Vocational Education and Training for Veterinary Nurses (VET4VN) Erasmus Project

Project Title

Vocational Education and Training for Veterinary Nurses (VET4VN)

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 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Recognition, transparency, certification; Overcoming skills mismatches (basic/transversal)

Project Summary

The project “Vocational Education and Training for Veterinary Nurses”(VET4VN) came up after previous cooperation of six schools in four countries, which offer vocational education and training of Veterinary Nurses (VN) at EQF level 4. Despite our previous cooperation that goes back for years, and despite we have a clear view on the developments needed, we can’t keep up with changes in the work field.
That’s why we are excited to start this Vet4VN project.
VNs in the work field have a role of assisting the veterinarian, to take care of the patients, take care of hygiene, do laboratory and diagnostic work, take care of stocks, and to inform owners.
They are the first contact of owners with their veterinary clinic, and have to radiate hospitality, knowledge and pro-activity. That’s why VNs are called “Jack of all trades”.
However in previous 2-3 years, the work field of the VN is changing at an incredible speed. Big changes are seen in technology, medications, ICT innovations, role of the clinics in human health, and customer behavior. Veterinary clinics merge to large international conglomerates, which demand highly educated VNs in all countries, regardless differences in educational systems.
With Vet4VN we want:
• students at all schools to be equiped with up-to-date and comparable knowledge and competencies
• increase employability of our students in a more international working environment
• International experience for all students; also for those who cannot go abroad due to personal reasons
• to improve our education at level EQF4, to cope with higher demands of the workfield
In the project minimum 30 teachers who are originally also veterinarians or veterinary technicians, will participate directly,.
We will also include 60 students directly in the project (ie. Those who will actually participate in mobility).
Employers will also be involved, for proposing adjustments based on actual market needs. Our associated partners are a reflection of the work field.
To reach the results needed we want to develop four intellectual outputs:
1) a manual for work based learning
2) a manual for distance learning and coaching
3) a manual for ECVET Units
4) ECVET unit(s)
Student and teacher exchanges with learning and training activities are scheduled, to pilot the products and obtain feedback to improve our products. In this way all products will be testrun before implementation and brought to our multiplier events.
The methodology we use during the project is already worked out to all details. The responsibility for the products is divided amongst the partners. The partner with most experience of the subject is leading partner.
Evaluation of first products is by:
• Observations during pilots
• Questionnaires amongst participants
• Questionnaires amongst associated partners
Each product is in this way subject to the PDCA cycle. Feedback and feedforward of teachers, students and associated partners, will improve the products during the project, and connected to the work field.
The result will be that our four products are developed and improved during the project. In the last phase of the project the products are going to be implemented in the educational system of the partnerschools.
The impact of our project is going to be our educational program keeping up with international changes. It is going to bring changes and improvements on the following subjects:
o Training unskilled workers.
o Knowledge of teachers.
o Mobility of teachers and VN’s.
o European orientation of teachers and VN’s.
o Technical and ICT innovations.
o Technical, personal and social skills of VN’s.
o Coaching of VN’s.
o The cooperation of institutes and the work field.
o Enclosure of the Northern part of the Netherlands.
o Employability for VNs
So our project will have impact on a broad variety of subjects. And in addition, with Vet4VN we are going to realize impact on different levels:
Short term impact -> accreditation and recognition of learning outcomes and curricula
Short term impact -> innovation in education and quality improvement
Midterm impact -> better education
Long term impact -> better employability, increased international awareness, and lifelong learning
Dissemination is going to be at different levels, local, regional, national and international. The products will be shared at different platforms. A unique element in our dissemination is sharing knowledge and products at workshops at the VetNNet conferences. A lot of institutes that provide education for VN’s are joined in VetNNet, the veterinary European transnational network for nursing education and training. Especially with dissemination of our products in this group we reach a broad and very interested audience!
And that makes a circle in our history. The project partners met at VetNNet conferences.They shared worries and needs to improve. And this cooperation led to the Vet4VN project application

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 203160 Eur

Project Coordinator

STICHTING GROEN ONDERWIJS OOST NEDERLAND & Country: NL

Project Partners

• Stichting Nordwin College
• HANSENBERG
• AEL-AMIEDU OY
• Biotehniski izobrazevalni center Ljubljana
• Stichting AOC Terra