BACKGROUND AND RATIONALEConstruction industry has been hardly hit by the crisis, and faces the challenge of being capable of emerging stronger by responding to an increasingly demand of skilled workforce, due to its technification and the replacement of retired craftsman. While apprenticeship has been recognized as an opportunity to tackle youth unemployment, it is not being as successful as expected in Italy and Spain. Within this context, apprenticeship in construction industry is a solid chance for youth to build their future. However, VET counts on a wide social negative outlook. Together with a traditionally school based, VET lacks of strong apprenticeships and a clear intermediary body between construction VET centres and SMEs; all of this, creates barriers for its development and lowers apprenticeships value in both countries. AIMSTherefore, project’s aim was to improve SMEs involvement in apprenticeship by developing actions to get two main objectives:*To build capacities of construction business representatives as an intermediary body and boost their leverage effect in apprenticeship culture, by founding their position and drawing role in a short, medium and long term. *To give support and motivation to SMEs and VET centres in assigning a qualified trainer through mechanisms that trigger the recognition of in-company tutors as key players for a proper trainee’ learning and to raise the employer’s confidence in this kind of learning on the building site.RESULTS- Good business practices in EuropeIn order to identify, define and benchmark successful strategies that some countries are putting in place to involve SMEs in learning programmes, 12 experts from EU organisations from countries with a long tradition in learning programmes cooperated in the study (interviews). Also, constraints that are hindering an effective participation of SMEs in apprenticeship programs were defined by the realization of 4 focus groups, as well as up to 14 recommendations structured in a Strategic Roadmap to overcome them.- Status quo of in-company tutorsBased on the strategic Roadmap, the project undertook the definition of the status quo of in-company tutors in Spain and Italy, by carrying out a field study (documentary analysis plus surveys and interviews).As a result, the final qualification perimeter was defined, establishing the core skills that would eventually compose the “In-company tutor qualification”- Qualification In-company tutor in the building industry Based on the qualification perimeter, the project designed the qualification named the “In-company tutor in the Building Industry”. This level 4 qualification has been developed according to EQF and ECVET methodology: 4 modules, 20 hours duration and 1 ECVET.- Mechanisms to raise the quality of apprenticeship programs in SMEs In line with the roadmap and the status quo of in-company tutors, the project activated some mechanisms to help SMEs to raise the quality of apprenticeships in view of promoting excellence and facilitate their participation in these programs. Outputs were:*Memorandum of Understanding (MoU): agreement between the partnership that expresses a convergence of will between the parties*Accreditation system and recognition procedure: to assess, accredit and recognize the in-company tutors’ skills. IMPACT AND DISSEMINATION- Endorsement by stakeholdersIn order to underpin all results and outputs, the partnership has carried out several activities aimed to get a sound endorsement from stakeholders, trying to raise employer’s confidence on this kind of work-based learning in the building site: +100 endorsement commitments 4 seminars +80 participants 2 National Advisory Groups- Dissemination, exploitation and impact Project website: www.cotutorproject.eu Social networks: #CoTutorEU Diffusion in international networks/projects Final diffusion day