Virtual Internships for Vocational Education and Training Erasmus Project

Project Title

Virtual Internships for Vocational Education and Training

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Open and distance learning; Labour market issues incl. career guidance / youth unemployment; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

As evident by the high youth unemployment rates and the long transition from the education system to the labour marker, youth are faced with the lack of practical skills that could help them to secure employment. Internships have been recognized as a vital part of VET programs, nevertheless, the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in the process of organization of these programs has not been fully utilized as yet. Internship programs which are facilitated via computer-mediated programs (i.e. virtual internships or e-internships) provide numerous possibilities for improvement of the relevance of VET and for increasing opportunities for all students to engage in work-based learning programs. Namely, they enable greater participation in internships of young people with fewer opportunities who cannot participate in traditional internships due to various reasons such as financial or geographical reasons and also they make international internships more feasible.

Considering all of the above, the project Virtual Internships for Vocational Education and Training (VIVET) developed and tested the model for virtual internships in VET in line with the needs of VET teachers, trainers and mentors and VET students, especially students from disadvantaged groups. The other objectives of the project VIVET were as follows:
– To promote the organization of virtual internships in VET;
– To promote strategic cooperation between educational institutions and business sector focused on virtually supported internships;
– To support the Europe 2020 priority of development of vocational skills considering labour market needs.

The target groups of the projects were vocational teachers, school principals, trainers working with unemployed young people or young people with disabilities, students from VET schools and individual young people involved in VET or post VET routes eager to gain work experience both nationally or internationally. This project will involve 1225 participants in total: 225 directly reached and 1000 reached through project web site visitors and social media.

In order to achieve set results the comprehensive group of activities was planned to be carried out using quantitative and qualitative methodology as well as iterative testing and piloting of all outputs: 1) The analysis of the prevalence of virtual internships in partner countries and perceived opportunities and challenges for their development in VET; 2) Development of the model for virtual internships in VET (not approved); 3) Creation of an online platform for the organization and management of virtual internships; 4) Organization of the blended mobility program for VET teachers/trainers (not approved); 5) Piloting the model for virtual internships and 6) Organization of the multiplier event for dissemination of the results.

Described set of activities was planned to bring about the results which represent intellectual outputs as well as outcomes in terms of improved capacities of participants. The results are as follows: 1) model for virtual internship in VET, including learning outcomes and methodology for implementation, developed; 2) created online platform for the organization and management of virtual internships; 3) usability report with the results from piloting and testing in project countries developed and disseminated among key stakeholders; 4) raised capacities of VET teachers/trainers/mentors for organizing virtual internships; 5) improved vocational and digital skills of VET students; 6) improved capacities of business enterprises to carry out virtual internships; 7) created network of educational institutions and business partners involved in conducting virtual internships and 8) representatives of the education and business sectors informed on the possibilities for carrying out virtual internships and benefits from them.

Through the project the following impacts on the participants were achieved: improved employability of VET learners through their participation in the virtual internship program, improved capacity of VET teachers, trainers or mentors and instructors from companies to apply ICTs in the process of work-based learning. Moreover, through the project, the opportunities of VET learners from disadvantaged groups (including young people who are facing physical disability or geographical obstacles) to engage with work-based learning programs are increased.

Long term benefit of the VIVET project is the creation of a sustainable model which will provide the acquisition of skills and competences relevant for work experience and employability of young people.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 65538 Eur

Project Coordinator

BEOGRADSKA OTVORENA SKOLA & Country: RS

Project Partners

• UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI PADOVA
• INTERPROJECTS
• Tehnicka skola