The project aimed to: 1, provide a period of ‘real work’ experience for environmental, archaeology and craft VET students to increase skills, confidence and employability. 2. Ensure that this European experience was of relevance to the participant and accredited through our Green Village ECVET curriculum 3. Provide beneficiaries with time and support to increase language skills and key competencies including: Environmental Skills: planting, coppicing, footpath construction, countryside furniture, biodiversity assessments, species identification, surveying, habitat management. Archaeological skills: Excavation techniques, recording features, photography, planning, surveying, post-excavation, stratigraphy. Craft Skills: weaving, embroidery, silversmithing, blacksmithing, bookbinding, ceramics, wood carving and traditional building conservation and construction techniques. 4. Develop a sustainable European VET partnership which can share experience and develop future cooperation projects. 5. Enhance UK VET training provision by providing 1-week staff placements for tutors with relevant European hosts.
The activities in this project were decided upon following a review of our VMC application, internationalisation strategy, partnership consultation (UK and European hosts) and an evaluation of completed mobilities and partnership working under previous successful PEATS projects. The project has been developed to address a series of identified learning aims through consultation with our UK college partners and sectoral organisations in the environmental, archaeological and crafts/arts sectors. The project is practical and work-based in focus. For VET student participants the aim is to provide an inspiring period of accredited real-work experience abroad, where students can develop practical skills (outlined below), gain confidence and become better prepared for further study and/or employment (CV building). For our VET staff participants, the project addresses the need to share best practice, knowledge and methodology of accreditation (ECVET) and increase cooperation and collaboration in the future. The exchange of ideas and experience for VET training staff has a positive impact on their own training delivery to VET students in the UK post-placement.