The project came about due to a significant increase over time of additional support being made available to students suffering from anxiety, particularly linked to exam pressure. The ability of VWNC students to perform under pressure has become a serious issue for both the college and the students, impacting on the results they achieve and their preparedness for progression onto university and employment and the pressures they will face in those environments. Current strategies support students with stress and anxiety to some extent, but are not always proving to be very effective at improving performance of the students under pressure. Although it is accepted that for all people exams, assessments or presentations can be a stressful experience, a growing number of young people seem ill equipped with the strategies to cope and this can disproportionately affect their outcomes and hence life chances. The project’s overarching aim was to address this particular need which is increasing and impacting on the well-being of young people as well as giving students, teachers and trainers from participating institutions an opportunity to share their own perceptions on dealing with issues around pressure, and trial new strategies as adopted by partner institutions to help foster resilience and to reduce anxiety. It is hoped that this will aid students to perform better under pressure and get the best possible results from their courses. In addition, the project strategies strategies will help students to cope better with the transition to higher education and employment. Objectives • Identify and implement strategies at the point of enrolment and on programme to build resilience in order to develop a more self-assured student. • Engage with students to develop appropriate student centred approaches for dealing with pressure and improving outcomes. • Share best practice with fellow professionals to improve the effectiveness of support. • Carry out student surveys to measure the impact of the project. • Develop a range of strategies to support the transition to higher education and employment. Needs and Target GroupsThe project focused on the needs of two different groups. Firstly, students with anxiety who are undertaking exam based qualifications and secondly students on exam based qualifications not currently presenting any symptoms of anxiety. This is in recognition that some strategies will be preventative whilst others will help minimise anxiety levels. While the UK group focused on those undertaking A Levels and/or Applied General qualifications, the project partners selected groups that undertake appropriate assessments that require students to perform under pressure and deal with any potential anxiety issues to ensure they perform to their full potential. TransnationallyVWNC students come from a range of schools with no discernible differences in terms of student resilience to the pressures of exam performance. As there is no hard evidence of work being undertaken in the UK to address this issue, we are therefore currently following what would be best practice in terms of support for these students in the UK and it is not having the type of impact we would expect. This project was carried out transnationally in order to explore significantly different practices and determine whether strategies practices in different countries are proving effective in improving performance students. We undertook a proper assessment by both looking at our own practices and comparing them internationally with the aim of developing new approaches that will have the potential to significantly improve the outcomes for students and develop an approach that can be utilised across a range of different institutions in the UK and Europe.

"The future Smart Factory with the increasing degree of digitization and complexity of production and maintenance processes requires training that meets these requirements. The key element and the main aim of this project was to initiate, expand and standardize the learning cooperation between vocational colleges and companies using the example of energy management in the times of Industry 4.0. Companies can enrich education through current practical problems and their solutions as well as through technical infrastructure. This integration of theory and practice can appear highly motivating for both students and teachers. For the reality is more complex and not as predictable as the next page in a book and thus always represents a challenge for students and teachers. Thus, learning cooperation can also be considered as advanced training for all parties involved in VET.The cooperation took place both at national and European level and allowed for wide-ranging exchange of experience on technological possibilities and perspectives, as well as methodological approaches in education in general, and in particular in the area of workplace-based learning. The project involved four vocational colleges from Italy, Estonia, the Netherlands and Germany as well as cooperating companies. All students involved in the project are receiving training in electrical engineering or mechatronics. They were supported by their instructors and teachers.Through the joint launch of learning arrangements, this project collected, tested, questioned and optimized the ""best practice"" approaches in the learning cooperation of the participating European partner schools. This took place in two runs, each consisting of an operational implementation phase and a Learning Teaching Training Activity. On the one hand, it was about finding the problem and the solution. On the other hand, the task-related subject-specific content was prepared and tested by the students, before being passed on to the European partners in the form of a creative lesson sequence. The students could choose the content themselves after consulting the company. In the first run, the focus was on energy management and in the second run on company-specific contents regarding the Industry 4.0.As the students carefully and independently developed, tested and performed their company-specific work assignments and learning arrangements for the Learning Teaching Training Activity, they were able to develop their skills for coping with future practical tasks. In addition, the project language was English, so a further professional and interpersonal challenge could be dealt with. On the one hand, the teachers involved in the project were able to gain new ideas in the technological spectrum of Industry 4.0 as well as initiate a substantive discussion with regard to the future 4.0 skilled worker. This was mainly about the generation of possible work areas in the aforementioned spectrum and the creation of concrete learning situations. On the other hand, as already described, the cooperation between learning locations was initiated, tested and assessed in collaboration with the European partners. Furthermore, a methodological guideline for standardization was cooperatively developed. The following goals were thus achieved by the project:1. Method optimization regarding: a. previous approaches. b. the independence of the trainees in the sense of self-organized learning. c. cooperation between companies and educational institutions (cooperation between learning locations). 2. Exposing new relevant learning content in the context of ""Industry 4.0"". 3. Creation or strengthening of networks.Teaching in the form of a learning situation with a practical task was new in this form for the partner schools. This ""best practice"" approach in combination with ""self-organized learning"" and ""students teach students"" is innovative and requires an open educational landscape. Because only by “opening up” is it possible for students to live out their creativity, develop ideas and solutions, present and integrate them."

"With ever increasing competitiveness of the job market, education paths are becoming non-linear and this is especially visible in vocational education and VET institutions. Both, young people and adults are keen to choose their own speed and sequence of learning, combine different education forms and levels as well as blend informal learning and work experience into their individual learning paths. Multicultural and international environments, and the need to accommodate a growing number of students with a different mother language or skills background add new dimensions and challenges to VET schools. In order to respond to various student group expectations, the pre-admission phase into VET institutions is becoming more crucial. There is a plethora of research evidence to demonstrate the positive impact that good quality and timely information, advice and guidance (IAG) can have on learning and career decision making. Good quality and timely pre-entry information, advice and guidance (IAG) fulfils an important role in supporting learners to address diverse and complex needs and helps overcome barriers to access to the VET institutions and vocational education. The project aimed to showcase the best practices of IAG from partner countries, learn from each other and create a list of proven tools and methods of information, advice and guidance and thus support improvements of pre-admission and admission processes in VET institutions.To fulfill the aims, project partners organized 5 short-term training activities for partner schools staff members who are involved in the pre-admission and admission processes (admission managers and specialists, information, advice and guidance providers, career specialists, students support specialists, teachers involved in admission etc). In total 101 participation of LTT trainings took place. These trainings were most important to exchange existing knowledge, share best practices but also learn from other partners and adapt new ideas and best practices into participants work practice. In results of the five LTT trainings following results were achieved: 1) Short term trainings involved participants from all 5 partner schools, in total there was 101 participation in the trainings. As some persons participated at multiple trainings in total 63 persons participated. In result of these trainings, participants improved their knowledge of subject, got new ideas, tools and good practices from others. According to the feedback questionnaire 97% of participants were able to test or put in practice some new approaches, tools or methods of their trainings. Thus the short-term trainings gave inputs to improve their work performance or influence their school admission processes. Moreover, all participating schools documented number of pilot activities based on the project trainings and transfer of knowledge. In total there were 14 pilot activities carried out in participating schools based on the project trainings and exchange. It was far more than expected. Thus the project activities gave most important input to achieve the project aim to improve improve existing information, advice and guidance (IAG) systems of partner VET institution. All partner schools has made improvements in admission fields like informing potential target groups, improving methods and enhancing advice and guidance quality; developing flexible solutions and support measures to students to avoid drop-offs, etc. Moreover, the aim create functional and sustainable strategic partnership of VET schools has achieved also by several additional bilateral activities. For instance Tartu VEC managers delegation visited West Nottinghamshire College and marketing team has participated at short-term training visit at Helsinki Business College. The Elektrojarska skola started new cooperation with IIS Volta and West Nottinghamshire College as well as started mobility with Tartu VEC. New cooperation areas has been discovered and thus the cooperation will continue after this project end. 2) The partner schools staff also documented and presented their best tools and methods as well as identified best practices at online publication ""IAG Toolkit"" (IO1). The toolkit consists of 15 proven tools and methods to use to improve IAG at pre-admission and admission period. Thus the project also achieved the aim to accumulate best practices from the partner countries in order to develop information, advice and guidance (IAG) methods and tools to improve pre-admission and admission phase efficiency in VET institution. The toolkit and its main ideas were promoted on 4 multiplier events and disseminated over 100 contacts internationally."

The purpose of MOBVET project was to support achievement of the objectives of the European education area. Those objectives are focused on developing a learning space, which is not hampered by national borders and there are no obstacles in recognition of international learning outcomes. According to the EU Council Recommendation on VET for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience (2020), all Member States are encouraged promote vocational education in an international context. At least 8% of learners at national VET institutions should benefit from a learning mobility in abroad and their studies should be recognized internationally. In order to promote learners` mobility, not only students should be addressed, but also the VET teachers. We identified that the barriers of international mobility are often related to VET teachers, who have limited experience and readiness to work in intercultural environment. Therefore, teachers are the key factor unlocking the potential of learning abroad. The project partners, representing seven different institutions (VET training providers, universities, NGOs and educational organizations), recognized the need to enhance international mobility in VET training programs in their countries and institutions. Within that context, the overall aim of the project was generating a supporting instrument (MOBVET platform) for students and teachers to prepare them to study and work at the international learning environment. The Project provided a practical tool for VET institutions, which supports and encourages international cooperation and staff/student mobility. The project had two main objectives. First, to create a functional and sustainable strategic partnership to achieve common goals of internationalization of VET learning programs. Second, to create a specific tool for internationalization (a learning platform), which is designed to assist VET program teachers, trainers and students. The platform allows develop their intercultural competences and reflect their skills before, during and after a period of mobility. During the project MOBVET learning platform was designed, which is ready-made and open for use. The platform includes Study Module and Country Module with accompanying materials and instructions to cover all stages of mobility. The methodology used emphasized the significance of the learner’s own contributions to their learning process through active involvement, critical thinking and reflection. The platform was piloted in all participating countries with groups of VET students, teachers, teacher students and experts (study abroad program coordinators). Learning outcomes were defined and validated through the piloting in all partner countries. Based on the rich feedback received, the platform was improved to be more functional, informative and attractive for potential learners. The main outputs of the project were digital platform and specific instruments (e-learning tools) to promote high quality mobility and international dimension of VET programs. The COVID-19 situation also brought the need to rethink internationalization strategies and action plans. The keywords of the „new reality“, such as multichannel working and experimental agility became relevant for the MOBVET project. The project accumulated the best practices of the partner countries in introducing systemic approach for developing practical solutions to support VET teachers and trainers competences to promote internationalization and change in mindset. The outcomes of the project are sustainable in the long term, as the MOBVET platform has become an important part of the Erasmus mobility preparation in our partner institutions. The Study Module of platform is integrated into a VET teacher education curriculum in terms of mobility window. The MOBVET platform is open to all other institutions who are interested in adapting it for its own curriculum or for mobility preparation and support. In the long term, the project will result in an increasing number of mobile VET teachers and learners in Erasmus+ Program countries and provision of high quality mobility through all stages of study abroad.