Work Based Learning - Pathway to youth empowerment

Background After analyzing official data and statistics in the past years, several organizations actively involved in the youth, education and training sectors, have specified severe problems related to the youth unemployment tendencies in Europe. The necessity to react and provide solutions to the related issues seemed urgent, since the educational processes and employment opportunities for youth had to go together and better match the labor market needs. The partnership focused on offering innovation in terms of consolidation of work based learning empowering environments in the partner countries as for achieving long term impact and securing a positive career future for the young European populations. The present project idea has been developed as a follow up step after a successful project already done in this direction. It promoted further a deep holistic approach for fostering youth empowerment and employability by bridging non-formal, formal education and labor market sectors, contributing to networking and cooperation in the field of WBL. Such initiative was meant to upgrade the already achieved results and to further stimulate quality and excellence within the education, training and youth systems across Europe in the future. Objectives The project objectives, defined for driving those positive solutions were: • To provide youth organizations and educational institutions with further guidance for bridging sectors, in view of operating sustainable strategies that promote WBL paths as complementary educational patterns for boosting youth empowerment • To foster the effective use of EU funding instruments, support the implementation of initiatives and dissemination of relevant EU tools in the field of education, training and youth systems • To strengthen cooperation among youth NGOs and WBL providers, by engaging them in mutual learning and peer counselling, aimed at raising the quality and attractiveness of WBL provision • To reach-out and involve new WBL providers that do not yet contribute or benefit from European cooperation • To launch the development of a multilevel networking system that concretely stimulates learning through other than formal educational means and especially through direct involvement in practical assignments • To support the development of internationalisation strategies at institutional level that increase cooperative work in this direction Implementation The project implementation related to the creation of bottom up partnerships that encourage the work in network at national and transnational level in view of provision of apprenticeship schemes and relevant solutions for further improving youth professional competences. The created network and collaborations improve the efficiency and effectiveness of WBL and apprenticeship schemes across Europe, enhance the impact and relevance of vocational education for the youth, as well for employers. The strategic actions undertaken are also helping to build cross-border cooperation, offering greater attractiveness of such educational options. Also, sustainable promotion of WBL strategies has been achieved, thanks to newly developed online partnership networking space where members already are staring to collaborate for partnering in various transnational projects and capacity building actions among youth organisations and other types of educational providers. The project involved youth NGOs, educational and training institutions from 8 EU countries. The main project impact, directed to young people, affects already number of youth by involving them in quality WBL practices, securing their easier transition from education to labor market. Achievements The project has worked upon and has officially released 2 intellectual outputs, such as: - Provision of practical guide, related to the effective use of EU funding instruments for the support of WBL by social actors and youth NGOs, delivering relevant solutions on how to foster youth empowerment, professional, career orientation and employability through application of apprenticeship schemes The guide was made available in English language for all partners, as well for the needs of the project has also been translated in Bulgarian language and printed copies were disseminated during all multiplier events - Development of WBL Community - Network for international collaboration, that sets up a space for creation of new work based learning offers and their increased accessibility for young people, as well reinforces synergies between formal, non-formal educational sectors and the labour market In addition, during the LTTA project activity a valuable set of educational resources helping newcomers to set up WBL and apprenticeship schemes has been elaborated by the common cooperation and work between VET teachers, trainers and youth workers. Resources were included in the set of hands on materials that the project has disseminated.