Through formal education programs the student acquires knowledge about a subject, with practice learn to put into practice the knowledge in a particular case, this process must be completed with non-formal education programs help to improve social skills, leadership, entrepreneurship to strengthen the student and face a competitive job market.
To validate the methodology the 7 partners involved (6 from European Union and one third country) want promote the use, test and implement ECVET by applying it to the qualification of the course according to the ECVET guidelines.
Our target group is vocational students (from 17 to 24 years) before beginning their internship in business, for employers to identify something added to them. Participants are students of intermediate level of VET (start your year theoretical and practical 16 years with 17) and high degree (they start the theorical year at least with 18, 19 years old). Will be included a percentage of immigrants and people with disabilities (WP4).
Our aim is to empower them and strengthen good practice across a new methology designed by experts, implemented by teachers and having as final users those vocational training students previously mentioned. The new methodology will be implemented to fit the students’ psychological maturity which will help them to develop another set of skills and capabilities that provide a better social integration or employability. Eurostat estimates that 26.061 million men and women in the EU-27, were unemployed in November 2012.
Andalusia (Spain): According to recent data published by the MEC, Andalusia is far from achieving the second goal set in Lisbon: to reach a rate of 85% of young people, aged between 18 and 24, with secondary studies (high school or middle level Vocational Training Studies).
Greece: ASEDDEDIPE (Greece) is an educational non-profit organization located in the north-east part of Greece where unemployment is one of the highest in the country /up to 16 % . Moreover, many people are forced to apply for early retirement being at age 50+, 55+ due to external reasons (e.g. reduction of working places, closing small and big factories and simply to leave vacancies for the youngest who hasn’t got a job). This socio-economic disadvantage translates into lower-than-average income households which is a financial barrier to study in the concept of Vocational Training and to find a new job. Not enough number of vocational educational centres for adults and their early retirement causes stagnancy, regress and both intellectual and physical inactivity.
Germany is a country in which a large part of the population has caught up with and benefited from the knowledge economy. Policies of successive governments and social partners have favored inclusion in the knowledge economy. On a global basis, this policy works. Results are on target and also in line with the EU target.
Italy: Youth educational attainment level is 2,7 points below the European average (79%), and far from the relevant Lisbon goal (85%). The reasons of early living can be found inside the centres: factors such as familiar cultures, quality of infrastructures (transports, libraries, and communications) and income. And outside school: the excessive rigidity of pathways, the debasement of vocational education and the increase of bullying attitudes.
Austria: In Austria secondary vocational schools have a dropout rate of up to 42%, and every third apprentice does not finish vocational education.
It is common for all those countries the fact that a high percentage of students who have obtained their degree, do not have the necessary competences to join the labour market because they have not had an education that teaches empowerment, and have a lack of entrepreneurship and lack of innovation.