<< Objectives >>This project aims to advance digitalization in the field of vocational training. The project is specifically about responding to the changes brought about by the pandemic in the three following areas: technology, soft skills and administrative organization with concrete solutions. Digital competences are one of the key factors, which are particularly important for a successful integration into the labour market. Thus, we intend to support citizens in their personal and professional development.<< Implementation >>A total of four WP were created, three of which include specific activities: Among them: Activities for surveys among VET actors, analysis of results and processing of data, writing of reports as a guideline and assistance in the technical and administrative field, development of training in the field of soft skills, as well as activities for the development of an open source tool.<< Results >>1.Report on which technology has been the most useful in the past years 2.Report as a resource and guide for using technology tools to better digitize learning content 3.Designed preparatory courses for VET Actors to prepare and train them for digitalization in the Vet field regarding soft skills 4.Developed solutions and green practices for the administrative field of digitalization and establish an open source tool to deposit the results and to discuss further digitalization in the VET field.

On the one hand EmBrand is located in the context of attracting youngsters for apprenticeship and training to build up a professional career. On the other hand it is located in the context of Small and Medium sized companies (SMEs) facing diverse obstacles to find, hire and retain apprentices and regular professional staff due to a structural disadvantage because of financial resources in comparison to big companies. Also the retain of qualified working staff within the branch is important, because statistics (SOKA-Bau: https://www.baulinks.de/webplugin/2018/1521.php4) show a big leave from construction to other branches based on several severe reasons. To balance this structural disadvantage by developing instruments is the core of EmBrand; a VET-offer for leading staff in SMEs, who deals with human resource development, should be exchange/development goal of EmBrand. EmBrand is about matching interests between the supply side and the demand side of the labour market by presenting career options in SMEs for youngsters and upskilling options for human resource staff in SMEs to improve the image at the labour market (unique sales position). The objective of EmBrand is a definition of ways for upskilling of human resource staff in SMEs when coping with innovative ways to attract school leavers for apprenticeship and/or to attract skilled workers for qualified work. The particular focus lies on considering in exchange conveying methods and instruments for SMEs how to better compete with large companies on the labour market and the like with competitors for staff from other branches. SME staff should be supported (higher VET) why and how to develop a USP-strategy (USP: unique sales position) for themselves for attracting people as working staff. There will also be an exchange about how the image of the (construction) sector could be improved or at least instrumentalized for SMEs purposes to attract workforce on the VET-level (contrary to academics). Furthermore there will be a project phase, how companies and apprentices/workers can better match; which is or could be a task for VET-centres, since SMEs are often clients of VET-centres. An additional phase in EmBrand will focus on retaining skilled workers in SMEs; this will imply the exchange about current and needed VET-skills for in-company trainers and middle management (foremen, site managers) how to keep qualified staff in the organiation. Not least an exchange should be realised how to attract new groups for construction like girls and women.EmBrand reflects the need to support SMEs in upskilling their human resource staff (VET) in order to be more successful on the labour market or in the phase of attracting (qualified) school leavers for work in their very company. The objective demographic decrease of the number of school leavers, the competition among branches (e.g. white collar and blue collar branches) and not least the competition among big and small companies within the (construction) branch puts a lot of pressure on (construction) SMEs to find appropriate staff for their daily operations.Hence the target groups of EmBrand are entrepreneurs, human resource staff in SMEs, managing/leading staff in companies (foremen, site managers) and in-company trainers and in VET-centres the like.A fraction of the current project consortium has previously taken part in the project Talents4Construction (ERASMUS+ Exchange of Experience 2018-20). There, it turned out that Employer Branding was detected as the most vibrant facette to attract or retain working staff for SMEs; what actually is less necessary for big players, as they are mostly well known from their name. EmBrand has a transnational dimension, because the basic input from several countries leaves the opportunity to address a multi-cultural workforce throughout Europe on the one hand and to make international partners benefit from experiences of other countries. The mobility of labour in construction is quite high compared to other branches.EmBrand is placed in ERASMUS+ (i.e. vocational education and training) because the essence of the project should eventually path the way to VET offers being defined in EmBrand and developed possibly in follow up initiatives. A practical training for company staff will be designed basically by the consortium to enable SMEs to attract youngsters and adult people for sustainable careers in non-academic jobs in companies and also set SMEs in motion to promote the various VET-opportunities in their company as well as in the sector.

"When dealing with issues of the education sector, high enrolment figures in the tertiary education sector are one of the most remarkable developments in recent years. Due to demographics and this trend, it had become increasingly obvious that there will be a shortage of skilled workers with vocational training in companies and especially in SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises).High school students are currently more likely to prefer an academic degree to vocational training. This is mainly because, on the one hand, academic careers and studies are massively promoted and, on the other hand, parents and schools - as important stakeholders - value an academic degree much higher than vocational training. Moreover, careers based on an academic degree seem to be more promising on the material side in terms of salaries and prestige. The main thesis of the project ""UniVET - University or Vocational Education and Training"" was that the preference for an academic degree and the lack of alternatives for dropouts are largely due to the scarcity of knowledge about career opportunities based on vocational training that can lead to equal material wealth and social prestige. The project therefore had the task of analysing these trends in detail in all partner countries to create offers in the form of comprehensive information material for the main target groups in this area (students, dropouts, parents, schools, employers). The main objective was to increase career guidance and the attractiveness of vocational education and training. A holistic view of career decisions for different target groups across all partner countries was the innovative approach of this project. The presentation of possibilities of the individual learning systems was also considered.Preliminary studies in the run-up to the project clearly showed that the challenges of the next few years would be equally dramatic in all partner countries due to the high drop-out rates in both university and vocational training programmes. All in all, the economy could lose an enormous amount of human resources. Young people who initially take the less suitable career path for themselves drop out, start something new and are much later available on the labour market. In times of demographic change, this is a circumstance that must be counteracted. Even before the start of the project, this circumstance underlined the great importance of a targeted career choice.The project idea of UniVET consequently dealt with the question of why young people decide in favour of vocational training or a university career. The project started in September 2018 with a comparative study of the most important decision-making and influencing factors of career decisions. In order to gain further insights around the most important factors influencing young people's career orientation and to obtain different opinions, five (inter)national workshops in Germany, Italy, Spain, Lithuania and Poland were also organised. The results obtained through those activities formed the basis for the next workphase, in which a survey was conducted with high school students, drop-outs, parents, schools, employers as well as apprentices.The most important factors influencing the young people’s decisions were derived in direct connection. Following the project goals, the partners were then able to generate the most important factors for career decisions and, based on this, identify content for an analysis method of potentials among pupils and dropouts. Personal strengths and personality traits of high relevance as well as career interests were the focus. After the development and translation of all instruments used in the potential analysis, it was carried out in late 2019 in all partner countries with groups of 15 to about 30 pupils and students. The tests and the subsequent counselling sessions with the young people and their parents provided further insights into how appropriate career guidance should be conducted and what information is relevant for young people in that orientation phase. In this way, all partners learned how more orientation can be provided in the career decision phase and which information should be taken into account in the guidelines to be drawn up in the future.Consequently, at the beginning of 2020, a start was made on compiling all the findings of the project into meaningful guidelines for the target groups in all partner languages. From thereon the use of the guidelines was linked to a subsequent evaluation questionnaire from March 2020 to find out, if it´s a helpful guideline. During this phase, validation and necessary adjustments were made.In December 2020, the final versions of the ""Guidelines for career orientation"" were published and are now available at http://univet-project.eu and https://play.google.com/store/apps to sustainably improve the vocational orientation of young people, to inform all stakeholders about the career possibilities."

The aim of the project SMEEGE is to show the advantages of mobilities to the decision makers (executives) in small and medium-sized enterprises (SME). This is done by providing information and developing approaches for these enterprises in sending trainees abroad for part of their training and by highlighting the benefits for the companies. In recent years, various institutions have recognised that stays abroad during vocational training are a useful supplement. The Erasmus+ Annual Report 2018 reveals: 91% of participants declared to have become more motivated to carry on developing their professional skills; 80% gained practical skills relevant for their current job. A NABiBB survey of project promoters in 2018 confirms that there is an increase in skills and knowledge among staff after a stay abroad. The results of the study also highlight that offering mobility projects to trainees strengthens the institutions' image and is a profitable factor in training marketing. In times of a shortage of skilled workers, small and medium-sized companies in particular need strategies for employee retention. Especially when it comes to recruiting young experts, many SME have no experience and no approach in sending trainees abroad for part of their training. But this could be a promising retention tool. Consequently, not only because the trainees gain relevant international experience within the framework of a mobility project, it makes sense for companies to offer their trainees a stay abroad. However: a study by the NABiBB has shown that companies still have great reservations. The sense of stays abroad is not clear to many. There is scepticism about longer stays in particular. Often trainees are even required to take vacation in order to participate in mobility. This scepticism is also reflected in the following figures: the EU sets a target figure of 6%, i. e. 6% of trainees in Europe should spend part of their training abroad. Some countries set even more ambitious targets (e.g. Germany, 10%). If one looks at the actual figures in the individual partner countries, it quickly becomes apparent that these goals have not yet been achieved. Since fewer trainees than planned by the EU are still spending part of their training abroad throughout the EU, measures should be taken to increase the rate.In order to reach the EU targets, it would be useful, if SME acknowledged the value of time abroad and therefore support their trainees. The number of apprentices going abroad might rise if those young people ask for it (pull), but when the executives get an impression of the advantages of mobilities, it will rise much faster. Thus, SMEEGE aims to make the posting of trainees and other employees more attractive. This is done by providing information and experiencing stays abroad. The target group are executives of SME (or in representation: trainers). They will go abroad (on their own cost, but organized by the project partners). Other stakeholders are future apprentices, because with a rising awareness of the advantages of mobility the likelihood will rise for them to get the chance to go abroad during their training. Also, the broader public is a stakeholder of the project, because a higher level of internationalization is a goal of the European Union and for several states.There will be four phases in SMEEGE: Phase 1 is about the collection of relevant trends regarding mobility during VET. The second phase will contain interviews with executives, trainers and trainees with international experience in order to get to the heart of why the trainees/executives have benefited from the experience abroad. In phase 3 a trip to the project partners’ office in Madrid will be planned for the executives. The trip, which will take several days, will on the one hand show the benefits of mobility, but on the other hand there will be a networking opportunity. Their companies will be able to develop an international strategy as partners. In the last phase the whole project will be revised and all the results will be summarized and published. We believe that mobility in an increasingly globalised Europe is an absolute added value for young people, to internationalise their experiences and skills. The mobility goals of the European Union and the various European governments make this clear. However, many SME have no experience in sending trainees abroad for part of their training. By providing information and experiencing stays abroad SMEEGE offers an innovative approach. The usual approaches address trainees and aim to encourage them to spend time abroad. Other approaches inform executives through lectures at events or conferences. SMEEGE brings executives to the place where the mobility of trainees takes place: abroad. The results of the project will be used to develop proposals for the submission of further project proposals within the framework of ERASMUS+

Rationale:In 2019, 15.2% of the total youth labor force was unemployed in the EU. The European countries that suffer the most from youth unemployment are: Greece (39.9%) Spain (32.6%) and Italy (32.2%) (OECD, 2019). At the same time, the number of young people aged 20-34 who are not neither in employment nor in education and training is also high – 16.5% (Eurostat, 2018). Therefore, attracting youth to VET is of crucial importance in the EU. However, VET, both secondary and post-secondary, suffers from poor reputation and lack of popularity among young people. According to some research one of the main reasons of high youth unemployment is the lack of professional experience and it prevents young people finding a job (EROVET, 2018).Let’s Campaign aims at improving the image of VET in the eyes of young people and their families. By making VET more appealing to young people, they will have higher chances of finding a job on a labor market. Even though there is high youth unemployability, some sector of VET lack professionals. For example, The European Construction Sector Observatory reveals a lack of technicians, above all electricians and machine operators, as well as other occupations, such as roofers, carpenters, and stonemasons, often due to unattractive working conditions, mobility, and emigration trends.Overall objective:The objective of the project is to organize some international meetings with the aim to collect and exchange experiences and good practices on implementation effective campaigns for promotion of VET and making it more appealing to young people aged 13-26 between the partners and connected stakeholders. Member of this Consortium are vocational institutions providing vocational education and training for young people, based in 5 different countries (Italy, Germany, Spain, Belgium, Lithuania), a consulting company in the field of human resources management, an association of engineers (Greece), a Chamber of Construction and Building Materials Industry (Slovenia) and an NGO working with VET institutes (Austria). The purpose of the project is to stimulate the dialogue and the exchange of innovative ideas to understand how to tackle the lack of interest and attractiveness of the VET to those young people that are either planning on quitting school or are not neither in employment nor in education and training.Through the exchange of good examples and win-win experiences the purpose is to create a manual/guidelines to be used as an inspiration tool for other VET institutions aiming at increasing the enrolment of pupils. However, the activities will be done with a combined effort and in cooperation with stakeholders and especially employer organizations and their full support.