CONTEXT/BACKGROUND Some European countries, such as Germany or Austria, have a long tradition of VET systems that are closely linked to buisinesses and to the needs and competencies that the latter require, while in other countries, such as Spain, Portugal or Italy, the partnership between vocational training providers and businesses need to improve and strengthen, especially in relation to the horizontal adjustment of competencies, since the education system is not always flexible and agile enough to adapt to the training needs of companies. Undertaking changes in the education system and implementing a quality DVET system is a slow task that faces numerous difficulties and barriers of various kinds, for instance: 1) Cultural: while in some countries vocational training has a good reputation in others it is reviled; 2) Legislative: regulations that are rigid and inadequately adapted to emerging needs; 3) Administrative: excessively rigid bureaucratic environments in which it is necessary to change mentalities, habits, procedures, etc.; 4) Inexperience: especially because of the limited commitment of the business sector to vocational training and the education sector’s lack of understanding of corporate culture, especially in the context of small and medium enterprises. OBJECTIVES This strategic partnership is constituted to support the implementation of reforms of DVET systems of two regions and one country of Southern Europe (Castile and León - Spain, Emilia Romagna - Italy and Portugal), through actions of transfer of learning and mutual knowledge of countries that have extensive experience and demonstrably successful models and are points of reference in the implementation of DVET (Germany and Austria). NUMBER & PROFILE OF PARTICIPANTS The project targets participants from sectorial business groups, chambers of commerce, businesses, vocational training providers and other actors, as well as other key stakeholders involved in DVET. It aims at involving approximately 300 personas in learning activities. DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITIES & METHODOLOGY For a period of two years, the partners of the project will collaborate closely in the exchange and transfer of knowledge and learning as well as working methods and tools, through the organisation of five joint training actions: 1) Peer learning and joint training workshop 1 (Portugal) 2) Peer learning and joint training study visit 1 (Germany) 3) Peer learning and joint training workshop 2 (Castilla y León) 4) Peer learning and joint training Study visit 2 (Austria) 5) Peer learning and joint training workshop 3 (Italy) In addition, regional dissemination events will be organised by the partners to disseminate the results of the project. RESULTS AND IMPACT The project aims at reaching the following results: • For Castile and León, Portugal and Italy: better implementation of their model of DVET with guarantees, having acquired the experience of exchange, advice and support from two countries that have a long experience of success and from other countries that are implementing their model. • For Austria and Germany: test the functioning of their model in other countries and identify possible improvements by sharing knowledge and experience among them. • For the partners of the five countries: establish networks of contacts and learning that will last in the future and that can be made profitable in the development of future DVET mobilities among partner regions/countries. • For the European context: experiment with a transfer system that can be extended to other countries/regions in the future if it functions adequately. POTENTIAL LONGER TERM BENEFITS The activities and results that will be maintained after the end of the project will focus on reinforcing and developing the networks of contacts and partnerships among the consortium and associated partners of the project with two aims: 1) Improving the quality and increasing the number of VET mobilities among the regions and countries of the project. Castile and León is interested in testing a new international mobility model, which firstly requires a stronger partnership. With this project, we expect to set the basis for this partnership and pilot this new VET model with partners interested in getting involved. partnerships and exchanges between DVET stakeholders of thee regions/countries of the project. 2) Improving the connection between DVET and the needs/demand of the labour market. 3) Improving business partnerships between regions and countries from the project. 4) Improving the financial support and sustainability of DVET. Ultimately, the project expects to improve the quality of the DVET model and implementation tools and monitoring in the long-term, so that more students are encouraged to select this educational path and that more students have a positive and quality experience that leads them to better job opportunities in the current labour market.
The European Union (EU) has insisted on the need to adapt training systems to the requirements of a constantly changing labour market, in which, as a result of globalisation and technological development, professional skills must be adapted to the new times. The adaptation of qualifications is particularly important in the field of Vocational Education and Training (VET), in which two main lines of action have been identified: 1) Boosting the quality of the dual system 2) Reinforcing collaboration between the actors involved. In this context, the iidVET project has aimed at improving the quality and effectiveness of the systems and institutions involved in the development of dual VET, as well as its implementation mechanisms and tools, through an exchange of knowledge and good practices between European countries with consolidated systems of dual Vocational Education and Training and others in which this type of training is not yet sufficiently well developed. Countries such as Germany and Austria have a long experience in the development of dual VET, based on a fluid relationship with companies, while in other states such as Spain, Italy and Portugal, collaboration between training centres and companies needs of an impulse to facilitate a horizontal adjustment of competences. The iidVET project has been designed to establish a collaborative space for mutual learning, development and innovation in the implementation of dual VET between the five countries mentioned above, which are committed to improving its quality and effectiveness. To this end, throughout iidVET, the main factors featuring consolidated and successful dual VET systems have been identified and analysed through the analysis of the German and Austrian cases through joint reflections, study visits and analysis of good practices, with the aim of applying the main strengths to overcome the weaknesses identified and analysed during the project in the participating countries where dual VET is less developed: Spain, Portugal and Italy. Approximately 300 participants related to the design, implementation and evaluation of dual VET took part in iidVET, including policy makers, administrative technicians, managers and teachers of training centres providing dual VET - including centres for students with special needs -, representatives of the areas of training and/or human resources of companies, universities, chambers of commerce, employers' organisations and trade unions, company tutors and dual VET students, among others. In terms of results and impact obtained, all of them with a long-term perspective of permanence, the objectives related to the transfer of knowledge and experience and the successful factors of the dual VET systems in Austria and Germany to the other countries have been achieved to a large extent. Thus, it is worth highlighting the introduction by the Ministry of Education of Castilla y León, already initiated for the 2019-2020 academic year, of the role of the Prospector of Learning Positions in Companies for the Development of dual VET projects in Castilla y León, releasing at least one teacher from each of the publicly owned centers that have authorized dual FP projects or have requested authorization, in order to foster the search for companies for the development of dual projects. Also, the feasibility analysis that the IFEP of Portugal is currently carrying out on the possibility of modifying the contracting system of its dual VET training model, based until now on an agreement between the centre and the student, to move to one based on the agreement between the company and the student, once they have verified through the project that this is the system that operates in all the countries of the project and that it is more effective than their own. In addition, the objective set for the five participating countries of establishing and strengthening networks of contacts that will remain in the future and that will lead to an increase in the number of mobilities in dual VET between partner countries/regions has been achieved. This has already led, among other things, to the collaboration between partners and their international networks in new Erasmus+ projects to further increase the quality of dual VET and to foster international mobilities in this field, such as the one launched on 1 December 2019 under the name 'doALLVET' (Strategic Alliances for Quality Dual VET and International Mobilities), coordinated by the iidVET Project Leader and again with the Portuguese partner IEFP. In addition, a 'Key Findings, Recommendations and Inspiring Experiences' guide has been produced in the languages of all project partners, which will serve as a basis for further reforms and projects.