The project follows the core objectives of the "Riga Conclusion on VET" (2015): to promote job-related learning in partnership and make it more attractive; and to improve access to vocational education and training through efficient guidance and occupational orientation. The biggest challenge facing VET is the public perception that it is the final resort for dropouts. But in reality employment prospects and vocational careers for learners, who have completed a vocational training programme, are very good. For example in Germany around two thirds of all trainees get a permanent job with their companies after completing vocational training. Professionals with a vocational qualification are in high demand on the labour market. In some fields, candidates with a vocational qualification are even more sought after than university graduates. In view of the shortage of skilled labour and the trend towards academization and VET as 2nd choice, there is a need in all partner countries to inform young people even better about the very good career opportunities offered by work-based learning (WBL) as an alternative to university studies. Improving the image of Vocational Education and Training is our priority in this project. Here the consortium will test and establish an innovative challenge-based approach that starts with the learner and arouses curiosity for VET and work-based learning (WBL). This includes, among other things, Escape games which can provide vocational orientation in an appealingly way. Educational Escape rooms have drawn the interest of educators due to their ability to foster valuable skills such as teamwork, leadership, creative thinking, and communication. As a consequence, educational Escape rooms are emerging as a new type of learning activity under the promise of enhancing students learning through highly engaging experiences. The partnership will be composed of chambers, companies, schools and innovative VET providers. So a good balance between VET and business is guaranteed. Together they will answer the question of how to unlock the potential of Educational Escape games to improve the image of VET. This new type of "learning activity" has decisive advantages: it is playful (arousing curiosity), it simulates "problems" from the real working world and makes young people aware of their strengths. It is an effective intervention that can be applied by lots of different actors in VET to attract additional target groups as potential VET students and later on skilled workers: school leavers with an educationally distant background, girls, university drop-outs, etc. Partners will create flexible Escape room settings including methodological and didactical recommendations, that can be used or adapted afterwards to the end-users' needs. Those will be piloted with at least 80 students and their respective educators/vocational counsellors of the target group. By providing appealing and playful opportunities to get to know specific occupations, students will become aware about "challenges" and "benefits" of the attractive world of work. In summary the partnership seeks to reduce misconceptions about certain VET profiles, arousing an interest in those profiles and considerations to choose a VET learning path among students, teachers and parents. We will enhance graduate employability through attractive work-based learning and vocational training and support companies in the daily "war of talents" to attract future skilled workers.
"Making vocational education and training a first option – not a second choice!" this EU slogan was the vision behind our project idea. To ensure that WBL remains a successful model in the future and that the next generation of skilled workers acquires the qualifications that will be in demand on the labour market, the attractiveness, quality and performance of WBL must be strengthened and the ability of young school leavers to take up qualified vocational training must be expanded. There are the young people, who have to orient themselves and get to know their own interests, skills and goals. On the other hand, there are the demands of the world of work, which young people must orient themselves to and whose image and attractiveness must be increased. The objective was to offer to school pupils an attractive vocational orientation process that will enable them to develop a realistic idea of their own abilities and interests and to gather practical experience in different occupational fields. Our Escape approach alone aroused the curiosity and interest of many students and teachers. By means of this "ESCAPE" eye-catcher embedded in professional consulting services, we generated interest and promoted the attractiveness of WBL.
There is a growing awareness across Europe and worldwide that excellent work-based learning is crucial for the competitiveness of companies and the participation of young people in society. Companies across Europe urgently need qualified VET staff. But in Europe, a career in vocational training is only a second option, because attractiveness and image are traditionally worse than starting at university. Our partnership promotes and supports the topic of WBL in their countries for years. Together, we set out to strengthen young people's ability to choose a career by raising awareness of WBL, excellent career opportunities, high demand, good pay and long-term employment prospects for future specialists in VET. In our modern world of work, topics such as digitization, innovation, creativity, teamwork and all in all personal soft skills play a central role. Our project approach is aimed at strengthening WBL through attractive offers to promote career choice competence in secondary school. The aim is to improve career guidance through attractive, game-based and innovative offers with assured quality for all. For these purposes, we provide teachers or career guidance counsellors with an attractive methodological ESCAPE2STAY toolkit.