Pro Mobility

For more than a decade the European Union has been promoting transnational mobility of persons in initial vocational education and training (IVET) through the “Mobility” measures laid down in the Community programme Leonardo da Vinci. Each year on average 30 000 young people in IVET have received funds in order to go to a different European country.

Despite these measures, Europe has not seen mobility become generalised as part of vocational education and training, comparable with that which has developed in higher education through the Erasmus programme. The mobility of young people in IVET is more often of short duration (placements seldom last longer than the minimum period of three weeks) and constitutes an appendix to the training pathway rather than an integrated part.

In answer to the Call for Proposal DG EAC 45/06 (cf. http://ec.europa.eu/education/programmes/calls/ 4506/index_en.html) the project Pro Mobility – Platforms for the Promotion and Support of Qualifying Mobility in IVET has been initiated by Wirtschaftskammer Österreich, WKO (Austrian Federal Economic Chamber). The following outline contains some information about the project’s aims, the procedure and the partnership.

What are the aims of Pro Mobility?

Pro Mobility aims at enabling and enhancing qualifying mobility in IVET. Qualifying mobility is characterised by two aspects:

  • Length: The mobility periods should well exceed a duration of three weeks, which is the usual duration of exchange periods financed under the Leonardo da Vinci programme. They should last between three and twelve months during which competences are acquired that form part of the VET programme in the home (sending) country.
  • Recognition: The mobility period and the competences acquired abroad should be recognised in the home country. This means that the mobility period should not prolong the training pathway but be considered an integrated part of it. In other words, the mobility period should substitute parts of the training period in the home country. Furthermore, the competences acquired in the target country should not have to be tested and assessed again in the sending country but be recognised on the basis of an agreement concluded between sending and receiving institutions prior to the exchange.

In order to reach these aims Pro Mobility addresses the following short- and mid-term objectives:

  1. Establishment of two platforms:
    During the lifetime of the project two types of platforms will be established:
    1. Cooperation platform: In all participating countries networks of policy makers and IVET stakeholders will be set up (so-called “Pro Mobility Committees”, PMCs) that will support the project partnership in developing mobility guidelines, implementing these guidelines as part of the IVET internationalisation strategy in each country and promoting the idea of qualifying mobility among IVET providers and participants during and beyond the lifetime of the project (i.e. guaranteeing sustainability of project results). PMCs should become institutionalised platforms in each country and foster transnational cooperations also after the official ending of Pro Mobility.
    2. Virtual platform: In all participating countries web content will be created that will be added to existing, well-known and thematically relevant websites (e.g. Leonardo da Vinci websites or websites of exchange organisations, chambers etc.). This web content will cover the mobility guidelines developed during the project. These guidelines will include practical information about qualifying mobility, i.e. information about infrastructure as well as instruments (e.g. manuals, information about EUROPASS transparency instruments/VET systems in other countries/ competence descriptions, contact addresses, a database with receiving/sending institutions, i.e. IVET exchange platform, best practice examples, etc.). This web content will be targeted at IVET providers as well as at individuals wanting to take part in qualifying mobility. It should facilitate access to mobility and enhance exchange opportunities.
  2. Organisation of experimental exchanges:
    1. In order to test the mobility guidelines developed on the basis of the completed and/or existing exchange evaluations, at least three prototype exchanges will be organised per country. These exchanges will be financed under the “Lifelong Learning” measure of the Leonardo da Vinci programme. Mobility participants taking part in these experimental exchanges will have to use the mobility guidelines (specific contracts will be concluded between the partners of Pro Mobility and the mobility participants under the Leonardo programme) in order to give feedback to the Pro Mobility partners. This feedback will be used to adapt and fine-tune the mobility guidelines.
    2. The long-term objective of Pro Mobility is to make qualifying mobility a part of the IVET internationalisation strategy in each of the participating countries. Qualifying mobility should form a regular and integrated part of IVET training pathways (similar to Erasmus exchanges in higher education) and be legally anchored in national laws and training regulations.

What are the Steps in Pro Mobility?

For reaching the project’s aims the partnership will

  • organise and coordinate the establishment of a PMC in each country;
  • analyse and evaluate ten completed and/or existing mobility exchanges in each country in order to find out strengths, obstacles, requirements, etc.;
  • develop mobility guidelines on the basis of the evaluation results;
  • prepare and evaluate prototype exchanges on the basis of the mobility guidelines developed;
  • adapt the mobility guidelines on the basis of the prototype exchange evaluation;
  • develop web content covering practical information about qualifying mobility;
  • disseminate the project results and encourage and mobilise economic stakeholders, IVET players, apprentices and IVET students to participate in qualifying mobility.

The project will run over a period of 21 months, starting in December 2006 and finishing in August 2008.

What results are expected in Pro Mobility?

The following main results are expected in the project:

  • Pro Mobility Committee: National networks of IVET stakeholders will be established.
  • Mobility guidelines: Transnationally and nationally relevant information on qualifying mobility, i.e. information about the infrastructure required and the instruments needed.
  • Web content: The mobility guidelines will be made available as part of an existing website.

Which countries and institutions will participate in Pro Mobility?

The project will be coordinated by Wirtschaftskammer Österreich, WKO (Austrian Federal Economic Chamber). Partner institutions from Austria, Germany and Slovenia countries will participate in Pro Mobility:

Partners from Austria

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  • Bundesministerium für Bildung, Wissenschaft und Kultur, BMBWK (Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Culture)
  • Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Arbeit, BMWA (Federal Ministry of Economics and Labour)
  • Fachverband der Friseure (Federal Guild of Hairdressers)
  • Fachverband Hotellerie (Austrian Professional Hotel Association)
  • Institut für Bildungsforschung der Wirtschaft, ibw (Institute for Research on Qualifications and Training of the Austrian Economy)
  • Internationaler Fachkräfteaustausch, IFA (International Young Workers’ Exchange)
  • Kammer für Arbeiter und Angestellte, AK (Chamber of Labour)
  • Landesschulrat für Oberösterreich, LSR OÖ (Education Board Upper Austria)
  • Österreichischer Austauschdienst, ÖAD (Austrian Exchange Service)
  • Österreichischer Gewerkschaftsbund, ÖGB (Austrian Trade Union Federation)

Partners from Germany

  • Europäisches Bildungswerk für Beruf und Gesellschaft (European Association for Vocational and Social Education)
  • Handwerkskammer für München und Oberbayern, HWK (Chamber of Craft of Munich and Upper Bavaria)
  • Industrie- und Handelskammer für München und Oberbayern, IHK (Chamber of Industry and Commerce of Munich and Upper Bavaria)
  • Stadt München (City of Munich)
  • Wirtschaftsakademie Schleswig-Holstein (IVET and CVET provider institution of Chamber of Industry and Commerce of Schleswig-Holstein)

Partners from Slovenia

  • Center RS za poklicno izobra˛evanje, CPI (National Institute for Vocational Education and Training)
  • Solski Center Velenje (School Centre Velenje)
  • Obrtna zbornica Slovenije, OZS (Chamber of Craft of Slovenia)

    Contact Details:

        Ms. Sabine Tritscher-Archan

        Wiedner Hauptstrasse 63, A-1045 Wien

        Mail: tritscher-archan@ibw.at

        Website: www.pro-mobility.net

 

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