Association of Quality Intermediary Organizations Fostering Mobility in Europe Erasmus Project

Project Title

Association of Quality Intermediary Organizations Fostering Mobility in Europe

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 2016

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Quality Assurance; International cooperation, international relations, development cooperation; Overcoming skills mismatches (basic/transversal)

Project Summary

CONTEXT
Assuring the quality and relevance of vocational education and training has become a more important and challenging task as today’s labour markets change faster than ever. In government conferences and in school meetings, the issue of quality in VET tops the agenda. If learning doesn’t lead to satisfactory outcomes, everyone loses: learners, employers and society at large. This is what stirs up the field of quality assurance in VET. This is where the role of the IntoQuality project comes as it strives to set the grounds for establishing well-founded and defined criteria to estimate the value and credibility of the main actors involved in EU VET mobilities.
The project will contribute for the following EU priorities:
+ Further developing quality assurance mechanisms in VET
+ Promoting work-based learning in all its forms, with special attention to apprenticeship-type training
+ Transparency and recognition of skills and qualifications to facilitate learning, employability and labour mobility

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
The overall aim of the IntoQuality project is to create a more favourable environment for youth exchanges and mobility programmes in the field of IVET.
The project stipulates several specific objectives:
+ To establish a “European Association of Quality Intermediary Organizations for Mobility” united around common definition of quality mobility and value for money
+ To develop an efficient Quality Assurance System which to guarantee wide visibility of reliable and credible intermediary organizations involved in mobility projects
+ To develop an interactive monitoring tool for mobility beneficiaries allowing for continuous evaluation and improvement of the mobility experience
+ To contribute to the increase of EU mobilities through promoting cooperation between quality intermediary organizations.

INTELLECTUAL OUTPUTS
IO1: Quality Assurance System for VET Mobility Intermediary Organizations: a comprehensive system of quality criteria and indicators promoting the common understanding of the quality in transnational mobilities. The tool may be used by mobility organizations for periodic self-assessment and improvement of their services. Also, it may serve as a knowledge base for start-up mobility organizations, looking for a professional standard in the field of mobilities. The Quality Assurance System is structured according to the categories of services offered by VET Mobility Intermediary Organizations: 1. Overall organization of mobilities; 2. Accommodation; 3. Catering; 4. Transportation; 5. Training placements; 6. Structured training activities (incl. language training); 7. Professional study visits; 8. Cultural activities and 9. Inclusion of people with special needs.
IO2: Interactive Monitoring Application: an interactive mobile application allowing mobility coordinators and beneficiaries to allow participants in the mobility to share their experience in real time on a daily basis with their sending institution/mentors/schools etc. The application will serve as a digital diary for the participants in the mobility prompting them what they can do each day of the mobility, asking them to evaluate different aspects of the mobility and thus allowing for continuous improvement of the experience.

The project consortium has established a European Association of Quality Organizations in Mobility with headquarters in Brussels. The IntoQuality QAS will serve as tool for admission of quality intermediary organizations to the Association.

TARGET GROUPS
+ Intermediary organizatiosn manading and implementing mobilities
+ VET schools sending/receiving mobilities
+ Business organizations providing work placements for mobility participants
+ Local/Regional/National authorities involved in Multi-stakeholder Mobility Platforms
+ VET Students taking part in mobility projects
+ VET professionals taking part in mobility projects

Project target groups were involved in the project through the following activities:
External testing of Quality Assurance system: 55 organization from 14 European countries
External testing of monitoring app: 71 persons from 5 European countries
Online/ social media/ websites: 14883 persons
Newsletter distribution/ mailings: 1713 persons
Face-to-face meetings: 1213 persons
Conferences/multiplier events/fairs: 3280 persons
Other (local newspapers, etc): 50 persons

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 217496,01 Eur

Project Coordinator

EUROPEAN CENTER FOR QUALITY OOD & Country: BG

Project Partners

• Arts&Skills – Formação, consultoria e inovação, Lda
• wisamar Bildungsgesellschaft gemeinnuetzige GmbH
• Multidisziplinäres Institut für Europa-Forschung Graz
• EUROPEAN GRANTS INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY SRL
• Centre de Coordination et de Gestion des Programmes Européens-DGEO