The project Work Based Learning – Pathway to Youth Empowerment is an ERASMUS+ project and it is meant to encourage excellence of VET across Europe (Vocational Education and Training) and it was developed as a follow-up of a very successful project “Work Based Learning – the entrance to professional future” implemented by some of the core project partners. It also relates to the creation of bottom-up partnerships, which should encourage the creation of transnational and national VET providers’ networks at national and European level. The purpose of such work, as well as the already created network and partnerships is to improve the quality and efficiency of VET, to enhance the impact and relevance of vocational education for VET learners and employers, as well as build cross-border cooperation for VET quality and attractiveness.
During the implementation of the project, partners carefully analyzed and observed official data and statistics for the past few years, several organizations involved in the youth, education and training sector have spot out some severe problems related to the youth unemployment tendencies in Europe. With these problems, there came as well the necessity to react and provide solutions to the related issues seems urgent, since the educational processes and economical activities need to be reorganized accordingly and to work hand in hand.
In order to deliver clear information on the available EU tools, funding opportunities and solutions available for allowing the quality implementation of WBL practices, based on the analysis, partners developed the first project result which is a practical guide, related to the effective use of EU funding instruments for the support of WBL by social actors and youth NGOs, delivering relevant solutions on how to foster youth empowerment, professional, career orientation and employability through application of apprenticeship schemes.
The practical Guidebook gives a full overview of the roles of each actor in the work based learning pattern and their importance in each stage of implementation of such educational schemes. This aspect also helps to reduce the gap between the education and real work life.
