Background: In line with the idea of promoting technical career and self-employability among youngsters, the facilities has been already set up in many European cities. The co-working spaces and incubators offering services for start-ups are very common, and fabrication laboratories (fab labs/LABs) start to spread as well. However, this offer is rarely directed to VET students, and training programmes for youngsters conveniently combining formal and in-formal experiential learning are still lacking. There is much to be done to better explore synergies between LABs and VET and to promote WBL that is more flexible and can faster respond to the labour market needs. For some partner countries also high unemployment among youngsters is a challenge that this project might help to tackle, among other priorities that it addresses (e.g. continuous professional development of VET teachers/trainers; promotion of work-based learning in all its forms and developing relevant partnerships and collaborations to open further opportunities to apply knowledge in practical "real life" situations). Objective: the aim of the project is to combine the know-how within the partnership, inspired by experience of existing LABs, and to develop interdisciplinary mentoring and learning solutions to promote and develop technical as well transversal skills among youngsters (16-26 years). By revealing natural abilities via diagnostics, they can explore their talent via work-based learning activities focused either on entrepreneurial or technical skills. Designing the model of cooperation among relevant local actors to boost entrepreneurship or promote technical career among youngsters and appropriate combination of formal and non-formal learning leads to rising motivation for self-development with the positive impact on labour market. The project will also help to spread further the concept of LABs and promote its benefits for VET. The project will be implemented by a partnership that gathers a mix of profiles that complement each other (training organisations, VET providers, LABs (in core consortium and also as associated partners), business entrepreneurship promoters, municipality) and can jointly achieve the project goals and produce meaningful results. Target groups: 1) Youngsters aged 16-26 , especially VET learners 2) VET trainers/teacher and other trainers and mentors of both formal and non-formal learning 3) Actors in the field of business promotion, local authorities, etc. Activities and results: A1 - Project and Quality management A2 - PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR BRINGING LABs TO LIVE O1: Practical guide for bringing LABs to live A3 - Development of learning materials O2: Toolkit of learning materials A4 - SHARING THE EXISTING EXPERIENCE C1: Training on WBL and methodology of experiential learning (Short-term joint staff training event) A5 - DESIGNING THE ROADMAP MAKE YOUR WAY O3: Roadmap MAKE YOUR WAY and guide for mentoring talent E1 – E4: MAKE YOUR WAY workshops (multiplier events in PL, CZ, PT, ES) Impact and benefits: • promoting the entrepreneurship, creativity and technical skills through offering comprehensive learning Toolkit (available in 5 European languages) and practical training in LABs, as well as mentoring • consolidating existing knowledge on LAB concept by good practices analysis and motivating others to follow this concept by formulation of recommendations, especially in terms of exploring synergies with local VET systems • gaining experience with pilots and setting roadmaps for future implementations.
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