BACKGROUND Vaasa is one of the most internationally growing commuting areas in the country. Ostrobothnia and Vaasa commuting area is bilingual and multilingual. There are many international companies who has English as working language, specially in technology (energy). International competence and good language skills are tools for future success. During 2013-2015 Vaasa Vocational Institute started piloting ECVET principles in the international mobilities for students. At the same time the institute has tried to establish a continuing and mutual collaboration based on mutual trust and understanding with the partners in Europe. The aim has been to get all study programs at Vaasa Vocational Institute involved in the international activities. OVERALL GOALS FOR THIS PROJECT ARE: The project Establishing_ECVET@vao.fi is a mobility project for students and staff at Vaasa Vocational Institute. The project offers mobility to all study programs (EQF4) within the framework for ECVET -principles. The focus lies on quality and security of mobilities and also on indentification and recognition of knowledge and skills gained during the whole mobility process from the beginning to the end with the help of portfolio combined with a electronic blog. The focus lies even on the possibilities that the new national curricula for vocational education enables and on identification and recognition of informal learning and key competences for lifelong learning. A big emphasis lies also in participants commitment in planning the participants mobilities. The participants are selected among second and third year students from initial vocational programmes (EQF4) within Vaasa Vocational Institute. Students within all disciplines are offered the possibility to participate. Participants from staff will be head of departments, vocational teachers, study councellors and international co-ordinators. The amount of students is 74 and experts 15. The partners abroad concists of organisations in Sweden, Estonia, Denmark, Norway, Germany, Great Britain, Spain and Slovenia (totally 15 partners). WHY The collaboration with the partners and the ECVET work at Vaasa Vocational Institute has now come to the point that there is a need to deepen, extend, establish and to develop the quality of the exchange. Also identification and recognition of knowledge and skills that the students acquire abroad has to been extended outside the vocational objectives. Vaasa Vocational Institute is developing models and tools for identification and recognition of knowledge and skills based on the possibilities that the new national curriculum is enabling (starting in August 1th 2015). These models and tools will be piloted in this project. There is a need for established collaboration with the existing partners with focus on quality and security of the mobilities. There is also an interest in extending the cooperation to new study programs. An intensive, mutual collaboration with focus on economical working methods and arrangements will gain both partners and students. THE EXPECTED OUTCOMES To be able to offer qualitative and secure on-the-job placements abroad for students in all study programs within the principles of ECVET framework. An increased international knowledge, improved language skills and a increased possession of key competences for lifelong learning among the students A personnel who has ability and skills to coach the students in their process of gaining international skills. A model and tools for identification and recognition of knowledge that the student have obtained during the whole mobility process from the beginning to the end included informal learning. This model can also be established to other study areas, eg entrepreneurship. Elimination of overlapping studies and evaluation which may enable shorter time of studies. A possibility to offer the students individual and flexible study paths which respond the students need and interest. THE IMPACT OF RESULTS That Vaasa Vocational Institute and vocational education is as a natural choice for potential students. That students of Vaasa Vocational Institutes are attractive in the labour market and and are seen as a natural choice when employing new staff That the region of Vaasa has access to employees with strong international competence and good language skills The relevant topics for the project are: quality assurance, recognition(non- formal and informal learning/credits), international cooperation, international relations and development cooperation.