ProNet – Pro Networks: Supporting inter-sectorial networks in the integration of university drop-outs into vocational education and training

Abstract

A “European Area of Skills and Qualifications” implies that what has been learned in one national context is transparent and applicable in others. In order to encourage the mobility on the European labor market and the permeability between educational systems, European workers and learners should find their formally as well as informally gained qualifications and skills understood and recognized – within and across national borders. During the last decades, several European initiatives have been put into place to strengthen the recognition of skills and competences and their translation into a European-wide understood system; prominent examples are the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) and the European credit system for vocational education and training (ECVET); other approaches such as the systematization of European skills, competences, qualifications and occupations (ESCO) are still in progress.

This project focuses on the identification, European-wide understandable documentation and recognition of learning outcomes of a specific group: university drop-outs. This group, whose size is rather in- than decreasing, shall also benefit from a European area of skills and competences. Here, transparency shall be based on a newly generated tool. The partners of this project develop guidelines which allow drop-outs to document their qualifications and competences according to ECVET and EQF and –as far as already available – ESCO standards. Given the idea that this tool shall facilitate the integration of drop-outs into vocational education and training (VET), this project generates transitions between educational sectors and contributes to the permeability of educational systems in Europe.

Besides, further horizontal and sectoral priorities are referred to. Within this project, an online platform will be designed, which makes the developed guidelines available (see horizontal priority of ICT-based assessment practices). Moreover, the approach of this project aims at contributing to the reduction of skills shortages and mismatches by pointing out VET options to university drop-outs on the basis of labor market needs on the one hand and the drop-outs’ qualifications and competences on the other hand (see sectoral priority of reducing skills mismatches and shortages). Furthermore, one essential component of this project is the initiation and support of networks among stakeholders, who are involved in the counseling of drop-outs. They shall be connected and provided with support throughout the project (see sectoral priority of partnerships between VET providers and other stakeholders). At last, ECVET recommendations are applied in the development of the guidelines (see respective sectoral priority) and VET learning opportunities are proposed to university drop-outs who constitute a group which has not been the most likely to make use of them (see respective sectoral priority).

Finantial Entity

European Commission (Erasmus +)

Duration

01/09/2015 - 31/12/2017

Reference

2015-1-DE02-KA202-02291

Total Budget

147.046,00 €