APP&TEACH

EU-Programme: Erasmus+, KA2, Strategic Partnerships for Vocational Education and Training
Coordination: Centro Servizi Formazione (Italy)
Duration: September 2017 – August 2020
Website: https://www.appandteach.com

There is strong evidence that work-based learning helps to equip young people with the skills that can improve their employability and ease the transition from school to work. The European Commission has called upon governments, social partners and education and training providers to promote apprenticeships and other forms of work-based learning (High-performance apprenticeships & WBL, EC). There is an increasing and urgent need in Europe to boost and support the participation of SMEs in apprenticeship. Nevertheless, many companies, particularly SMEs, do not see a net benefit in introducing apprenticeships due to associated direct and indirect costs.

Although apprenticeships can be a burden to employers, there are also benefits, of which the employers are often unaware. Training young people through WBL represents an important tool to react in a flexible, efficient and concrete way to the needs of the company. In-company trainers responsible for training/mentoring learners benefit by developing their skills and competences as trainers but also by developing new knowledge, since learners bring new perspectives and challenges as they learn.

The aim of APP & TEACH project is to facilitate the participation of SMEs in apprenticeship by equipping in-company VET trainers with the necessary skills and innovative ICT-based tools to support both the management and the training activities involved in apprenticeship programs. To do so, an alliance of VET experts and providers, companies and intermediary bodies from 8 countries (8 countries (Austria, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Spain and United Kingdom) will work together to lead the project and cocreate and test innovative methods and freely accessible OER.

The project will apply European frameworks and instruments, like EQF, ECVET, EQAVET, Europass and EPALE, to promote and boost transparency and recognition of competences and qualifications, transnational mobility and the transferability of the project outputs to other VET experts and providers, companies and intermediary bodies at local, regional, national and European level, with the active support and cooperation of a network of key associated partners and relevant stakeholders involved in the project.