No one will wake up one day as a top talent. You yourself have a lot of influence on becoming good at something. But education also plays an important role in promoting excellence. About 5 to 10% of the VET students can achieve considerably more than the framework of the current curriculum allows them. Students who want and are able to do more, get the opportunity to follow additional programs with added value. This way they will achieve more than is expected beforehand. Excellence programs can act as a catalyst to stimulate students to achieve higher goals. The excellence programs focus not only on cognitive performance, but also on craftsmanship, creativity, entrepreneurship and international competences. With excellence programs, attention will be paid to excellent students in VET education witch will have a favourable effect on the reputation of VET education in general. The main question is; What is excellent education and how do we offer it to students?The primary target group of this project is teachers (+/- 30 in total) who are willing to learn more about excellent education. The secondary target group is students (+/-60 in total) who are willing to be challenged in excellent education and can give feedback on the different programs. Feedback of both target groups is important to learn about their views on excellent education and for developing a vision for excellent education.The desired impact of this project is:• Building a bridge between VET education and higher career skills and competences• Improve the reputation of VET education• Social inclusion for talented and ambitious students• Open teachers eyes to different way of teachingWe expect to raise the awareness for the need of excellent education and change the attitudes of teachers towards this subject. We will teach teachers skills and competences around excellent education such as the learning pit (James Notthingham), growth mindset (Carrol Dweck), creative thinking, etc.The expected output of the project and upon completion are;• Talking the same language about excellent education• Teach teachers about excellent education and how they can stimulate deep level learning by their students• Use each other’s best practices and test them in your own country• An international networkFurthermore we think that the dissemination of the results of the project will have a positive effect on attracting motivated students to VET education and reduce the bad reputation it has in some countries at the moment. To reach the objectives 4 transnational meetings will be held and 3 learning teaching trainings. During the transnational meetings will have the following objectives;1.Get acquainted, introduction and mutual clarification2.Discussions, status and progression in the actions3.Evaluation of the performed actions, divide tasks for following year,4.Reflection, evaluation, dissemination of the project to international group of teachersThe learning teaching training activities have the following content;November 2020 Malaga Business Bootcamp SpainJongLeren.es/Santa Maria de los Angeles will provide Málaga Business Bootcamp for teachers and students in collaboration with local organisations. In this 2 week bootcamp, students will live on their own, learn Spanish and work on a project provided by a local business.May 2021 Skills Heroes FinlandStudents will visit the finals of the national skills competition and will have their own skills competition on entrepreneurial/soft skills. Teachers will coach the students during this competition and will have a workshop and learn how to integrate skills in the curricula.November 2021 Teacher Training / Directors vision / BrainBoost & Up NetherlandsStudents will experience parts of the BrainBoost program and the Up program. Teachers and directors will have a training on the vision for excellent education, coaching excellent students and integrate excellent education in their curricula using practical tools.During the LTTA's the steering group, teachers and students will have the opportunity to develop competences related to excellent education. This will open teacher’s eyes on a different way of teaching and coaching students. Also students will learn about the growth mindset, creative thinking and the learning pit. They will experience a deeper level of learning. They can develop higher career skills and competences due to excellent education. During these LTTA's we will develop the same language on the different subjects and on excellent education. They will also work on expanding their (international) network by meeting each other. If they disseminate what they have learned within their own organizations, the network will grow. By learning about each other's methods of excellent education, we can use the best practices in our own organization and try out what works and what doesn't. The steering group will have separate meetings to reflect and evaluate on activities.

"The situation of youth employment, young people under 30, remains alarming. Many countries in Europe have very high rates of youth unemployment. The reality is that we are talking about a group that has an uncertain future, with a difficult insertion in the labor market, although many of them have higher education and master, and working conditions are precarious: little stability, temporary contracts, poor family reconciliation and low wages. In a context where access to work has become, the race to employability contains a lot of obstacles and difficulties, there are many candidates and a lot of competitiveness.The development of the SYMPATIC project at transnational level is composed of a diversity of partners, with different but complementary expertise: Eurocircle as coordinator project in Marseille (France), ADICE in Roubaix (France), CIOFS-FP in Rome (Italy), U-Bus in Berlin (Germany), Metropolisnet in Berlin (Germany) and EDIT-C in Nicosia (Cyprus). The consortium has experience in the transnational mobility of young people (volunteering or VET), and will work on the creation of a reliable network with companies in the tourism sector. These companies will be the other key actors in the development of the project since they will provide guidance and follow-up to the young people in their mobility to develop soft and hard competencies for employment.In the project there are three key groups of participants:-Young people under 30 who participate in a mobility program or a VET. -The social workers/ mobility providers / VET providers (from partner organisation) who will help young people before, during and after the mobility. the staff, during the project, will be trained to be come Job Coach, equipped to provide more accurate professional guidance for young adults job seekers more mobile. -The tutors in the companies who will work on the follow up of the young people, build a trustful relations, attend a training to adapt job vacancies with hard and soft skills that can better match with young people. The role of the tutor is to help and support the young job seekers before, during and after the mobility / VET in order for them to develop appropriate competences for a future professional integration. Objectives1/ Create a link between companies that recruit on a regular basis (i.e tourism sectors: guides, drivers, information centres, accommodation, catering / restaurant industry, selling, seasonal jobs) and young people looking for a job.-Draw a panorama of the job market (needs and demands) and job vacancies in the sectors-Train employers to be tutors of young people 2/ Facilitate the integration of young people in the labour market at national level and abroad-Train social workers/mobility providers / VET providers to be job coach-Enable young people to get trained during a mobility and come back with the necessary competences to integrate the labour market-Facilitate the recognition of the acquired competencesOutputs: It is a complex and ambitious project with four fundamental intellectual products generated. The implementation of the project is scheduled for a period of 26 months to allow the testing and production of high quality intellectual products / results, as indicated below:IO 1 - Occupational profile. It is about developing a detailed study about the labor reality and profiles needed (hard and soft skills) in the field of tourism.IO 2 - A Tutors' kit: it is about developing a training and a manual for the tutors in the companies, before and after the mobility / VET so that they can monitor the young people and can support / facilitate the professional integration.IO 3 - The mobility pack: it is a training to become a job coach with 3 main topics (LTTA)-how to be a job coach (roles and missions + the 7 scenarios possible after a mobility or a VET-how to wisely use social media: promote a youth experience with social media and search for a job with the appropriate profile on the appropriate social media-how to evaluate the competences developed on a mobilitythe mobility pack will then be composed of a training content with learning objectives and outcomes and each of the 7 scenarios developed in the 4 countries.IO 4 - An online platform: The objective is to connect the young people who participate in the project and the recruiters of the companies to encourage better communication between them and above all an appropriate matching.Expected results on a larger scale:A facilitated labor integration for young people after a mobilityA process of recruitment that starts before the mobility / VET & a better communication between young people and employersA trustful relationship between the young person, the job coach and the tutor / employerA network of companies in different countries that are recruiting on a regular basis and their vacanciesA pool of young people on the online platform that are ""available"" and competent to apply for the job vacancies"

The priority goals of the European Union concerning the improvement of VET include the dissemination of work-based learning, however there are only a few methodological professional materials available - that regulate the whole training process – related especially to adult learning. The partnership led by the Government Office of Békés County has aimed at developing a complex methodology for work-based learning in international cooperation that can be applicable on European Union level in CVET of adults. The Government Office has implemented the project in cooperation with Finnish, Italian, German and Hungarian organisations that engage with VET and with a Hungarian employer that is involved in work-based learning as well.The methodological handbook is based on handbooks made by foreign partner organisations according to a uniform system of criteria, including the methods they apply in CVET of adults. The intellectual output of the project, namely the complex methodological handbook, contains the work-based learning processes and sample documents for CVET of adults, the building blocks of its quality organisation according to the 6 building blocks defined by EQAVET (Design, Improve, Respond, Communicate, Train, Assess). The ready-made handbook was presented at the 1st multiplier event organised in Hungary during the mid-term of the project to the experts responsible for VET. The next, pilot version of the complex methodological handbook was prepared taking into account the feedback of partner organisations and professionals responsible for VET. The methodology was tested and the handbook was finalised in the 2nd year of the project. During the preparation phase of testing guidelines were prepared for the tasks to be performed, the professionals carrying out the test training had also been prepared to apply the method.The methodology was tested in VET provided outside and in the school system. The former one was realised with the participation of the 2 Hungarian partners, a meat product manufacturer training, consisting of 240 lessons was organised by ALFA KISOSZ Advocacy and Training Association with the participation of the employees at Gyulahús Ltd. The latter one was carried out in a two-month period of social care worker training organised by Gál Ferenc College Vocational School, Secondary Grammar School of Békés at the Hajnal István Nursing Home of the Békés County Hajnal István Social Service Centre.During piloting we used methods, processes and sample documents included in the methodological handbook. The development of a web and mobile application supported to document the implementation of the test training, which enabled the professionals and leraners to document the realisation of the training in an electronic form. Student self-assessment was realised on a daily basis as well as the evaluation by the instructor.We evaluated the experiences with the professionals and learners, summary studies on the implementation of the piloting were completed. Following the testing, the foreign partners evaluated the experiences of testing the new methodology. The final version of the methodological handbook was prepared taking into account the experiences of operation and the evaluation made by foreign partners.At the beginning of the project and after the piloting, questionnaire surveys were carried out among the VET providers, workplaces and the learners to measure the impacts of the project. After testing the developed method, the change in relation to the initial state was measured. Testing the methodology clearly confirmed the relevance of each process element defined in the handbook, applying the methods significantly enhanced the quality of the training and the satisfaction of the VET provider, the workplace and the learners. A final study available in English and Hungarian have been completed containing the demonstration of the aims, activities, the achieved goals and sustainability. The methodological handbook, which is the main output of the project can be downloaded in 5 languages from the website of the project, www.wbl.hu, where after registration it is free to try and use the web and mobile application, too.We have made a proposal to the Ministry for National Economy for the wider dissemination of work-based learning in Hungary.The project results had been widely disseminated during the project:multiplier events were organised in all 4 countries implementing the project, at a meeting of the Steering Commitee of the European Network for Quality Assurance in VET, at a professional conference of EPALE among others, and on an EQAVET forum.The new methodology enables the introduction of work-based learning and its effective application in each member state of the European Union, the methodology can be integrated into our VET system, it is applicable in the future as it complies with the quality requirements specified by EQAVET.

The overarching aim of this project is to design, develop and implement a Future of Work Framework focused on the identification -through a guidance process- of transversal skills that can be used to future-proof the careers of disadvantaged job seekers and enable sustainable future employment. Seven partners from six programme countries will adapt and develop the INFORM model (developed in a Leonardo da Vinci Transfer of Innovation project IRL/06/B/F/PP-153101) so as to ensure its relevance in a technological and digital future labour market across Europe. The project has three main objectives (1) to enable Individuals to become aware of their own skills for the future labour market particularly in relation to communication and interpersonal skills; (2) to create awareness of future workplaces, their requirements, and associated VET progression routes; and (3) to create a culture of training and up-skilling of guidance practitioners in a fast changing labour market. -Context/needs addressed: The world of work is changing. Automation has the potential to transform future jobs and the structure of the labour force. In recent years technological change and modernising of the workforce has accelerated and for those already in the labour market their capacity to adapt will be essential to sustaining their career progression. For job seekers not currently in employment the development of both technological and soft skills will be crucial to accessing quality work into the future. In particular soft skills, which help people to adapt, will be essential for negotiating the new world of work. Many low skill and routine tasks are now automated, and increasingly computers perform more complex cognitive tasks, yet automation of simple human interaction has proven difficult (Deming, 2015). Thus there is a need for an increasing value to be placed on soft skills. FYC seeks to influence the long term achievement of Bruges (2010) which advocates for increased inclusion and access for disadvantaged people, and encourages creative, innovative and entrepreneurial thinking. In addition the Riga conclusions (2015) advocate for ‘enhanced access to VET and qualifications for all through more flexible and permeable systems, notably by offering efficient and integrated guidance services and making available validation of non-formal and informal learning’. Similarly at national level the National Skills Strategy 2025 and the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (2018) identify soft skills as key competences for the future workplace. Yet, for many disadvantaged job seekers outside of the formal education system, access to guidance which enables the identification of soft skills relevant for future workplaces, developed through informal and non-formal learning, is limited.The FYC project aims to bridge this gap.FYC will research the Future of Work and the soft skills essential for a digital workplace, and assess the usefulness of the INFORM tool in identifying these skills. It will further develop the INFORM tool in terms of content and technical aspects, and psychometrically evaluate it to establish its quality. In addition, the FYC partnership will develop a training module for guidance practitioners on the Future of Work and use of the adapted FYC tool. It will use a Knowledge Translation approach to transfer learning as widely as possible. It will pilot the FYC tool with 100 job seekers, test the FYC training with 120 practitioners, implement 5 TMs and 7 MEs. It will take a serious approach to Policy-Practice gaps with regard to preparing guidance practitioners and disadvantaged job seekers for the future work place, create a space for this dialogue, and design two knowledge translation handbooks to support sustainability and recognition. -Target Groups:disadvantaged job seekers (disadvantaged in VET/Labour market, including those with disabilities, low educational background, multiple barriers to access), career guidance practitioners/employment support services, VET stakeholders (including employers), national and European wide guidance. -Core partnership: 7 organisations representing 6 countries (Ireland (x2), Germany, Spain, Austria, Romania and Italy) including community based employment support services, a support service for people with acquired brain injury, learning/skills/entrepreneurial consortium, a national VET organisation, an EU wide social inclusion/labour market/and policy focused consortium, a large city based employment support service focused on VET and lifelong learning, and a large technical university.-Main results: FYC Framework including the FYC tool, Guidance Practitioner training module on the Future of Work, an implemented and tested pilot of the FYC tool, a psychometric evaluation, Knowledge Translation Toolkit for Policy and PracticeFYC seeks to have long term enduring impact on guidance practice reorienting it towards a new work environment where soft skills are valued.

Objectives: Net-Working for Quality Culture and Assurance aims to design, develop and implement a model of Interagency working which focuses on Quality Culture and Quality Assurance across the VET journey. Eight partners from across six programme countries will adapt and develop the Net-Working for Quality Assurance model (developed in a previous Leonardo da Vinci TOI project - LLP/LdV/TOI/2012/IRL-502) so as to ensure its relevance across a wider VET journey (defined as including some/all of the following stages: decision to access VET, through employment services, through a guidance process, initial referral into VET, VET provision, transition to employment/ higher education, up-skilling in the workplace). Context/needs addressed: The previous NQA project identified that quality tends to exist within services/provision but can be significantly reduced during transition points in a clients VET journey. The Interagency approach aims to strengthen the links between stakeholders particularly in relation to shared goals and trust, and develop a culture of quality which will be aspired to by a range of stakeholders representing various stages of the VET journey. Previously, NQA sought to influence the long term achievement of Bruges (2010) which advocates the progression of individual citizens through the creation and delivery of quality assured VET initiatives 'Given the role of VET in European Societies and economies, it is crucial to ensure the sustainability and excellence of vocational education and training' (Bruges Communique, 2010). However, NQA found that quality VET journeys involve many stakeholders and many stages and that the quality of this journey particularly for those most disadvantaged required a continuum of quality assurance underpinned or enabled by quality cultures. Quality assurance within VET provision is not sufficient, but requires the VET sector to cooperate with a range stakeholders from employment services, to employers and that 'a transparency and a common approach to quality assurance in VET' (Bruges, 2010) should be a longer term objective. NQCA seeks to do just this. NQCA will research VET journeys, identify VET case studies, research QA/quality culture/Interagency working and develop an NQCA model. It will further develop NQA as a quality label, design and test Master training and NQCA training, implement 91 interagency meetings , 6 transnational meetings and 7multiplier events. It will take a serious approach to Policy-Practice gaps, create a space for this dialogue and design a Toolkit for Policy Makers to support sustainability and recognition. NQCA will demonstrate the value created through use of a Social Impact Evaluation and disseminate widely the learning achieved. The partners will utilise a Implementation science methodology (IO3).Target Groups: Learners (particulraly those disadvantaged in Education/Labour market), stakeholders involved in the VET journey (including employers), National stakeholders with a Quality agenda, European wide QA. Core partnership: 8 organisations representing 6 countries (Ireland, UK (Northern Irealnd and England), Finland, Germany, Hungary and Italy) and includes community based employment support services, learning/skills/entrepreneurial consortium, a Chamber of commerce, a large VET school, a national VET organisation, an EU wide social inclusion/labour market/and policy focused consortium, a large city based employment support service focused on employment & labour market policy, education policy and lifelong learning.Main results: NQCA model, NQA quality label, Implemented and tested pilot of interagency working (7 locations), Toolkit for Policy makers, Master training & NQCA training, Social Impact Evaluation.Impact: -Learner impact: quality will underpin their entire VET journey, placing the learner at the centre of VET provision. -Particiapting organisations: development of interagency working and quality culture, enabling bottom up approaches to QA, creating geographical areas recognised by the NQA quality label-National organisations: improve channels of communications between the bottom up approach & the top down policy approach, to lessen the gap between policy and practice, and enable quality culture to exist within the full quality cycle. -The NQA evaluation identified that many partners/stakeholders were not aware of the need for a forum to discuss quality assurance and VET. NQCA aims to have this type of wide scale impact though the creation of such fora and interagency networks in order to support organisations to work on/understand quality in VET. NQCA seeks to have long term enduring impact on partners & stakeholders as it will affect values, beliefs and behaviours and is a model which is transferable to many situations, contexts and other sectors. Improved cooperation between stakeholders will lead to improved quality across the VET journey, ultimately impacting on the low skilled and the unemployed.