The VET SQUARED (VET^2) project focuses on the initial and continuous professional development of VET teachers, with a specific focus on an area of VET which is largely overlooked as a topic relating to HR or organisational policy and management, and generally integrated as a small part of operational policy and compliance measures. The project addresses this priority by upskilling and providing continuous professional development opportunities in the field of VET mobility, by providing a bespoke safeguarding quality charter for application during VET mobility activities. The project also aims to develop European level partnerships aimed at putting in place the necessary support mechanisms as well as contractual frameworks to promote the safeguarding of VET learners during mobility periods led by VET organisations, teachers and mobility leaders. The project's dissemination and exploitation plans aim to promote strong internationalisation through an effective safeguarding procedures and sets of standard before, during and after the learner mobility process, by informing, motivating, preparing and facilitating the knowledge and skills of VET organisations and teachers in host and sending countries. The project is aimed towards identifying best practices, creating a standardised set of safeguarding and scaling up safeguarding these measures within the area of the Erasmus+ VET mobility. Our project focuses on developing a set of practical standards and guidelines for implementation, along with the development of safety and security protocols for transnational mobility group leaders taking students abroad, as well as an e-course, community of best practice and a resource bank for VET practitioners; with the ultimate goal of maintaining safe and secure mobility programmes for young students travelling abroad to undertake a period of study or vocational work placement. The VET^2 project objectives are: - To implement the safeguarding best practices amongst VET mobility organisations on a wider, pan-European scale - To develop a holistic, European strategy for effective safeguarding and promotion of quality mobility of VET learners under the age of 18 - To lay the foundations for the implementation and uptake of a single European VET Mobility Safeguarding Policy at a higher/systemic level - To raise awareness of the importance and ongoing need for safeguarding awareness and review within mobility activities - To cultivate a European VET Mobility safeguarding focused network through which VET mobility staff and coordinators from both host and receiving organisations can share and exchange resources, knowledge and good practices The project target group is Key Action 1 VET mobility organisations and the professional involved in leading VET mobility groups. Through the four intellectual outputs, the project will produce the following key deliverables: VET Mobility Safeguarding Charter (IO1) VET Mobility Safeguarding Benchmarking Tool (IO2) VET Mobility Platform (IO3) VET Mobility Safeguarding Policy Recommendation Report (IO4)
Overall, the objectives of the VET^2 project were to implement safeguarding best practices on a wider European scale, develop a holistic strategy for effective safeguarding of VET learners, and establish the foundations for a single European VET Mobility Safeguarding Policy. Additionally, the project aimed to raise awareness of the importance of safeguarding and to cultivate a network for sharing resources and knowledge among VET mobility staff and coordinators. Specifically, we had the following objectives: 1 To implement safeguarding best practices amongst VET mobility organisations on a wider, pan-European scale 2 To develop a holistic, European strategy for effective safeguarding and promotion of quality mobility of VET learners under the age of 18 3 To lay the foundations for the implementation and uptake of a single European VET Mobility Safeguarding Policy at a higher/systemic level 4 To raise awareness of the importance and ongoing need for safeguarding awareness and review within mobility activities 5 To cultivate a European VET Mobility safeguarding-focused network through which VET mobility staff and coordinators from both host and receiving organisations can share and exchange resources, knowledge and good practices
We applied for Erasmus+ funding for the VET Mobility Safeguarding Quality Charter for Europe Project (VET^2) to address the urgent need for safeguarding education during vocational education and training (VET) mobilities. Existing safeguarding policies emphasised the importance of child protection and reporting mechanisms, but they lacked specific guidance for the VET mobility sector. Similarly, the VET Mobility Charter, while promoting international strategies, did not provide clear instructions on implementing safeguarding measures. Our project aimed to fill this gap by exploring the intersection of safeguarding and VET mobilities and providing educational opportunities to staff members in VET institutions. We identified best practices, established standardised safeguarding measures through a charter, and scaled up implementation through an e-course. The e-course included modules, a forum, and a resource bank for VET staff. Our ultimate goal was to support safe and secure VET mobility programs for young students. We believe we achieved this through the project's impacts and results, which aimed to enhance the knowledge of VET practitioners and ensure robust mobility safeguarding measures.