This is a Strategic partnership project between Nome vocational college, Norway (mostly called Nome throughout the application), TKNIKA, Spain and Riveria, Finland.The project has the overall goal to change the way vocational education and training supports VET pupils learning by introducing VR and VR-games as teaching methods. Since pupils success at schools depends on accomplished teachers, our focus in this project is VET-teachers and how a group of early adopters can collaborate, develop and exchange knowledge on best practice when introducing Virtual Reality (VR) Educational Technology (Ed Tech) as a supplement to traditional teaching with books and other flat screens. This project is about how a group of approximately 20 teachers during guidance over about two years explore Ed Tech and then also develop guidelines, or a manual, for other VET Teachers in general on how to check relevance when presented for VR software. It will also explore how teachers should plan, conduct and evaluate VET lessons that include VR sessions for the pupils. Finally the project will also present a list of VR games with relevance for different subjects, so that non experienced VET Teachers get a starting kit and a guide for how to introduce VR in their teaching. This relevance will be presented in English, Spanish, Finnish and Norwegian so that it can be shared with Teachers in many countries. If it is a success it might be translated into all EU-languages.There are no requirements that teachers should know anything about VR before they join the project. This is meant for beginners so they will have a good understanding of what other VET teachers may wonder about when it comes to VR. Professors and Ed Tech experts will be invited to the workshops to give lessons on relevant topics, and some of them have already initiated that they are interested. The project has a main focus on how to make things work practically for both teachers and pupils. However, theory on pedagogy, motivational psychology and neuroscience is also a part of this way of taking classroom teaching closer to what the students face in reality. While the real world is three dimensional, traditional class room teaching is based on two dimensional flat screens or flat papers. The difference in experience for the pupil can be compared with the difference between watching a movie and actually walk into the story and interact in the plot. This digital reality is simulation reality, either it is anatomy and physiology in humans, it can be about how to drive big forestry machines, how to prevent or handle risky situations when working with electricity or it can be like walking into geometry when learning that in mathematics. The interaction between human and machine may be very different between different games, and we guess that teachers need to learn what the VR Ed Tech can offer. We think this is comparable with gaming except from that the software content and actions has to do with situations or subjects, like Health Care, Constructions, Forestry or Milling and Turning. Our goal is to let VET Teachers test VR in their own VET classrooms/workshops and then exchange experiences with their partners in this project. So, they will, during the project period, develop some common guidelines for best practice for VET Teachers in general about 1) Checking if VR is relevant, and if so 2) present a guide for inexperienced VET Teachers about how to plan, do and evaluate VET lessons with VR.Students on different levels of higher education will be invited to use parts of this as fieldwork or parts of their grades. This project will most likely be a subject of study for both technical and pedagogical students.The project will end in an international conference on VR in VET education. This conference will be held in the Vestfold and Telemark region in Norway.

Context:-Vocational teachers’ role is undergoing a change from knowledge givers to facilitators and co-evaluators. The focus is moving from working alone to co-operation. In the partner coalition countries, The Basque country, Finland and the Netherlands, this change is taking place slowly and therefore it is important that implementation of this new, different way of working and learning is encouraged and expedited.-Welfare technology is one the key development areas in Tredu and its partner schools, because work in social and health care and is changing due to digitalization and increased utilization of technology in care. It is one of the areas where cooperation across different fields is necessary. New technologies in healthcare can only succeed, if they are developed together, across the borders, cross-curricularly. Application- and technical developers must know the wishes and needs both of the clients and users of the technologies and the professionals in the field, ie. the carers, to create applications and solutions that work well and serve the intended purpose.The project idea is to involve teachers and students from different fields of education (social and health care, it, electrical/mechanical engineering) in solving real problems relating to welfare technology, together, in work places in the field of social and health care, in co-operation with the work places. The focus in working life will be in elderly care, not excluding other work or care environments. The problems are either related to existing welfare technologies or they can be solved with welfare technology not yet used in the work place. Methodology of design thinking offers tools for problem solving. From pedagogical point of view the teachers involved in the project will gain and use skills in team teaching, problem and phenomenon –based teaching, flipped learning and -teaching.-Co-operation and communication between VET providers and working life is crucial in realising VET in any country as the guidelines for the qualitive and quantitive output from VET can be directly traced back to the situation in the labour market.Objectives:Project TEAM WE aims at:1) introducing and instilling new ways of teaching and learning to vocational education (cross sectoral co-operation, team teaching, design thinking, problem- and phenomenon-based learning and flipped learning).2) further increasing and strengthening co-operation with working life. The tools and methods involved support the reform of VET in Finland and help teachers in adopting the concept of new teachership.3) increasing teachers’, students and care workers’ knowledge and skills in welfare technology and to generate positive attitude towards it.4) strengthening the participants key competences (problem solving skills, skills in communication and cooperation, initiative taking and entrepreneurship, technology and digital communication, skills in active citizenship and different languages and cultures).5) strengthening the cooperation between partner organizations.Number and profile of participants and description of activities and methodology:The project comprises 70 LTT mobilities (24 student- + 46 staff mobilities) and 16 project meeting mobilities (staff). In teachers short term staff training events teachers learn and practice new teaching methods consistent with the ideology of new teachership. During the parallel blended mobility of learners - activities the students solve the given problems in work places using these methods or elements from them as a tool. Teachers steer and guide the problem solving process.All LTT activities include cooperation with working life; students and teachers visit the work places twice during a project week and working life partners are invited to attend the seminar day/multiplier event at the end of each LTT week. These workshops are possible thanks to intense prior cooperation between the VET organisations and the workplaces. All teacher and student work takes place in multicultural and multiprofessional teams, all participants learning professional skills from each other and strengthening their key competencies.Results, impact envisaged and potential longer term benefitsThe concrete result is a handbook for teachers how to realize cross-sectoral problem-based learning with the methods of new teachership. The handbook will be source of information for teachers seeking information about new teaching methods, cross-curricular teaching or/and welfare technology teaching.Carrying out this project contributes towards increased interest in international work in general in and strenghtened partnerships between the attending organisations, more intense cooperation between VET provider and working life and it steers and encourages teachers to test and adapt new teaching methods and to cross boundaries open-mindedly.

PROJECT SUMMARY In contemporary engineering VET, there is a seemingly irreconcilable tension between two growing needs. On one hand, there is the ever increasing body of technical knowledge that students must command. On the other hand, there is a growing recognition that young engineers must possess a wider array of cross-disciplinary knowledge and skills that will allow them to function in real engineering teams and to produce real products and systems, meeting enterprise and societal needs. A knowledge of the tools, techniques and practices associated with the discipline of creativity and innovation is considered as a critical element for engineering education moving forward. To support continuous innovation, future engineers must master more than the mathematical and scientific knowledge associated with their discipline, but also the ability to understand the role of innovation and creativity in order to fully comprehend the new product development process from idea generation through to commercialisation stage. Therefore, educational initiatives that invest in curriculum modernisation and the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes for promoting creativity and innovation are urgently required, particularly for engineering students who will be required to solve complex open-ended problems in today’s rapidly changing environment. Given this context, there is a need to develop new pedagogical and teacher training material focused on the integration of creativity and innovation curriculum into engineering VET. The Creative Engine project forms a strategic partnership between 5 EU partners with expertise in Engineering, Innovation and Creativity practices and Teacher Training. Collectively the partners aim to develop an openly accessible modular training course focused on the subject of creativity and innovation that will encourage future engineers to understand the value and relevance of these skills and competencies within their studies and careers. Creative Engine will also develop a teacher training programme to ensure VET trainers have the disciplinary knowledge, technical expertise and pedagogical techniques to effectively deliver engineering VET using “learning-by-doing” and “flipped classroom” approaches. To enhance both student and trainer’s creativity & innovation knowledge and practical skills, Creative Engine will utilise a blended leaning approach combining both formal and non-formal learning techniques. Project-based learning activities and game-based learning exercises will form an integral part of the modular training course (IO2) and the teacher training programme (IO3). These informal-learning techniques will be designed on modern engineering technologies such as Rapid Prototyping, 3D laser scanning and Automation, in order to provide dual-impact learning experiences which will simultaneously develop necessary technical skills in conjunction with creativity and innovation. This will ensure learners are equipped with the necessary knowledge required to boost their employability opportunities, entrepreneurial capability and ability to become leading engineers.

TRACKTION focuses on improving VET graduate tracking at institutional level. Tracking is commonly understood here as all systematic approaches that VET institutions put in place to record information on graduates, with regard to their learning progress, skills acquired, perceptions, routes into employment, self-employment, or further training. VET graduate tracking is part of a broader system that requires: 1) Creating and/or reinforcing VET Alumni Culture bearing in mind that “the ability to communicate with graduates is a precondition for tracking” 2) Recording information on VET graduates destination. Both with regard to entry of graduates into the labour market and their progression within it, perceived relevance of acquired skills and entry and progression into other education programmes. 3) Using tracking for evidence-informed institutional decision-making. Tracking helps VET providers to understand the impact of study programmes, as well as their relevance for the labour market. General objective- To improve VET schools understanding of “VET-to-work transition systems” (eg. impact of learning on VET graduates’ careers, labour market relevance) Specific goals-To establish a more coordinated and appropriate set of VET Graduate Tracking measures at VET-provider level. -To increase institutional capacity to act on and use results for a variety of purposes, such as enhancing study programmes and alumni services -To strengthen Alumni Culture in VET SchoolsNumber and profile of participants; TRACKTION is a collective endeavour comprising 6 organisations from Spain (2), Estonia, Italy, Netherlands and the UK. In terms of expertise, the partnership shows a good balance including 3 VET Schools (Alfa College, PKHK, Cometa Formazione/Oliver Twist School), 2 intermediary organisations bridging policy and practice at regional level (VALNALON and TKNIKA) and a research-focused organisation (Education & Employers Tasforce). Description of activities; In exploring this interesting topic (Alumni relations + VET Graduate Tracking) , the project will address a number of interconnected themes:1. Contextual conditions (system-level requirements at regional/national/european level)2. Conceptual dimensions (employability, school-to-work transitions, employment and entrepreneurship)3. Operationalisation issues (methodology and instruments already in place)4. Quality issues (optimise the ways in which graduates’ feedback on their destination influences VET provision/systems and is mirrored back to enhance VET learners’ learning outcomes (“closing the loop” of the VET quality cycle ).The project will result in 2 tangible outputs: - A Tracking Protocol that simplifies data collection from Alumni (O1)- A How-To-Guide “Building and Sustaining Successful Alumni Relations Programs in VET Schools” (O2)methodology to be used in carrying out the project; YEAR 1 (Sept 2017-Aug 2018). Recording information on VET graduates destinationA survey will be circulated among partners to take stock of Initiatives and Tools currently in use, obstacles and challenges ahead. Results will be collated in a baseline study that will be presented in June-July 2018. Impact evaluation framework will be defined and the identification of data requirements will precede Protocol Development YEAR 2. (Sept 2018-Aug 2019) Creating and/or reinforcing VET Alumni Culture A first version of the Protocol will be ready in Sept 2018. VET Schools will define an action plan to improve existing.provision of alumni services.VET Schools will select graduate sample for a first pilot test of the Protocol (O1) at 2 different points in time (eg. 2 and 6 months after graduation). YEAR 3 (Sept 2019-2020). Using tracking for evidence-based decision-makingVET Schools will select graduate sample for second round of pilots. Quantitative and qualitative data on user perceptions will be collected for analysis. Release of final versions of protocol (O1) and How-to-Guide (O2). Evidence, learning insights and key policy messages disseminated in Project Website, Multiplier Events and Peer-Reviewed JournalsThe project is expected to bring a better and broader understanding of school-to-work transitions and hence, schools will be in a better position to match supply and demand. Quality Assurance will be positively impacted as the project will support VET schools in improving actions around 2 of 10 European Quality Assurance in VET (EQAVET) quality indicators: Indicator “5 Placement rate in VET Programmes” and Indicator 6 “Utilisation of acquired skills at the workplace”. Learning insights will be shared with the members of the soon to be launched EC- initiative on graduate tracking to improve information on how graduates progress.