DC-VET WB – Developing capacity for VET Systems in Western Balkans
The objective is to innovate VET systems in Western Balkans through the exchange of practises and a pervasive capacity building action. Countries involved are Albania, Bosnia Herzegovina, Kosova and Montenegro.
We aim to strengthen the cooperation with companies and VET institutions, both internationalisation of education and to make the training more inclusive.
Our goals are
- To increase the quantity and quality of work-based learning, WBL and activities in collaboration with companies
- To equip schools with tools to deal with the inclusion of young people with fewer opportunities, special educational needs, cultural obstacles and gender equality
- To improve the internationalisation strategies of VET schools in Western Balkans
How to promote participation in vocational training in the Western Balkan countries?
Twenty teachers from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, Spain, and Italy were exploring the theme of participation under the leadership of Luovi in Helsinki in June 2024. The seminar was preceded by needs assessment, pre-assignments, and an online meeting. Finally, we were together, sharing experiences. The training package is part of the European Union-funded DC-VET WB project.
The purpose was to delve into individual study paths, plain language, and workplace-based learning. Participants choose a good practice and pilot it in their own educational institutions. Experiences will be collected to create a toolbox of best practices for broader European use.
Luovi’s culinary students in Helsinki took care of seminar catering over two days. The Thursday workshop was held at Stadin ammattiopisto. The project also enhances Luovi experts’ experience as trainers in an international environment.
Such enthusiastic and participatory group!
The project continues until the end of 2025. Next year, the focus will be on developing international competence, and students will have the opportunity to participate in a joint event.
Representing Luovi are Sari Jokela, Sirpa Grönvall, Arja Vatanen, Anne Tornberg, and Mari Kontturi.
Building a toolkit on social inclusion practices in Western Balkans
The toolkit on social inclusion is designed to empower VET teachers with the tools and strategies they need in their daily work. Read more…
It has been quite a journey to develop a toolkit, but now we can launch it. One of the principles in Erasmus+ programme is to enhance inclusion. Teachers in vocational education and training, VET, are constantly seeking ways to support their students, especially those with fewer opportunities. The toolkit on social inclusion is designed to empower VET teachers with the tools and strategies they need in their daily work.
The Erasmus+ Programme Guide defines “people with fewer opportunities” as individuals who face obstacles that prevent them from having effective access to opportunities under the programme. These obstacles can be due to economic, social, cultural, geographical, or health reasons, a migrant background, or reasons such as disability and educational difficulties.
It is not only theory, but a hands-on guide with practices and tips that have been tested and refined through real situations. Teachers from Albania, Bosnia Herzegovina, Kosovo, and Montenegro have already started integrating these new elements into their teaching in their schools. We collected forty-two practices, developed by eighty-eight teachers and piloted together with 652 students. Altogether eleven VET schools were involved in the testing phase to introduce new practices on social inclusion.
Why use the toolkit?
Teachers involved in the DC-VET WB project and their networks of organizations have created and piloted all the practices of the toolkit. You can enhance your competences and gain new skills to support learners with fewer opportunities and help the students to achieve the learning outcomes of the curriculum. The transition from school to work is crucial and you can also find practices to support the smooth transition.
How did we do it? We had four steps in building the toolkit.
- Research: Partners conducted a skill gap analysis through surveys and interviews to assess competence levels of the teachers in Western Balkans.
- Training: Luovi Vocational College organized a three-day-training seminar on social inclusion for VET staff from Albania, Bosnia Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, Italy, and Spain. The group of teachers gathered together in Helsinki, Finland in June 2024.
- Updating teaching methodologies and testing: VET staff in the Western Balkans introduced new elements in their teaching methodology and tested them with students.
- Feedback and finalization: The last step involved analyzing the results of the testing and integrating them into the last version of the toolkit.
You can choose from two options. If you want to know everything before choosing the practice you want to try, you can read the long edition of the toolkit. But if you do not have so much time, you can jump to the interactive version of the toolkit and look for the practices from categories such as community-based activities, wellbeing of students, cultural activities, and skills for life.
You can find the toolkit in English and in Western Balkan languages on the project website.
DC-VET WB – Developing Capacity for VET Systems in Western Balkans
Mari Kontturi and Sari Jokela, Luovi Vocational College, Finland
Partners
DC-VET WB is coordinated by Uniser, Italy.
Chamber of Economy of Montenegro,
Prishtina REA from Kosovo
IUS Lifelong Learning Center, IUS Life from Bosnia Herzegovina
Vicepresidencia Consejería de Educación de la Comunidad De Madrid / IES PEDRO DE TOLOSA from Spain
Albanian Skills and
Luovi Vocational College
The European Commission’s support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
Contact
Mari Kontturi
Manager of International Affairs
mari.kontturi@luovi.fi
+358 40 319 3264