel and Tourism apprentices will work in Leisure facilities in Teneriffe Spain. 8 Construction apprentices will work in construction companies in Lithuania 20 Health and Social Care apprentices will work and train in Residential homes in Sweden. 10 VET College Staff will participant in training mobility in Iceland. (Staff Training plan See Appendix 2) IMPACT The impact for staff will include up skilling their vocational expertise and knowledge that will the college policy for curriculum teams, apprentices and informing the curriculum in areas of contemporary practice in a country such as Iceland which is famous for its innovation for continuous improvement training in areas of quality, happiness, Gender Equality for women and Health and well being and supporting international collaborations. Apprentices will develop new technical knowledge, linguistic & team-work skills and awareness of best practice in other countries, collectively which will improve their future education and employment opportunities. The long term benefits for the apprentices will be, raising their aspirations, confidence and motivations. This could also mean them considering Higher Education as an option or undertaking and Higher Level apprenticeship."

CONTEXTIn 2016 South West College (SWC) were awarded the VET Mobility Charter recognising our operational capacity to manage high quality VET mobility projects, our long-term commitment to continuous improvement of mobility and the strategic approach of the organisation to incorporate transnational mobility in its activities. In line with the commitments in our International Strategy & VET charter application this project ‘Training Skills for Future Thrills’ will enable 300 apprentices to undertake a 3 week traineeship in European companies related to Hospitality, Computing, Construction, Beauty Therapy, Hairdressing, Business & Administration, Electricial, Mechanics and Health & Social Care. The traineeships will be linked the participants NVQ and BTEC level 3 programmes.‘Training Skills for Future Thrills’ will also enable 30 VET staff from SWC’s Engineering and Hospitality departments to undertake training mobility with the aim of refreshing curriculum content & pedagogical approaches. For Engineering teaching staff this will include mobility to Tknika institute of innovation for continuous improvement training in areas including new learning methods and entrepreneurship. Hospitality teachers will participate in job shadowing in Icelandic Restaurants during the Food and Fun Festival. Here Michelin Star Chefs from Europe and American are invited by Icelandic restaurants to cook their food for one week.OBJECTIVES 1. To offer 300 apprentices a 3 week traineeship mobility in Europe. 2. To specifically focus on the inclusion of participants with fewer opportunities particularly those facing cultural, geographical & educational barriers.3. To improve the transversal skills & competences of young people and particularly those running a high risk of being unemployed and socially marginalised.4. Encourage international staff training mobility’s as a mechanism to innovate & improve current pedagogical practices.5. To ensures that the learning outcomes of participating staff & students are properly recognised & validated though Europass & ECVET.PARTICIPANT PROFILEThe apprentices were 17 years of age studying vocational full time programmes at level 2 & 3. They will be a mixture of male & females, Roman Catholic & Protestants & ethnic minorities. The participants were all from very hard to reach rural areas who face a range of obstacles & few opportunities. Due to the age group of the participants, accompanying tutors were supported all mobility flows to oversee the activities & ensure the safe guarding of all participants.The profile of the academic teaching staff weMETHODOLOGY & ACTIVITIES 1. Mobility opportunities were internally promoted & participants completed an application relevant to their curriculum area & attended a short interview.2. Selected participants & accompanying persons participated in the required cultural, language & academic preparation and were supported to complete mobility agreements.3. Apprentices traveled in flows of 12 & work in an enterprise organized by the Intermediary Vocational College partner. The placements were all be vetted by College tutors prior to the placement commencing & training were mapped to the apprentices NVQ programme.4. Final evaluations, reporting and recognition of learning were be completed post mobility.The project facilitated the training and as part of the evaluation process the training plans are enclosed: (Apprentice Training plans See Annex 1) 24 chef apprentices will train in Icelandic Restaurants.24 Computing apprentices will train in Spanish Computer Enterprises24 Civil Engineering will train in German Engineering Enterprises12 Beauty Therapists will train in Astrurius Health Salons in Spain.24 Hairdressing and Sports apprentices will work in Hair-salons and Hotel Gyms in Teneriffe Spain.24 Construction apprentices will work in construction companies in Lithuania24 Electrician apprentices will work with Electrical companies in Varilelle France24 Mechanic apprentices will train with Garages in Orange France.24 Business and administration apprentices will work and train in business enterprises in Lyon France.16 Health and Social Care apprentices will work and train in Residential homes in Sweden.30 VET Staff will participant in training mobility in Spain & Iceland. (Staff Training plan See Appendix 2 and 3 )The aim of this project proposal in the chosen vocation areas through apprentice mobilities is to enable participants gain new skills andknowledge that make them more competitive in seeking and gaining employment in the labour market. The placementis tailored to the apprentices NVQ course. The project will find out what the young person wants to get out of theplacement, which skills they want to develop, what barriers they face and what their career aspirations are. The majorityof apprentices participating in this project come from areas of high levels social deprivation where opportunities are verylimited..

The purpose of this project was to enable apprentices studying NVQ level 3 in Hospitality and Catering and Beauty Therapy to participate in a 3 week work placement in the top hotels and restaurants in Iceland. The main objectives of the project was to provide an opportunity for apprentices to develop high level skills in culinary arts and health and well being. it is also worth noting that the target group was apprentices with fewer opportunities.The aim of this project proposal was also is to provide College Level 3 apprentices with confidence building skills. During their travel the apprentices were accompanied by college staff 3 in each flow that stayed with the students for one week and monitored the apprentices on a daily basis and also organize cultural activities such as visiting historical sites in as well as visiting the local vocational Colleges. The apprentices participated in this project come from very rural country areas where job opportunities are very limited and the competition for jobs that are advertised is very intense. The aim of this project proposal in the chosen vocational areas through apprentice mobility's was to enable participants to gain new skills and knowledge that makes them more competitive in seeking and gaining employment in the labor market.The college has had a long standing relationship with its partners in Iceland and the companies that take the students on work placement.There were 24 apprentices who participated in the project all aged 17-18 years of age and a combination of being male and female.All apprentices had an induction in the workplace and had a full training plan for the 3 weeks that was linked to their vocational qualification. Each apprentice had a work based mentor and was visited by the college accompanying tutor every second day.