MAKE IT HAPPEN project was inspired by two successful previous Erasmus+ mobility projects for VET called “Handi’Cap sur l’Europe” started on 2015. After 5 years of transnational cooperation, the project gathered 7 French and 11 European organisations committed on supporting VET mobility for disabled learners. # AIMS By implementing this project, among Spain, German, Portuguese, Italian and French organisations, we aim to discover our neighbours context, practices, challenges and initiatives, regarding the access of disabled learner on vocational training. During the lenght of the project, especially during the meetings among the partners, the partnership intends to : -Discover and share practices and challenges among the partnership and other stakeholders at local level regarding VET training European mobility access for disabled learners. -Develop the knowledge of partners’ staff on the local contexts abroad (social, economical, cultural and legal perspectives) and approaches facilitating disabled people inclusion in each partner’s place. -Create awareness and interest among organisations dealing with European mobility (VET centers, Mobility agencies...) so that they consider disabled learners as potential beneficiaries. -Develop the confidence of European staff dealing with learners with disability, specially regarding European mobility opportunities like ERASMUS, by discoreving successful initiatives. # RESULTS # 5 Transnational meetings : CAP ULYSSE, ENGIM, INCOMA, SOLARIS, and EUROYOUTH organise a transnational meeting (logistics support, agenda proposal, welcoming of the other partners, presentation of the local context and policies, selection of 3 associated partners to be visited & organisation of exchanges/debates between staff). A European State of the Art: A presentation of the partners' local contexts (from a social, economical, cultural and legal perspectives) and approaches facilitating disabled people inclusion on VET, in each partner’s place. ALBA association is in charge of collecting and editing each partner "State of the art" as learder partner on this activity. ALL PARTNERS are in charge of writing a local "State of the art" and report it to ALBA association. A CATALOGUE OF BEST PRACTICES: Partners will select organisations interested in hosting/sending disabled trainees from abroad for training purposes or having an innovative approach on VET training for disabled people or inclusive VET training. A selection of 10 best practices from the visited partners gathered into the catalogue. ALL concerned PARTNERS (Those who host a TM) are expected to support COMETA by providing usefull information and validating the contents. # EXPECTED IMPACTS Improve STAFF SKILLS and knowledge: During each TM the hosting partner will introduce the local context and policies to the partnership and will organise at least 3 visits to organisations (interested in hosting / sending disabled trainees from abroad for training purposes or having an innovative approach on VET training for disabled people or inclusive VET training). Those experiences will be reported into a guideline divided into 2 chapters: -a theoretical introduction to the local context and policies for disabled trainees, by each partner. -a practical chapter introducing 10 organisations visited with a focus on best/innovative practices. Create a EUROPEAN NETWORK of Economical actors interested in opening their doors to European disabled learners (in a common environment or a protected one), social actors including experienced organisations in VET with/for disabled learners, educational actors including VET providers aiming at promoting ERASMUS opportunities among their disabled learners.
The Make It Happen (MIH) project is an initiative led by Cap Ulysse aimed at gathering European mobility operators and institutions hosting learners with disabilities for 30 months with a shared challenge : allow them to consider ERASMUS+ mobility as an inclusive programme for learners with disabilities.
Despite the laws already for equal rights and opportunities in Europe, the access to employment and training for citizens with disabilities remains below average. For instance, in France, only 20% of disable citizen have access to higher education and only 9.8% have access to regional training programs. However, once again, access to European mobility programs like ERASMUS+ remains an exception for learners with disabilities and even more for VET learners with disabilities. Fortunately, some initiatives like this aims one try to meet these needs. Indeed a work experience or an internship abroad remains a precious value, when entering the labour market or accessing a training, so MIH .