The project aims to produce a model of, and tools for, engaging young people aged 14+ to minimise Early School Leaving (ESL), as an answer to the pan-European challenge of youth unemployment and strategy to reduce Early School Leaving, identified in Europe 2020. The need for this has been identified at local level, by the partners’ own experience of the lack of up to date and high quality materials that motivate and support young people at risk of ESL, and that include information on opportunities available throughout the EU. The need has also been identified at national and EU level Specific objectives of the project are: • Initial and continuous education for education staff: To promote a better understanding of ESL, both in initial education and professional development, for school and VET staff. • A strong and well-developed guidance system: To strengthen guidance to ensure that young people are aware of the different study options and employment prospects available to them. • To develop counselling systems that provide young people with both emotional and practical support: The materials will identify various means of guidance, including mentoring, coaching and work placements • Co-operation with the world of work: The materials developed will identify how to provide opportunities that allow young people to experience the world of work. Using the partners’ range of employer networks, the viewpoint of the employer will be considered, so that the ideas presented are both practical and useful. The project will work with 800 young people at risk of ESL and 165 educators (teachers and career counsellors), who will be trained to identify and support young people at risk of ESL The project plan will be the key tool that drives activities, subdivided into work packages, with each partner having clearly defined roles and responsibilities with target timescales. The project will take place over two years from December 2015 to December 2017. Implementation of the project and development of the intellectual outputs will involve • Programme management – which will run throughout the project • Research into existing materials and pedagogies around preventing ESL, including any existing good practice and the limitations of existing materials. • Development of new materials in relation to career advice/counselling and activities for young people to increase their motivation and employability skills. There will be a particular focus on ensuring that opportunities across Europe are included in the materials. • Translation and adaptation: Once agreed, materials will be translated into the four languages of the partnership. • initial testing and assessment of materials on approximately 15 education and career counselling professionals and 200 young people, The work will be evaluated by the young people, using the standard forms developed at the kick-off meeting. • Review of the quality of the materials within each partner country. Each partner holds a workshop to discuss results of the testing, the quality of the materials, and the platform’s functionality and usability. • Revising and rolling out materials: Workshop results and feedback will be presented to partners at Management meeting in Bulgaria. The adapted materials will be delivered by the partners to teachers/counsellors and to young people within partner countries. • Final updating of materials; final in-country seminars and workshops, to which key European and national stakeholders will be invited. Results will include: • A methodology for identifying young people at risk of ESL • manual of training materials and activities for young people at risk of ESL, • A common core of policies and procedures for high quality work-based VET across Europe • A model for developing and strengthening links between schools, VET, HE and the labour market • 800 young people and 165 educators will be trained • A pan-European partnership of organisations involved in reducing Early School Leaving, including schools, • The impact on stakeholders will take several forms, from individual students participating in the pilot who develop the confidence, skills and motivation to remain in education to access career opportunities, to education staff who need to increase their knowledge and awareness of opportunities available across the EU, to encourage young people to grasp opportunities in countries both inside and outside EU boundaries. The longer terms benefits envisaged will be to feed the lessons of the project into policy development at national and European levels. Future funding is expected to be acquired through mainstreaming and multiplying the project both at national and European levels.