European Mobilities as a part of Vocational education
Taking part in a European mobility is a huge step for any VET student and requires a lot of preparation. It is important to start the preparations well ahead and make sure that the student taking part in the mobility is mentally and otherwise prepared for the mobility. The students need a lot of support and guidance from the teachers and from the hosting company. It is important to remind the students that even if they are well prepared for the mobility they will experience cultural chocks and clashes.
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When it comes to work safety the rules and regulations and the way you interpret rules and regulation vary from country to country. This is why it is a good idea that the students try to learn as much about the health and safety rules and regulations as possible of the country where (s)he will do her/his placement. To learn about the laws and regulations for Finland, Norway, the Netherlands, France and Spain as well as the European legislation on health and safety we recommend that they visit the pages relating to work safety and legislation that can be found on this online manual.
One way that students can prepare themselves before the mobility is to ask themselves how they have reacted to change before, e.g. how they felt the first day they started their vocational education and when they took part in their first work based learning experience. The students should think about:
- what their first thought were
- how they acted
- how they adjusted to the situation
Things to consider when sending students on WORK BASED LEARNING
When sending students abroad for a mobility there are many things to consider. Here are our top 10 list of recommendations for international mobilities.
Below you can find checklists we recommend to be used when sending students on European mobilities
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Benefits of sending students on European mobilities
Some teachers are a bit skeptical about sending students on a European mobility during their vocational education studies. They doubt that the students will learn things of value during the mobility and they have doubts about the health and safety of students during a European mobility. However, there is proof that participating in a European mobility and working in a company abroad as part of the vocational education will have an enormous impact on the student.
Taking part in a European mobility will give the student(s) an opportunity to learn about the working culture and the work ethics in a foreign country and to compare working life in the country where (s)he lives and the country where (s)he does her work based learning. The student will become better at adjusting to new working environments and (s)he will be better at solving problems and taking own initiatives. The student learns to take ownership of her/his actions. The students will also become more open and flexible towards change which will make them better at adapting to change. If you want to learn more about what impact European mobilities have on students we recommend that you read a study conducted by Erasmus+ and SAAIC called The impact of Erasmus+ programme mobility project in VET sectors on organisations and individuals.
2019_impactovp_executivesummary.pdf | |
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Suggestion for a Checklist for sending students to do Work Based Learning/apprenticeship in another European country
There are many things that a mentoring teacher should remember when sending a student on an international mobility. In the link below (worksafe_checklist_for_international_mobilities.pdf) we have collected some of the things that the sending organisation, the hosting organisation/employer and student needs to think about before, during and after an European mobility.
worksafe_checklist_for_international_mobilities.pdf | |
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Financing of mobilities
The Erasmus+ Program
Key Action 1: Learning mobility of individuals, vocational education and training learners and staff
Key Action 1 for vocational education aims to encourage the mobility of students and staff. Organisations wanting to take part in these opportunities can either apply as an individual vocational education organisation, or as part of a "national mobility consortium"; a group of organisations managed by a single coordinating organisation.
Organisations taking part in a KA1 mobility can be divided into four main categories:
Key Action 1 for vocational education aims to encourage the mobility of students and staff. Organisations wanting to take part in these opportunities can either apply as an individual vocational education organisation, or as part of a "national mobility consortium"; a group of organisations managed by a single coordinating organisation.
Organisations taking part in a KA1 mobility can be divided into four main categories:
- Applicant Organisations - responsible for applying for and managing the project, but can also act as a sending organisation
- Sending Organisations - in charge of selecting VET learners/staff to send abroad and managing grant payments,
- Receiving Organisations - responsible for receiving VET learners/staff from abroad and offering a study/traineeship programme,
- Intermediary Organisations - as a partner in a mobility consortium, intermediaries can be involved in supporting and facilitating the work of a consortium.
Participating organisations can be public or private organisations established in a Programme country, and can apply either individually or as part of a national mobility consortium.
If you are interested in getting involved in Erasmus+ KA1 mobilities for VET students or staff we recommend that you contact the National Agency of your country. The National Agency (NA) will provide you with further assistance when it comes to applying for Erasmus+ KA1 projects as well as implementing Erasmus+ KA1 projects that has received funding from your NA