New College Lanarkshire (NCL) is a provider of one of the largest mobility programmes in the Scottish Further Education sector and internationalisation is central to our planning processes. The NCL European Internationalisation Strategy 2016–2020 incorporates the best elements and good practice from previous projects and activities in order to integrate an international and cultural dimension into the teaching and service functions of the organisation and drive forward global ambition and aspiration. The SPARKLE project allowed NCL to facilitate the mobility of learners and staff in a measured manner; better internationalising the curriculum and outlook of all participants. Project objectives specifically aimed to enhance the employability and vocational skills of participants to meet the needs of employers; facilitate access by participants from disadvantages backgrounds; develop existing linguistic support tools; work on continually improving the mobility experience and validation of learning with UK/EU partners and, internationalising the curriculum and participants.SPARKLE allowed NCL to offer a 2 week European work placement opportunity to a wide spectrum of curriculum areas across every NCL faculty; Supported Learning, Health Care, Childcare, Hairdressing, Beauty Therapy, Make-up Artistry, Sport, Football, Rugby, Automotive, Hospitality, Computing, Dental Care and Animal Science. All mobility activities are aligned to the identified skills needs within the Lanarkshire region and support the professional and personal skills development of learners, which in turn equips them with the skills and knowledge to find the jobs and careers to which they aspire, as well as improving the continuing professional development of staff. SPARKLE is managed by the External Funding team who begin the planning process in September. The Erasmus Steering group is formed at the start of the academic year to support the project plans and objectives and attended by faculty and cross college professional services representatives.Mobility activities take place between Feb and June of the following year, and 6 preparatory sessions are scheduled prior to departure. External Funding and flow leads worked closely with host partners to secure curriculum specific work placement opportunities for 237 participants in year 1. 382 mobility placements (296 entered on MT+, 86 unable to be entered as no names received) were planned for participants in year 2, however due to the impact of COVID all placements and travel had to be cancelled.An overview of all completed and planned mobilities is below:2018/19 flows:Flow number/department/country/number of students1 Computing - Cyprus122 Computing - Italy103 Computing - Malta125 PTCT - Malta176 Sport - Murcia178 Beauty Therapy - Murcia99 Cookery - Malta1410 Hairdressing - Cyprus1111 Childcare - Malta1712 Healthcare - Malta 2113 Childcare - Madrid 1114A Childcare - Murcia 614B Dental - Murcia 514C Animal Care - Murcia 815 Motor Vehicle - France 717 Beauty Therapy - Italy 1118 Childcare - Madrid 619 Animal Science - Malta 520 Childcare - France 434 PTCT - Italy 2038 Hairdressing - Murcia 939 Dental - Malta 5Total = 237 participantsParticipant profile of 237 students:Male - 91Female - 146Age 16-24 - 15225+ - 85Faculty:Service Industries - 55Care & Science - 87Business, Social Science & Sport - 17Computing & Creative Industries - 34PTCT - 37Motor Vehicle - 72019/20 planned flows:Flow number/department/country/number of students2 Supported Learning - Italy 103 Beauty/Hair/Barbers/Makeup - Malta 114 Make-up Artistry - Italy 85 Hair/Make-up Artistry - Murcia 1621 Glasgow Thistles - France 4422 Supported Learning - Madrid 1223 Computing - Malta -1224 Computing - Italy 1025 Computing - Lithuania 1226 Computing - Austria 1228 Sport - Murcia 2129A Health & Social Care - Malta 2329B Animal Science - Malta 630A Childcare - Malta 2130B Dental - Malta 731 Childcare - France 432A Childcare – Madrid 932B Classroom Asst - Madrid 432C Social Work - Madrid 933A Dental - Murcia 633B Animal Care - Murcia 433C Childcare - Murcia 736 Beauty/Hair - Murcia 2037 Hospitality - France 8Participant profile of 296 students unable to travel in 2020 due to COVID:Male - 128Female - 168Age 16-24 - 210Age 25+ - 86Faculty:Service Industries- 63Care & Science - 100Business, Social Science & Sport - 21Computing & Creative Industries - 46Supported Learning - 22Glasgow Thistles - 44A further 5 flows were in the final preparation stages and 86 participants were not registered on MT+ as names not received prior to flow cancellation:Flow number/department/country/number of students1 Partick Thistle - Italy 3527 Computing - Finland 634 Childcare - Finland 735 SRU - Spain 2638 Hospitality - Malta 12Participant outcomes and impact was mainly positive and is described in more detail in Section 7 Learning Outcomes and Impact.

"The Ptuj School Centre takes care of the development of vocational and professional education in the field of agriculture, ecology, gastronomy, tourism, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and economics. We strive to make our institution a central educational and development institution that will connect various institutions and companies whose goal is the development of lifelong learning in the above-mentioned fields - a goal we are pursuing also through active participation ininternational Erasmus+ projects. Due to the pandemic, we extended the two-year project ""We are young, we are curious, Europe we are coming!"" by one year, and despite difficult conditions, we managed to realize almost 100% of approved mobilities. From September 2018 to May 2021, 121 student mobilities and 4 staff mobilities were carried out. The planning activities (organisation of transport, accommodation and workplaces, communication with partnerschools/organisations) and all the pre-mobility preparations (cultural, linguistic and psychological preparation of participants, meetings with parents and accompanying staff) included another 40 students and 9 accompanying staff who were unable to take part in the planned mobilities to Germany, Portugal and Finland due to the pandemic. The mobility was attended by all types or profiles of students from the second to the fifth year, for which the mobilities were planned for, namely SSI programs (agricultural entrepreneurial technician, environmental technician, mechanical engineering technician, computer technician, electrical technician, economic technician, window display technician), PTI programs (agricultural entrepreneurial technician, economic technician, car service technician, mechanical engineeringtechnician, electrical technician) and SPI programs (gastronomist-hotelier, rural farmer, car mechanic, florist).The selection of students took place transparently on the basis of precisely defined criteria and scores, which were used by the members of the Erasmus + team and the management of the Ptuj School Centre for the selection. The mobilities were carried out in the following countries: Austria, Finland, Ireland, Germany, Poland, Portugal, the United Kingdom and Croatia.The activities we carried out were divided into three phases: 1. preparatory activities (presentation of the project, submission of CVs, preparation with schools and partner organizations, cultural, linguistic and psychological preparation of candidates, preparation of necessary documents, meetings with participants, parents and accompanying staff).2. activities during mobility (travel to and from the location, accommodation, internships at work, cultural tours, preparation of meals, socializing with peers, leisure activities, posts on social networks, writing diaries)3. activities after mobility (reflection/interviews with participants, preparation and implementation of presentations, preparation of articles for websites and local/national newspapers, setting up info points in the premises of the Ptuj School Centre, filling in reports/surveys, presentations at information days, open days, fairs and other cultural events).The effects we achieved through the successful implementation of the project were divided into three target groups:- Students: mobility has affected students' personal development, their awareness of belonging to a single European cultural environment, the acquisition of professional knowledge and competencies, the acquisition of new experiences and positive practices in a culturally, economically and politically different environment.- Teachers: participation in mobility had a positive effect on teachers' professional development, personal growth and exchange of experiences between teachers, better recognition of similarities and differences in learning processes, especially in professional subjects, and recognition of shortcomings and advantages of each school system.- School Centre Ptuj, partner organizations/institutions/employers, wider community: international mobility has had a positive impact on improving and supplementing curricula, more successful networking in joint projects - economic, cultural and sports cooperation, greater flexibility of staff in the labor market and spreading the European mentality.After completing the mobility, the students received the Europass Mobility certificate, and we also monitored the progress and evaluation of the effects with the help of ECVET tools. The results of the project were disseminated with various tools and methods for various target groups at the local, regional and national level, and with the help of partners also at the international level. We believe that we have contributed to the European way of thinking and the internationalization of European connections and projects through the involvement of students and staff in international mobility and the opportunity to gain new experiences and knowledge in the workplace."

<< Background >>MI has a proud history of participating in Erasmus programmes. The opportunity for learners to obtain valuable work placement abroad, to travel, live and work together is something that MI wants all learners if possible to have. This exchange programme has the ability to cement further relations between Monaghan Institute and ROC Friese Poort. Participants in the past really benefited from the experience, with enhanced self confidence as many have progressed to higher education or commenced efforts for self-employment. A key action benefit also sought is to allow staff to participate in a course & training ICT teaching programme which has the capability of enhancing the teaching pedagogy within the college. The publicity and benefit to a small rurally located college in Monaghan has the potential to enable our staff and students to enhance their profile in a national perspective. << Objectives >>The exchange programme between Monaghan Institute and ROC Friese Poort will al learners from both MI Level 5 Computer Games and Level 6 Software Development courses to successfully meet the following objectives by:•enhancing learners employability by developing further their understanding of software development and computer programming practices. Engineering students will gain new technical skills and be aware of future trends and developments.•increasing international awareness and learner mobility by having learners and supervisors working and living in a different culture with different norms and practices for a two week period. •added value to the Quality Qualification Ireland (QQI) Computer qualifications already being taken by learners by enabling them to complete their Erasmus + & Work Experience Module. Staff to improve competences in the use of ICT in the classroom and to develop a broader understanding of policies and systems elsewhere<< Implementation >>Two activities have been applied for - 1. Short term learning mobility for up to 12 students and 2 accompanying persons for a 10 day work placement in conjunction with our host partner organisation ROC Frieese Poort based in the north of the Netherlands. Students will complete the placement as part of the QQI accredited Work Experience module at both Level 5 and Level 6 on the National Framework of Qualifications model in a number of software, and engineering companies participating in the exchange. 2 . Courses and training. It is envisaged that up to 7 MI teaching staff will partake in a structured and interactive ICT technology course again hosted by ROC Frieese Poort who have expertise in this area. << Results >>Enable learners from MI Level 5 Computer Games, Level 5 Engineering and Level 6 Software Development courses to :•enhance learners’ employability by developing further their understanding of software development and computer programming practices in Java, Javascript, SQL, Web Development, Agile and XP. •enhance learners’ employability by developing further their technical skills in engineering practices.•increasing international awareness and learner mobility by having learners and supervisors working and living in a different culture with different norms and practices for a two-week period. •added value to the Quality Qualification Ireland (QQI) Computer & Engineering qualifications already being taken by learners by enabling them to complete their Erasmus + Work Experience Module with a Europass Mobility certificate. •strengthened relations between MI and ROC Friese Poort

Cavan Institute (CI) is a Post-Leaving Certification (PLC) Vocational Training College with a full time enrollment of 1,300 students. Cavan Institute is the third largest PLC College in Ireland and 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 Boarder region of Ireland. It is located in a region which 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 70 and come from varying different backgrounds. 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, socioeconomic backgrounds, geographic areas along the Border region and educational backgrounds. This diverse background of Learners was broadly reflected in the applications and final participants of the project.The project was entitled “European Focus on Upskilling” and there were a number of key objectives for the project. The main objective was 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. Other objectives included offering Learners the opportunity to avail of additional qualifications such as the Europass, Certificates of Attendance and in some cases, work certificates certified by the Host organisation and 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. A full list of objectives is outlined in Section 3 of this report.The objectives for the project were achieved through the placement of students with 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 work setting that was directly related to their course of study. Learners were drawn from a range of courses in Cavan Institute as follows: Childcare, Hospitality, Business Administration, Motor Mechanics, Animal Management, Veterinary Care, Cultural and Heritage Studies, Travel and Tourism, Social Studies and Multimedia. The 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 at Cavan Institute.The total number of participants was 162. Of these participants, 129 were full-time Students of Cavan Institute who all completed a two week Work Placement abroad. A total of 14 staff members participated in a staff training program on Work Based Learning and the remain 19 were staff accompanying persons.The Learners ranged in age from 17 to 44 and came from a diverse range of backgrounds, including nationalities, socioeconomic backgrounds and educational attainments. The participation rates by males was 25%, which is lower than the general student cohort of 40% and the participation by Females was 75%, which is higher than the general student cohort of 60%. 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 and office administration.The project had a wide impact on the participants as evidenced from the participants reports and also on the wider College community. Given that 129 Learners participated in the programme, this represented a total of 10% of the entire student population of Cavan Institute. Benefits for participants included enhanced opportunities for employment and self-confidence gained as a result of participating in the project.Staff also benefited with specific staff training on Work Based Learning. This area is currently underdeveloped in Ireland compared with many EU countries. While the original application contained other partners, the following is a final list of partner organisations that hosted students:Stonian University of Life Science, Estonia, Lycée Charles Mongrand, France, Solski center Ptuj, Slovinia, The Training Partnership, UK, Sistema Practices s.l. (ESMOVIA), Valencia, SpainPraktica Training Consulting S.L. Seville, Spain

Monaghan Institute is a Further Education and Training College situated in Monaghan Town. The Institute comes under the remit of Cavan and Monaghan Education and Training Board, which is a statutory authority with responsibility for education and training in Counties Cavan and Monaghan. Monaghan Institute was established in 1992 and offers a range of Further Education and Training Programmes at Level 5 and Level 6 on the Irish National Framework of qualifications.All courses at Monaghan Institute are certified by QQI (Quality and Qualifications Ireland) and each programme contains a module in Work Placement. Monaghan town is located in a rural part of Ireland and there are no large employers in the Information and Communications Technology sector. However, there are a number of smaller employers, but the level of speciality in areas such as Computer Games Design is limited.Through the Erasmus + programme, Monaghan Institute was able to offer students (from IT/Business courses) the opportunity to participate in three week work placement in the Netherlands - facilitated by our partner college Roc Friese Poort, Drachten which is located in Friesland in North West Holland.There were a number of different objective for this project, including the following:?To provide a valuable learning experience to students and staff?To enhance Learners employability?To strengthen and add value to the qualifications attained by participants?To provide participants with a new learning experience ?To facilitate learners to become more outward focused and aware of the opportunities that exist outside of their immediate locality ?To increase awareness of and appreciation for different cultures and values?To enable staff to experience different teaching, learning and ICT skills?To enhance participants self-confidence and motivationFourteen students from Monaghan Institute participated in the Erasmus +work placement programme to Holland in January 2015, 9 Male and 5 female. They came from across six class groups - Information Technology Level 5, Computer Games Design Level 5, Office Administration Level 5, Business & IT Level 6, Multimedia Production Level 5, and Computer Maintenance Level 5.Students ranged in age from 18 - 46, some having transferred directly into Further Education from second level school, others having returned as mature students to up skill or retrain.