With the experience from mobilities, we wanted to: 1) cultivate highly qualified educators with improved digital skills, 2) promote an individualized approach, reducing drop-outs from 15% to 10% (this was school's general goal in that study year), 3) to implement competence-based education in both face-to-face and distance learning, 4) to help teachers use digitized content for competency and skill development, 5) to improve teaching methods for diverse learner groups and needs, 6) to help create a high-reputation institution, leading in educational programs and collaborating with national and international partners (building the capacity for collaboration in other EU and other international scale projects). As our school previously participated for VET mobilities that gave opportunities for VET teachers, with this project, we wanted that teachers of general education subjects have the chance to participate and enhance their skills in teaching methods, ICT methods, stress and conflict resolution techniques, language learning in the digital age, and critical thinking during the learning process (fostering highly qualified and motivated educators).
Vidzeme Technology and Design Vocational School is a state established educational institution under the supervision of the Ministry of Education and Science. The context of the project is to reach the strategic goals of Vidzeme Technology and Design Vocational School. We aimed to advance to the status of a Baltic-level vocational school, focused on implementing the mobilities of this project to achieve strategic goals and enhance international cooperation and internationalization. Current challenges and needs included the development of educators. For example: 1) developing the teaching methods our teachers use in their classes, 2) developing the cooperation skills our teachers use in their classes and in their communication in general, 3) to increase the intecrultural dimension in their work (for example, intercultural experience so teachers could base their opinion on their own experience, be more open-minded), 4) create more inclusive environment in the school, 5) to ensure that teachers are more willing to use other languages in their work, to be able to use English for work more, 6) to improve methods and practical skills for their work with our students, 7) to ensure competent, and excellence-oriented teaching.