Establishment of two-stage industry competence centers of vocational education and training Erasmus Project

Project Title

Establishment of two-stage industry competence centers of 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: Key Competences (incl. mathematics and literacy) – basic skills; Labour market issues incl. career guidance / youth unemployment; Enterprise, industry and SMEs (incl. entrepreneurship)

Project Summary

SMEs account for 99% of all entrepreneurs, nearly 70% of all jobs and create around 80% of all new jobs. The further development of SMEs is most limited by a large and growing shortage of entrepreneurs, managers and skilled workers. By 2030, the number of younger workers will decrease by up to 25% in most Baltic Sea countries. In addition to quantitative problems, qualitative bottlenecks are increasingly emerging due to rising, dynamically changing qualification requirements.
In Germany, dual VET has proved very successful. In the participating countries Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, training is provided in vocational schools, partly with supplementary work placements in companies. Here participation in vocational training is very low, the qualifications achieved are inadequate and youth unemployment is very high. Particularly in the countries with school-based vocational training, the relevant skills and competences must be significantly improved and high quality achieved. For example, according to a survey in Lithuania, 96% of enterprises would like to see better practical skills and 74% better theoretical skills and abilities.
In all the countries participating in the project, there is also a need for a strong improvement in participation in continuing training and the skills and competences acquired in it. According to the EU’s objectives, at least 15% of adults should participate in lifelong learning every year. In 2016, this rate was significantly exceeded in Scandinavian countries with up to 29%, whereas in the project countries it was only around 4% (PL) to around 9% (DE).
While good company and inter-company training capacities exist in Germany, there are insufficient capacities in vocational training in the other participating countries. Vocational schools and companies have hardly any experience with dual VET and also with company and inter-company further vocational training.
Against this background, the project pursued the ambitious goals of further developing the VET systems in the participating countries in a future-oriented way, improving qualifications, making VET more attractive in the long term and reducing the growing shortage of qualified skilled workers.
The project was implemented by 7 partners from Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. The internationally active lead partner is particularly experienced in the training and promotion of SMEs and in the implementation of complex training projects. The partners were three experienced vocational training centers and three chambers of commerce, industry and crafts which are responsible for vocational training and operate inter-company training centers themselves.
The project comprised 7 work packages with the following main activities.
1. project management and implementation of 6 workshops and 2 international multiplier events.
2. development, establishment and operation of a sector competence center with realization of dual VET in Slupsk, Poland, on the basis of the Polish reform law, and preparation of implementations in two other countries.
3. development and implementation of further training for vocational school teachers, namely for the implementation of dual training and training of lecturers for a technician training
4. adaptation and implementation of two different trainings for trainers in SMEs in countries with school-based vocational training so far.
5. development and implementation of a two-year further training course for technicians and obtaining the right to study at a University of Applied Sciences.
6. development and coordination of concepts for the implementation of dual Bachelor’s programs combining dual VET with a Bologna-compliant degree course, and concept for the expansion of the two-stage sectoral competence centers into a three-stage system (VET, CET, higher education) of VET and innovation promotion.
7. transfer of the project results to 70 chambers and higher education institutions/universities from 13 countries, which are involved in the project implementation as associated partners and received implementation advice, and implementation of further dissemination measures.
For the six products of the project
– Blueprints for the implementation of two-tier sector competence centers and dual vocational training courses with curricula
– Two curricula for the in-service training of teachers,
– Two curricula for the training of trainers in SMEs,
– Blueprints and curricula for a two-year further training course to become a technician,
– Blueprints for the implementation of dual Bachelor’s programs by three-tiered sector competence centers,
– Manual with distribution via bookstores
high sustainable uses were secured with a process-oriented expansion of the implementation regions including financing.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 429824,59 Eur

Project Coordinator

BALTIC SEA ACADEMY & Country: DE

Project Partners

• Viesoji istaiga Vilniaus statybininku rengimo centras
• Latvijas Amatniecibas kamera
• Berufsbildungs- und Technologiezentrum der Handwerkskammer Schwerin
• VÕRUMAA KUTSEHARIDUSKESKUS
• Panevezys Chamber of Commerce Industry and Crafts
• Zespol Szkol Mechanicznych i Logistycznych im. inz. Tadeusza Tanskiego