The Teaching Improvement Partnership Project (TIP Project) led by Galway and Roscommon Education and Training Board and involving partners from the Czech Republic, the UK, Portugal and Turkey has identified the training and equipping of teachers/trainers in relation to Education Employment Partnership activity as a way to improve teaching addressing Europe 2020 whilst also impacting on skills mismatches,promoting apprenticeships enterprise/self employment, contributing to economic development and impacting on inequalities for those from minority backgrounds, those with disabilities and other under represented groups such as young women.This project addresses in particular the communication from the European Commission” Improving Competences for the 21st Century, an Agenda for European Co-operation on Schools”, the Bruges communique 2010 and Copenhagen process empowering people, internationalising VET and fostering innovation creativity and entrepreneurship and EU 2020 particularly improving teaching and reducing social exclusion. The aim of this programme is to further strengthen key competences in VET by enhancing the knowledge and skills of staff through training and by promoting work-based learning in all its forms in the curriculum, with special attention to apprenticeships. We aim to make the teacher training element empower the motivation of under represented groups of students in particular who often face disadvantages .The objectives are to exchange best practice across the partner countries, to deliver 5 modules of teacher training activities including certificated training through GRETB, which will upskill staff in partner countries including knowledge such as labour market information and to impact on vocational students career choices. Staff are our primary focusThrough 5 training events up to 80 staff from partner countries will visit hosting countries and learn from the practice there. This will be through observation/shadowing/lecture/workshop/discussion and other practical methods. These will be vocational teachers, strategists and a small number of business ambassadors all involved in education employment partnership delivery and development. Delegates will cascade information and learning in their own country. Indirectly we expect 2930 participants to benefit from the project.The project will develop a resource directory for partner countries, a curriculum package and a set of case studies showcasing excellent teaching practice across the partners identified through training events and employer involvement. Partner websites will make all materials readily available.The project delivers the up skilling and development of staff, the showcasing of powerful resources through the exchange of practice, the potential of a more innovative curriculum through training which will address inequality and recognise diversity, and consequentially the improvement of life chances for young people and the sharing of good practice.The long term benefits include better teacher training and more skilled teachers, the addressing of skill mismatches through influencing and encouraging young people to choose appropriate careers, the addressing of worklessness and dropout by improved teaching and a more appealing curriculum and the development of national and European strategies through learning and sharing good practice. The project concludes with a series of partner events aimed at disseminating practice as wide as possible and attended by delegates from all partners as well as a wide range of invited delegates.
Context/background of the project: The Teaching Improvement Partnership Project (TIP Project) led by Galway and Roscommon Education and Training Board and involving partners from the Czech Republic, the UK, Portugal and Turkey identified the training and equipping of teachers/trainers in relation to Education Employment Partnership activity as a way to improve teaching. It addressed 'Europe 2020' whilst also impacting on skills mismatches, promoting apprenticeships enterprise/self employment and contributing to economic development. It impacted on inequalities for those from minority backgrounds, those with disabilities and other underrepresented groups such as young women.This project addressed in particular specific communication from the European Commission such as "Improving Competences for the 21st Century, an Agenda for European Co-operation on Schools”, the Bruges communique 2010 and Copenhagen process empowering people, internationalising VET and fostering innovation creativity and entrepreneurship and EU 2020 particularly improving teaching and reducing social exclusion. The aim of this programme is to further strengthen key competences in VET by enhancing the knowledge and skills of staff through training and by promoting work-based learning in all its forms in the curriculum, with special attention to apprenticeships. We aim to make the teacher training element empower the motivation of underrepresented groups of students in particular who often face disadvantage and social exclusion. Objectives: The objectives were to exchange best practice across the partner countries and to deliver 5 modules of teacher training activities including certified training through GRETB. This will upskill staff in partner countries including knowledge such as labour market information and the impact on vocational students' career choices. Staff were our primary focus. Through 5 training events up to 80 staff from partner countries visited hosting countries and learnt from the practice there. It was through observation/shadowing/lecture/workshop/discussion, practical methods and teaching methodologies. These were vocational teachers, strategists and a small number of business ambassadors all involved in education employment partnership delivery and development. Delegates cascaded information and learning in their own country. The project developed a resource directory for partner countries, a curriculum unit and a set of case studies showcasing excellent teaching practice across the partners identified through training events and employer involvement. Partner websites published all updated and edited materials readily available for classroom use. The project delivered the upskilling and development of staff, the showcasing of powerful resources through the exchange of practice, the potential of a more innovative curriculum through training which will address inequality and recognise diversity, and consequently the improvement of life and career opportunities with the sharing of good practice being the desired outcome. Number and profile of participating organisations: - 5 organisations formed the transnational project partnership which was innovative as the group was rich in educational diversity and vocational expertise. - The lead partner GTI is part of the Galway, Roscommon Education and Training Board. GTI has a wealth of experience in managing both KA1 and KA2 projects and were delighted to be awarded with the VET Erasmus+ Charter in 2015. We have ten course departments and over 50 individual programmes on offer. All students complete a mandatory vocational work placement. - SES 13-19 Ltd is based in the West Midlands (UK) and works with over 100 VET organisations. They work with providers of secondary and vocational education to enhance the curriculum to improve student’s readiness for employment and the world of work. - ISS-COP is based in the Czech Republic - Aydin Dogan: - Municipio Sao Joao Da Madeira: Description of undertaken main activities: - The TIP Project involved 5 international partners and delivered 5 LTTA events - The training courses are transferable across national boundaries - Project outputs were created including resource directories, case studies, a project website and curriculum materials. - A strategy paper called the Way Forward was also produced suggesting strategic developments for each of the partners Results and impact attained: - 80 international delegates have taken part in the 5 training activities - Project outputs are accessible on the project website - www.tipproject.eu - Project delegates are implementing what they have learnt. If relevant, longer-term benefits: The project results have provided some insight into the importance of work based learning for schools and discussions have started with employers as to ascertain what skills and qualities are deemed relevant. The project resources have relevance beyond national boundaries.