CONTEXTCavan Institute (CI) is a Post-Leaving Certification (PLC) Vocational Training College with a full time enrolment of 1155 students. CI operates as part of Cavan and Monaghan Education and Training Board (CMETB). CMETB is the statutory body for providing Education and Training in Counties Cavan and Monaghan and is the legal entity for the project.CI offers over 80 nationally and internationally accredited Further Education and Training (FET) courses in the region. It is located in a region that has experienced considerable political and economic change resulting in a dramatic growth in unemployment. The April 2016 Census showed that Cavan had still had one of the highest rates of unemployment at 15% while Monaghan had an unemployment rate of 13%. All courses are accredited by Irish and International awarding bodies, such as Qualifications and Quality Ireland (QQI), City and Guilds and ITEC. Learners range in age from 17 to 60. Most Learners have completed the Leaving Certificate, however, many mature Learners (23 years of age or over) may have no formal educational qualifications.Learners are drawn from all nationalities, socio-economic backgrounds, geographic areas along the Boarder region and educational backgrounds. This diverse background of learners was broadly reflected in the applications and final participants of the project.OBJECTIVESThe project was entitled “Work as a European Citizen” and there were a number of key objectives for the project:-to offer full-time VET students the opportunity to complete a certified mandatory part of their course of study in another European country over a two-week period-to give participants the additional qualifications such as the Europass, Certificates of Attendance and in some cases, work certificates certified by the Host organisation-to provide participants with opportunities to gain vocational competences and broader key competences, enabling them to be better prepared for the labour market, both in Ireland and abroad-to create a progression route to further studies-to create an awareness and understanding of the significance of Europe and European citizenship. The objectives for the project were achieved through the placement of students with host employers in other EU countries who are experts in their fields of employment. This placement involved Learners working for a two-week period in a setting that was directly related to their course of study. Learners were drawn from a range of courses in Cavan Institute as follows: Business Administration, Animal Care, Applied Science, Business Studies, Childcare, Game Development and Multimedia, Tourism with Airlines Studies, Professional Cookery and Social Studies with Social Care.All partners chosen had particular expertise in these specific areas.The placements was arranged to meet specific learning needs of the students who were all undertaking either a Level 5 or Level 6 course of study on the National Qualifications Framework.NUMBER/PROFILE OF PARTICIPANTSThe total number of participants was 44. All participants were full-time Students of Cavan Institute. A total of 10 staff members relevant to the courses and work placements, were accompanying staff.The participants ranged in age from 17 to 51 and came from a diverse range of backgrounds in terms of nationalities, socio-economic backgrounds, educational attainments and expectations. There was a higher participation rate amongst female students (28 female participants and 16 male participants). The higher participation rates among females is most likely a result of the vocational areas that were targeted for the project, which included courses with traditional high female participation rates, such as Childcare, Business administration and Animal Care.The project has had a wide impact on the participants as evidenced from the participants reports. Core benefits for participants included enhanced opportunities for employment and self-confidence gained because of participating in the project.It has also had an impact on the wider College community and potential 2018/2019 students, judging by the popularity of the Erasmus+ stand and the number of Project participants willing to share their experience during these days.The presence of accompanying tutors is critical to:- deal with potential and real issues/risks-maintain good relationships with our partners-reassure younger or less assertive participants-visit of host employers to ensure all required criteria are met-experience different work based settings in another European country While the original application contained other partners, the following is a final list of partner organisations that hosted students:University of Life Science, Tartu, EstoniaLycée Charles Mongrand, Port de Bouc, France, Solski Center, Ptuj, Slovenia, The Training Partnership Ltd, Torquay, UK, Etela-Savon Koutulus Oy, Mikkeli, Finland

The Building- and Construction programme at Bräckegymnasiet with 450 students is one of Swedens largests. We offer many orientations from construction machine operator to glass technician. Half of the education time is work based training and from year two this take place in a company. Our goal was to reinforce capacity and international scope through development of a long term cooperation with educational institutions/training centers and companies in Europe, offering vocational training and jobshadowing. The mobility activites were expected to produce improved the professional skills as well as greater understanding and responsiveness to social, linguistic and cultural diversity. Our vocational teachers have, with starts from the program specific subject syllabus and principles of ECVET, created a model for assessment of students vocational work based competences which was compared to the evaluation methods used at our receiving organisations.The partners are the vocational school ESEDU in Pieksämäki, Finland, the vocational training- and researchcenter CSCS in Pistoia, Italy and the vocational education- and training center BZB in Krefeld, Germany. 13 students in autumn 2015 and 10 students in spring 2016 had placement, in a four week period. The first period did enroll third year students and the second students from year two. Each period, two students went to ESEDU practicing sheet metal work, welding and laser cutting. Nine painters and one bricklayer had placements in companies in Pistoia specializing in decorative painting, older painting techniques, tiling and masonry in the old style arranged by CSCS, Six carpenters, two concrete students and one specialised in construction had placement at BZB. They got training in integration of concrete work into carpentry ,older carpentry techniques, casting and bricklaying as well as consturction work. Each student had a tutor responsible for the work program and assessment of the learning outcomes. The first and last week during the students work placement one vocational teacher was doing jobshadowing at the school/training enter/company. Both students and teachers acquired new professional methods, knowledge about new tools and materials, increased skills in environmentaly adapted working methods as well as higher quality awareness. One of the learning outcomes for the teachers were to achieve competence in student assessment trough testing our model, Assesment Grid. This instrument was to be compared with the evaluation model used by the receiving organisations. Our schoolmanagement did jobshadowing as well, three days at each partnerorganisation. They followed an empolyee in corresponding position. The results gained was increased awarenss of differences between our countries concerning curriculum and syllabus. How the construction program was implemented and especially how the practical training organised were other examples of learning outcomes. Preparatory meetings have taken place between Bräckegymnasiet and our partners. Selecting criteria for students were good results in school subjects, good attendance at lessons and ability to be a good ambassador for Bräckegymnasiet. 25 percent were students with another cultural backgound and ten percent were girls. The school management, the student´s mentor and the international coordinator were responsilbe for the selecting process. lntroductory language lessons and lessons about the countrys culture and history have prepared the participants for the mobility activity. In our workshops the students were prepared for the mobility.Europass Mobility Europass Curriculum Vitae (CV), Europass Mobility Document Grant Agreement Traineeship (VET) 2015 and ERASMUS+ VET Mobility Quality Commitment 2015 has been used. Besides, Bräckegymnasiets document Assesment Grid was used for assesment of the students achieved learning outcomes. Learning Agreement was used aswell. The students school leaving Certificate included information about fullfilled traineeship at ERASMUS+.For the teachers and schoolmanagers ERASMUS+ Work Programme for VET Staff Mobility 2015 and Template Certificate of Attendance 2015 was used. Communication with the receiving organisations was maintained through phonecalls, sms and e-mails. Bräckegymnasiet created a Facebook page for the project served as a communcation and disseminating platform for the project. When carried through, the dissemination of the project took place through presentations done by the students in classes and at meetings where schools at campus Lindholmen presented their international collaborations. An exhibition was carried out at Älvstrandens Public Library. The results has be presented by teachers at staff meetings. Dissemination will take place at Hjärntorget, the pedagogical platform for schools in Gothenburg as well as the event Pedagogisk marknad, arranged by Gothenburg City in november 2016.

"The aim of the project was to maintain and develop the quality and effectiveness of student mobility in logistics and transportation sector in the participating Finnish vocational colleges. The national network consisted of 5 vocational colleges in Eastern Finland (LOG-EF network): SAKKY - Kuopio, YSAO - Iisalmi, PKKY - Joensuu, Esedu - Mikkeli and SAMI - Savonlinna. LOG-EF network had implemented international projects with good results also before, and these results were used as a foundation for this mobility project. International partner schools in this project were from Denmark, Norway and Croatia.The target group of the project was all logistics students of the Finnish colleges: both youngsters and adults, including also the students in apprenticeship training. Most of the participating students took part into two week long training modules in Denmark and Norway. Content of the training was professional: for example in Norway ""First aid and social regulations"". Some of the students carried out their practical training (4 weeks) abroad, in Denmark and Croatia. Training was organized in local transportation companies and offered an valuable experience of working in other European transportation company. All the participating students gained knowledge, competences and skills of international tranportation that they could not achieve in their own home school or even in their home country. Also a lot of teachers participated to mobilities, some of them only guiding students through their mobility experience - some having their first touch and understanding to international mobility and vocational training in foreign colleges. Concerning staff most important aim was to involve new teachers to international activities.As a result of this project many Finnish logistics students had a chance to gain professional skills abroad. The staff of colleges was as widely involved to the project as possible. Mobility was reciprocal: colleges from Denmark and Croatia sent their students to Finland via this international mobility network. The established network for international cooperation will continue to work together also after this project. All are sending students to each other's colleges via other mobility projects. Some of the colleges are also planning to apply a common strategic partnership project together later on."

International competencies become more and more important in many professions. Mobility programmes foster the European cooperation of schools, companies, chambers as well as initial and further education providers in Hamburg. The project “Hamburg goes Europe 2016” aims at strengthening the European placement programmes and the Work-Based Learning within Europe in order to contribute to the assimilation of vocational education in the EU and to identify the need for qualified employees.In cooperation with the Hamburg Institute for Vocational Education (HIBB), Arbeit und Leben Hamburg develops ECVET transnational learning units and intents to strengthen the European dimension of vocational education and to improve the transparency of vocational education systems. With that, the technical, linguistic and intercultural competencies of participants are to be improved.The project is to promote the mobility of trainees in vocational training as well as participants in further education of all professions and to provide incentives for the Europeanisation of the initial and further education in Hamburg. The aim is to strengthen the city of Hamburg as an international commercial capital with its well educated skilled workers and to affirm and further develop the role of Hamburg as a front-runner concerning trainees’ mobility. The project also provides nationwide 250 Pool-scholarships for learners from all professional sectors. Employees working in vocational education are enabled to getting to know innovative working techniques and teaching methods abroad as well as to developing and evaluating transnational ECVET learning units.With this project, Arbeit und Leben Hamburg as applicant body, the vocational schools in Hamburg, the cooperating companies as well as the Hamburg Institute for Vocational Education amd the health care schools plan to send 600 learners (including the before mentioned 250 Pool-scholarships) and 120 people working in the vocational education sector in another European country within 2 years.The project “Hamburg goes Europe 2016“ has the following target groups: - Learners in initial vocational preparation- Learners in initial vocational education- Learners in their 1st year after completion of an initial or further vocational education regulated by law- Employees working in vocational education: Teachers at vocational schools, employees at chambers and ministries as well as trainers, HR managers in companies and other vocational education .Through transnational mobility the employees working in vocational education can be prepared for the challenges of internationalisation. This project intends to increase the percentage of students in transnational mobility measures and to promote their willingness to move in future.Arbeit und Leben Hamburg enables learners and employees in vocational education to educate themselves linguistically, technically and with regards to intercultural competencies in all EU countries for a period of 5 days up to nine months. With the extensive network of partner organisations abroad Arbeit und Leben Hamburg support companies, chambers, vocational schools and other institutions in planning and carrying out vocational stays abroad in the following sectors: crafts, logistics, aviation, IT and new media, hotel and tourism, gastronomy, education and health, business. All sectors have been developed through long lasting partnerships. The choice of hosting partners is the result of an already existing cooperation between the vocational schools, Arbeit und Leben Hamburg and the partner organisations.

Encouraged by the new opportunities offered by the ERASMUS + the INFA has decided in 2014 to equip the 12 regional delegations of a new European strategy and international whose mobility project in Europe INVEST was the first stone.This ambitious program was increased mobility of learners over previous Leonardo projects and mobilization of personal trainers and direction to create a new dynamic, developing new methods, tools and educational guidelines.3 types of participants were targeted by the project INVEST in Europe at national level:The vocational trainees in the areas of t ourism and hospitality -Catering preparing for Title s s Professional level V and IV. 38 trainees have achieved the 3 periods of mandatory rotation in a European company for internship 4 to 6 weeks.37 graduates of INFA for less than 12 months, without distinction of degree level, were able to complete their mobility through additional training module for enhancing professional skills, language and cross. These post-training courses had a lasting e 2 to 4 months depending on professional projects of the candidates, availability and companies.6 members of INFA staff have conducted observation and discovery short assignments (2 to 4 days excluding travel) to discover other practices in their industry, to explore new teaching methods and / or integration of a European dimension in their education or training site.Originally positioned on the waiting list, this project started with 6 months delay which delayed the dissemination of information to the final beneficiaries and the implementation of the first mobility. The condition of the mobility of the INVEST program shows a realization of 92,50% of learners course with 75 departures on 80 and 100% of personal mobility (6/6).Furthermore, in addition to very good rate of return to work and satisfaction of beneficiaries of the mobility in Europe INVEST project had an important institutional impact within the INFA with the creation a post of coordinator of European projects at the national level, better identification of the mobility and generally ERASMUS + in s regional delegations, the inclusion of the European and international strategy in the new development plan for the Institute. 6 of regional delegations have invested in sending their students.