More than any other sector, today’s health care sector is dependent on the mobility of workers from across Europe and even on an international scale in order to overcome skill shortages within the EU Member States. The mobility of skilled workers is strongly hindered by highly complex and time consuming validation and recognition processes and by a lack of transparency among health care qualifications in the European Member States. The HCEU Project has made a major contribution towards the transparency of health care qualifications across borders and the facilitation of processes to formally recognise and validate health care qualifications acquired abroad as well as through in- and non-formal learning within different health care recognition and validation systems throughout the European Union. For this purpose the HCEU consortium made use of the award-winning, practically-applied VQTS model. The VQTS model does not focus on the specificities of national VET systems but uses learning outcomes and work processes to enhance transparency. It provides a ‘common language’ to describe competences and their acquisition and a way to relate these competence descriptions to concrete qualifications/ certificates and competence profiles of individuals. The VQTS model relates on the one hand to the work process and follows, on the other hand, a ‘development logical’ differentiation of a competence profile. This makes it an ideal and comprehensive tool to appreciate the lifelong learning of health care professionals in the context of formal recognition processes. Based on this approach HCEU developed VQTS matrices, profiles, tools and instruments for the field of ‘professional care’ for the national contexts of the project partners in order to facilitate recognition praxis in those EU Member States. In addition HCEU developed transfer kits in order to facilitate the transfer of those tools also to other national (within and beyond Europe) contexts and to other fields within health care. Those tools are expected to make a major contribution to the work of VET providers and recognition bodies/authorities involved in transnational mobility of health care professionals. In this way HCEU makes it possible to facilitate the establishment of a European labour market that helps to overcome skill shortages and high unemployment rates through fostering the mobility of health care professionals across the European Member States.

The Trans2Work project is designed as complementary with “Equal Access for All -Strengtheningthe Social Dimension for a Stronger European Higher Education Area” (EquiED)(http://www.equied.ni.ac.rs/en/) in SR and “Support and Inclusion of SwDs at Higher Education inMontenegro” (SINC@HE) (http://sinche.uom.gr/) in ME and “Equal Opportunities for StudentsWith Special Needs in Higher Education” (EQOPP) (http://www.eqopp.ba/) in BiH. The aforementioned projects have been designed to improve the equal access, inclusion and support of prospective and current students with disability (SwD) at HEIs in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia & Herzegovina. Taken into consideration the specific objectives of these 3 projects, the proposed project is a follow up and complementary based on the assumption that SwD often experience limited access to and success within postsecondary and higher education programs which subsequently limits their employment. Thus, Trans2Work links the outcomes from the aforementioned projects and makes the next step by preparing SwD to meet the needs of the labor market after their graduation. This project proposal completely addresses regional priorities for JP in Serbia and Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, concretely the priority “Developing the Higher Education sector within society at large, University-enterprise cooperation, entrepreneurship and employability of graduates”. All three partner countries (PC) have done a lot for persons with disability (PwD) on the legislative level. I.e. ratified UN Convention on the Rights of PwD and adopted laws such as the Law on Prevention of Discrimination Against PwD both providing framework for right to education and employment/work for PwD. Almost all universities at partner countries have career centers and for those that have not the already established centers for students with disability from aforementioned projects have been included within the Trans2Work project.The associations of individuals with disability and the employment agencies in three partnercountries are actively involved in supporting PwD to find an appropriate job and some, i.e. inSerbia, developed programs for employment of PwD and specialized services both for PwD andfor employers.Although there is a good background and some common good developed strategies there are a lotof differences that are making the mobility among partner countries not easy and in a lot of casesthe implementation of those policies are still inefficient and not practically linked. A review onreports and literature focusing on the transition from HE to work life in the 3 partner countries has showed a lack of research data and information. Generally employers are skeptical about thepossibility of hiring PwD since their concern relates to the ability of PwD to carry out theiremployment responsibilities. Important factor for positive change in the attitude of employers is the level of education of PwD. Furthermore gathering statistical information to build up a clear picture of the situation of PwD within the labor market is particularly difficult. This is due in part to the fact that partner countries do not carry out regular or consistent surveys on the employment situation of PwD at the HE level. Comparison of the situation at EU level is further complicated by the fact that each partner country has its own system for defining the population with disability. Aim of the project is to improve the quality and relevance of school to work transition of HE SwD in RS and ME and BiH. Main objectives are to (a) upgrade and prepare HEIs services to support SwD to their transition from HE to Work following the EU policies, (b) link HE to “disability friendly” work environments, (c) assimilate transition opportunities and skills with EU practices and policies and (d) to prepare employers on understanding the needs of employees with disabilities in order to offer new jobs.

“Integration through work” is one of the cornerstones of success in order to ensure a smooth integration of migrants / refugees in general into their new living environment abroad. But integration through work does not typically end with signing the employment contract. Workplace integration is an interactive process that requires efforts from all parties involved: the migrant worker, the employer and its personnel and, in some areas of work, even the employers’ customers or clients. Aside from very practical and legal aspects, intercultural and social processes are key in order to pave the way for a smooth workplace integration especially to cope with the effects of the refugee crisis Europe is currently faced with. In order to facilitate the successful integration of migrants at the workplace the MaWIC project explored and shaped the role of the so-called “Migration and Workplace Integration Coach” (MaWI-Coach) and developed a learning outcome profile and corresponding tailored training programme for this role. MaWI-Coaches act as support persons providing the necessary guidance and coaching of employers and migrant workers (as well as the staff of the organisation in question) in the workplace integration process. The target group to be trained as MaWI-Coaches includes in-company trainers and trainers of adult institutions, further vocational institutions, HR managers as well as (senior) personnel in companies responsible for workplace integration of new personnel. Beyond the development of the learning outcome profile and training course for MaWI-Coaches, the project also developed two workplace integration concepts and corresponding toolboxes, one addressing the employers' side and one addressing the migrants' side of the integration process through the MaWI-Coaches. Both concepts and toolboxes include adequate information, tools and instruments and are intended to support Migration and Workplace Integration professionals and those fulfilling such roles in their everyday work with migrants and their employers. The MaWIC project thus combines approaches of training with intercultural coaching including diversity competence, leading to individual coaching and enhanced learning possibilities for migrants, employers and employees. All MaWIC outputs are offered as Open Education Resources in order to make them available for utilisation and exploitation as well as further development of workplace integration tools among integration professionals. The above-listed outputs are complemented by recommendations listing criteria for a successful and sustainable integration of migrants at the workplace including aspects of various subordinated topics which are related to migration and integration. The MaWIC approach represents a comprehensive basis for the professionalisation of integration concepts for migrants at the workplace at micro, meso and macro level. It is indispensable in the light of the integration of refugees as well as the overall increasing need to integrate other types of migrant workers at workplaces in the European Union Member States. MaWIC thus made a contribution to jointly tackle the challenges and effects of the refugee crisis at European level.

"The project IM.PRO.SK. WBL (Improve Professional Skills Work Based Learning) was carried out in order to to meet the training needs and the professional upgrading of teachers/tutors in the VET schools and workplace tutors in the enterprises. The project addressed the skill needs of company employees and VET teachers in planning, guiding and supporting work-based learning (WBL) processes. The strategic partnership was born in three Southern Europe Countries sharing inadequate (or missing) knowledge and expertise of collaboration between VET system schools and enterprises. Indeed dual learning system is not so widespread in these Countries despite the excellent results in terms of employment obtained by Northern Europe Countries, where VET system schools are based on a close cooperation between VET provider organizations and enterprises. Italian, Romanian and Turkish partners (VET providers and associations of enterprises) identified good practices to be acquired in their Countries: a) EWT-European Workplace Tutor (DE/11/LLP-LDV/TOI/147433) from Germany; b) DTS-Dual Teaching System (2013-1-ES1-LEO05-66184) from Spain. The strategic partnership was made by two partner providers (PPs) who transferred their own good practices and six partner users (PUs) who learned WBL good practices. The General objective of the project was to promote high quality WBL processes. Specific objectives included: 1) to increase (certified) skills of workplace tutors and teachers/tutors in WBL processes; 2) to improve the capability to use European models and tools in planning and implementing high quality WBL processes; 3) to increase opportunities of peer-to-peer learning at an European level through the exchange of WBL good practices; 4) to create the conditions for a strategy of scalability and repeatability of learning contents in the partner organizations and local VET systems. The project involved a “LAB FOR THE TRANSFER OF INNOVATION TO TRAIN TEACHER/TUTORS AND WORKPLACE/TUTORS” where Partner Providers transferred to Users Providers the knowledge necessary for training programs aimed to teachers/tutors and workplace tutors according to the Dual Learning model. The second step of the project was TO CREATE THE CONDITIONS TO REPLICATE WBL GOOD PRACTICES through the translation of training contents of the two training procedures - for teacher/tutors and workplace tutors, according to the Dual Learning model - and through the agreement for the use of DTS e-learning platforms for the realization of some of the expected learning activities in the form of short-term mobility. For what is concerned with the EWT training, contents were integrated with those produced in another project, ""Be a mentor in a workplace"", since they best matched the needs and conditions of Partner Users. A group of beneficiaries from the association of enterprises participated in the TRAINING COURSE FOR WORKPLACE WBL TUTORS and a group of beneficiaries from VET providers participated in the TRAINING COURSE FOR TEACHERS/TUTORS IN THE DUAL LEARNING MODEL. Participants’ learning outcomes were evaluated and certified according to ECVET system in combination with EUROPASS certificate. A METHODOLOGICAL GUIDE OF TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR TEACHER/TUTORS AND WORKPLACE TUTORS was prepared. Partner Providers on one hand have increased the skills of their own staff (teachers, contact people in enterprises), on the other have acquired knowledge and skills in implementing training courses addressing the two key-players in WBL system: the teacher tutor and the workplace tutor. The positive results of this project have already made it possible for some Pus to replicate these learning processes both within and outside their own organizations, thus magnifying the impact of the project. The project also had a positive impact on external organizations, particularly on all stakeholders involved in WBL processes. For this specific aim, a great attention was paid to the dissemination of results to a high number of stakeholders who were informed on intermediate and final results of the project. The combined use of several communication tools allowed to realize tailored and profitable dissemination activities."

Based on a successful methodology to support labour integration of low-skilled mature workers implemented in Spain, which has adressed 900 people in the last two years with a insertion rate of 41%, we aim take this experience at European level enriching and expanding it with the experience of Germany, Sweden and Lithuania. Taking as starting points the materials and methodology used in the Labora45 + program and its associated partners and the extensive experience of all EU partners we adapted these materials at European level. The materials to support labor integration are oriented to adults over 45 years and structured to be used by training and / or career guidance professionals. We also developed 4 functional APP's (1 for each participating country) to support quick access to specific information of interest validated by both jobseekers aged over 45 years and professionals dedicated to them. The materials will were developed to be used on internet and mobile platforms. Their content is aimed at developing 3 key competencies determined by the adult education policy in the EU: Digital Skills, Learning to learn, and sense of initiative and entrepreneurship. Making use of a work plan we developed the materials and the mobile application with inputs from all partners, proceeding to the adaptation of the content in digital format and testing with 32 professionals and 64 people aged 45+ who are participating in training programs and / or career guidance pathways.The products are available for free to be use by both entities to users over 45 years. The MATURE platform, the tutorials and the APPS were very well received by the educational and labor community. Since its publication and until September 2018, they received around 30,000 visits. The APPS had about 17,000 searches in online stores.