Helsinki Vocational College offers high quality and versatile vocational education for its pupils. Internationalisation and its visibility in the everyday life of the college is seen to add to the attractiveness of the college and provides a way of staying abreast of educational developments in Europe. This project will continue the bilateral mobility flow of previous Erasmus+ projects. The aim is to send 134 students for a 2-10 week long practical training period and 50 teachers for a four day job shadowing period abroad.This project aims to increase equality in gaining competences needed in the working life through international activities, thus aspiring for the aims of the Erasmus+ project. With these international competences Helsinki Vocational College aims to meet the needs of the increasingly multicultural working life.The strategic aim is that every student and Staff member is aware of the possibilities given to gain international competences and have an equal opportunity to participate in the international activities and mobility periods. This projects aims to develop mobility periods to take better into consideration the skills and competences of the different students. It aims to find ways to encourage students to participate also in fields of studies where the students are not voluntarily participating in student exchange. The equal opportunity asks for a transparent process of selection of the participants in this project. The main criteria are, that the candidate is willing to learn and has sufficient skills and willingness to adjust and cope. The mobility periods applied for staff aims to evolve pedagogical and guidance practices, develop the participating staffs vocational field and improve the recognition of learning outcomes. The competences gained will be beneficial for the implementation of the ECVET system in student mobilities. It is believed that the participating staff will be more prepared to meet students from a variety of backgrounds as well be more willing to encourage students to participate in international activities. Mobility periods are seen as a process that includes preparation, implementation and evaluation. The aim of the preparatory activities is that the student is aware of all the documentation needed, personal learning goals and has adequate knowledge to make the travel preparations and to manage once abroad.The Strategic aim of Helsinki Vocational College is that these mobility periods are a recognized part of the participant’s studies. The recognition of these mobilities is based on the implementation of the ECVET from the preparation till the evaluation.Mobility periods are documented and each participant is asked to write a report of their experiences. These stories are gathered to the google-maps platform. https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?hl=fi&authuser=0&mid=zc5KXPB2SV0M.kELpo45nfobc Students are asked to send digital postcards that can be shared within the college and will be part of the digital game now being produced.The evaluation of this project follows the principals of evolving evaluation. The material produced for the evaluation supports the implementation and impact of the project. Previous mobility projects have proven beneficial for its participants motivation, studies and later employment. Participants have met their professional goals but as well learned to evaluate the working methods and recognize the cultural basis of the methodologies implemented and use these methods flexibly to develop one’s work. Mobility periods support one’s personal and professional growth, regardless of one’s age, sex and background. Skills beneficial for setting realistic aims in one’s career and for employment.

Some changes have been made to the original plan since more students went on longer trips than planned. Also, shorter teachers’ trips were fewer than planned. The main purpose of the project remained the same, to give students at Technical College Reykjavík (TCR) the possibility to take their vocational training with companies abroad, or to study at schools in other countries and gain valuable experience. The cornerstone of vocational education is the vocational training that students receive as apprentices with various firms and companies. The situation in many vocational fields remains difficult in Iceland and students have had problems finding apprenticeships. This is especially true of art and design related fields such as gold and silver smithery. Vocational training taken abroad is fully credited at TCR and great care is taken to ensure that the companies TCR students train with are fully qualified. It is important for our small nation to keep up with the development of education and industry, and students receiving vocational training abroad return home with invaluable knowledge and experience that benefits our schools and job market. Study trips for groups of students serve to introduce to them the opportunities available in working and studying abroad. Vocational studies in Iceland are not at university level but in certain trades students can complete the first year of university studies in Iceland and finish them with top-up degrees abroad. TCR emphasizes collaboration with schools in other European countries, making sure to keep students informed of the possibilities of studying abroad and encouraging them to make use of the possibilities. On their return students give presentations about their trips to teachers and other students. It is important for our students to gain a varied insight into their field and get to know studies and teaching in schools abroad.The following are examples of students who took their training abroad. Students in hairdressing went to Namur, Belgium. They were very pleased with the trips, that tested both their professional knowledge and competence in human relations, especially since the students spoke neither French or Flemish. A student who was finishing her studies in steel making took her training with Black Isle Bronze in Scotland. The company specializes in statues and sculptures and a famous statue in Reykjavik of the Icelandic poet Tómas Guðmundsson was made by the company. A student who completed studies in Audio engineering took her training with Kaiku Studios in Berlin where she gained experience in production and sound mixing and a student in gold smithery took training with AB Heymann & Kuhlmann in Stockholm. Four students of clothing technology took their training with companies abroad, two went to Scotland where one of them worked at Blues & Browns who specialize in classical tailormade clothing and the other worked at Highland Tweed House who specialize in high quality clothing made from Scottish wool. Due to Covid-19 one of them had to return home earlier than she had planned but the other put her training on hold and was able to complete it when the sewing room reopened. Some examples of shorter student trips include a trip made by a student in graphic media design to Italy for a course in digital image processing and a trip made by a student in design who also went to Italy, for a course in graphic design. A teacher and students of house painting visited the vocational college TEC and a teacher and students of technical drawing visited the vocational college NEXT, both in Copenhagen. The students attended classes and did assignments with the students from the two colleges. At the end of the trips the two groups met up and visited technical colleges and companies in Jutland. The purpose of the trip was for the students to gain understanding and insight into the house painting and technical drawing professions in Denmark and the possibilities of further studies offered there. Students and teachers of graphic media design went on a trip to Copenhagen where they visited schools and companies in their field. Students and a teacher of gold smithery went to Fredericia in Denmark, where they participated in classes and took a weeklong course in working with gemstones. Students of Web Development went to KEA. They attended lectures and visited companies and institutions as well as working on their final projects with assistance from KEA teachers. The opportunity to get to know how study programs for specializations in certified trades are set up and carried out in schools abroad is invaluable for teachers and other staff at TCR. Due to Covid-19 staff trips were fewer than planned but an example of a trip that was made was a visit by teachers to Finland where they got to know a teaching method where English is taught alongside vocational teaching. A teacher in gold smithery visited a company in Copenhagen that plans on taking on a vocational trainee.

Accredited projects for mobility of learners and staff are implemented by organisations holding an Erasmus accreditation. Each accredited project represents a step in the implementation of the organisation's long-term Erasmus Plan.

Teachers and trainers’ professional development continues to be a high priority on the EU policy agenda. In 2010, the Bruges communiqué (2010) invited Member States to invest in VET teachers and trainers by offering flexible training provision. The Riga conclusions (2015) have put renewed emphasis on the issue, calling for more systematic approaches and better cooperation and partnerships. There is a need of competences from VET providers on how to set up innovative Work-based learning methodologies to prepare students for their future occupation thus improving their employability when leaving the school. In particular, the staff of VET providers need to become more acquainted with organising WBL experiences in mobility, because they allow students to acquire key competences and professional competences at once, apart from contributing to their personal development. With this regard peer learning has showed to be a powerful method for exchanging knowledge and experience and possibly speed up the development process. The partnership was composed by 8 organisations with 6 VET providers (Roc, Da Vinci, Issis, Epal,ALFMED, Foyle,Incoma) and 2 mobility experts (Uniser, Copae) from 6 European countries (The Netherlands, Greece, Italy, Spain, France,UK) that had a common shared concern: to improve work based learning and mobility of learners by upscaling the VET provider competences and internationalisation.The final aim of WBL summer schools was to exchange good practices among project partners, related to teacher training on work-based learning and internationalisation of VET schools with the purpose of develop a model of a European ‘summer school’ for the professional continuous development of teachers/educators operating in VET providers on these themes.The mixed composition of the partnership allowed to have multiple point of view and develop a comprehensive approach to student learning mobility projects that covered all the main aspects: writing, planning, managing, monitoring, organising, assessing and enhancing intercultural learning. The resulting methodology has been based on role games, experiential and peer learning working activities in order to put the teachers and practitioners in the student shoes and boost mutual understanding among participants. From October 2018 to January 2021 the project unfolded into the creation of an innovative teacher training methodology that was initially built on the partners best practices. The 4 days summer school training format was piloted for the first time in Gastouni (Sept. 2019) and afterwards it has been reworked based on the participants and trainers feedbacks. A second edition took place 15 months later online (Dec 2020). After the second piloting the final format of the WBL summer school has been delivered. Together with the training methodology partnership conceived the Mobiliteach brand with the aim to further develop teacher trainings based on the same content (learning mobility abroad) and methodology and reunite all of them under the brand in order to be easily identifiable as high quality teacher trainings. An ad hoc website has been created to maximise the impact and reach as many VET provider as possible. It contains all information about the project and training materials which are freely downloadable without any limitation. The website www.mobiliteach.net has been conceived also to bring together the complete Mobiliteach teacher training offer that organisations inside and outside of the partnership are developing.The project had a relevant impact on:- VET teachers and staff that increased their competences on writing, planning, managing and organising WBL experiences and gained intercultural learning competences.- VET providers that increased their level of internationalisation and the upscale their VET provision thanks to the competences and skills acquired by their staff- Mobility experts gained a deeper understating on the VET system of the participating countries- All organisations reached with dissemination that got interested or are already participating to new Mobiliteach projects.The project in the long run will contribute to increase the offer of high quality WBL experience abroad to VET students and therefore enhance young people employability.Upscale of VET teachers competences and their increased awareness on the importance of. work- based learning experiences will also indirectly support work-based learning validation of competences and its integration in the students curricula. The project in the long run will contribute to increase the offer of high quality WBL experience abroad to VET students and therefore enhance young people employability. Upscale of VET teachers competences and their increased awareness on the importance of. work- based learning experiences will also indirectly support work-based learning validation of competences and its integration in the students curricula.

"The overall objective for the colleges in our consortium was and still is to strenghten the international perspective in our educations in order to appear as attractive vocational educational and to be regarded as competent collaborators for international cooperation within the scope of the colleges. Our aim is to strenghten and develop professional, personal and intercultural competences through work-based learning in different learning environments. NUMBER OF APPLIED STUDENT MOBILITY/STUDENT CATEGORIES/STAFF MOBILITY AND FINANCIAL FUNDING UTILIZATIONAt the time of application date we applied for mobility of 104 VET-learners: Social and health care students, pedagogic assistant students (level 3 and 4 EQF), plus 18 teachers; we were granted 69 learners and 14 staff. STUDENTSIn terms of students we have send out 66 studens, 63 of them have terminated work practice and 3 school-based-learning = funding utilization of 90,3%.Considering the Covid19-situation/influence on further planned mobility it has complied with our ambition at the time of application date. LEARNING OUTCOME:In general the students express they experience enhanced professional and in particular - personal and intercultural competences . I.A. the students say ""that they have learned to learn - have become more curious and open towards challenging situations, increased social and civic (soft) skills in terms of a better understanding of democracy, citizenship, enlarged their general global visions and how a different cultural professional approach/practice and underlying norms and values are altering own approachIn general the students are showing signs of learning outcomes that have a long-term effect on both a personal and professionall level - as well as on an European level in relation to inclusion and diversity. ACTIVITIES: We have developed uniform procedures concerning cultural preparation based on comments from the Danish National Agency.Among other things we are using dilemma cards in order to prepare the students of potential scenarios that may arise during the stay - in order to facilitate and promote dialogue concerning coping strategies. Furthermore the students are tasked to send short pocket films 4 times during the stay to prompt reflection in practice. During evaluation meetings we have noticed and observed an impact on their general Learning Outcome. Furthermore we have updated the content of learning targets and included new objectives based upon evaluations and participant reports, enclosed in annex. STAFF: In terms of staff we have send out 7 (4 job-shadowing and 3 accompanying). 10 staff mobilities are reported in current project out of which 3 of them were planned to go on mobility in March 2020, however prevented due to Covid19. We were granted 14 mobilities and were impeded in attaining the goal due to organizational impacts in relation to National Educational Reforms in 2017-2018, resulting in different priorities. ACTIVITIES: In general the teachers have experience enhanced their professional/vocational identity through exchange of best practice and I.A. mentioning new ideas in terms of learning tools, view on learning and other approaches and frameworks to teaching related to practice (transfer). Furthermore there is overall consensus concerning an increased insigt in own practice through job-shadowing, exchange of knowledge, participation in other didactical and pedagogical approaches/practice. LEARNING OUTCOME: Among other things we have initiated fixed meetings at management level in order to establish alignment of expectations and cooperation within the scoope of our colleges and according to international priorities and strategies at our colleges, thus creating basis for further qualifying international matters. The first meeting were launched to take place right before Covid19 broke out - and postphoned to KA116-2019 project. PARTNERS - IN- AND OUTGOING MOBILITY: We have had mutual mobility/ preparatory visits - exchange of best practice with our partner, Da Vinci College, Dordrecht; focal points have been exchange of knowledge, job-shadowing and establishing reflection rooms in terms of pedagogy, rehabilitation and psychiatry., thus qualifying our international relations and enhancing levels of professional identity and prospects. We have established partnership with vocational college from Ålesund, Norway - looking forward to further qualifiying mobility. The college is for example providing work-based learning within specialized areas. Finally we have received teachers from our partner in Laaperaanta, teachers from our partner, IES Villaverde in Madrid with regard to alignment of expectations concerning development of cooperation and best practice. We were supposed to visit our new partner in MIesbach, Germany, however Covid19 impeded our agreed meeting in current project. In general we are focused on developing and qualifying our cooperation with existing and future partners."