Project title: European Network of Cooperative and Work Integrated Higher Education Background: During the European Business Summit in 2012, the President of Business Europe, stated that “Europe must educate for employment,” lamenting that over four million EU jobs are vacant because jobseekers don’t have the right skills to fill them. Referring to this situation, Commission President José Manuel Durao Barroso said that the Commission prepared a communication which provides recommendations in the areas of skills and entrepreneurship, where dual education is highlighted as one of the important solution. (1) A dual education system combines apprenticeships in a company and education at a vocational school or university. The reference to this system differs from country to country: dual system, apprentisage, or wider concepts like coop-education or work integrated learning. This model allows courses with academic learning at university that alternates with work experience in the company: it’s a training process which involves 3 actors that are the apprentice, his mentor in the company and tutor from the training center. Source: (1) http://www.euractiv.com/socialeurope/eu-push-dual-education-systems-b-news-512390 Objectives: The present project intends to establish a solid European Network of Cooperative and Work Integrated Higher Education, which will face the challenges currently presented by the model, while spreading it at EU level as a valuable alternative to tackle unemployment and promote entrepreneurship skills. Partnership: The Consortium is integrated by seven organizations from six European countries, all of them involved in Cooperative and Work Integrated Higher Education. -FUNDACION PARA LA FORMACION TECNICA EN MAQUINA-HERRAMIENTA, Spain -DUALE HOCHSCHULE BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, Germany -FH JOANNEUM GESELLSCHAFT M.B.H., Austria -Formasup, France -UNIVERSIDAD DE LLEIDA, Spain -HOGSKOLAN VAST, Sweden -LIBERA UNIVERSITA DI BOLZANO, Italy Activities, Methodology and intellectual outputs: In order to establish the network and define its basis, working operation and sustainability, the project team will carry out workshops in which key topics related to the dual or cooperative higher education will be addressed among the partners. The workshops will also allow the interaction and sharing of best practices in order to develop a common approach and a methodology for the implementation and expansion of this system within the European territory. Outputs: 1. Methodology for the development and implementation of a Cooperative and Work Integrated Higher Education 2. Four Best practice cases (a. Integrated career development; b. Ensuring quality in companies; c. Pedagogy; d. Mobility) 3. Set up of the Network and Network operational strategy 4. Handbook on Cooperative and Work Integrated Higher Education. Policy recommendations. In order to disseminate the establishment of the network, a multiplier event is foreseen at the end of the project. The project also foresees an intensive program for teaching staff of the participating organizations, which will take place in each center of the project partners so that the rest of the partners have the opportunity to see on the field their daily work as with regards, e.g., pedagogy, relationships with students and companies, and the operation of the entity. Impact and sustainability The most expected impact for the participants is the interaction and sharing of experiences and best practices with the members of the network in order to make synergies that allow them to expand their knowledge in the field of dual education and the creation of new and innovative methodologies that can be implemented at their organizations and expanded to new field of studies. Belonging to an established Network will provide the participants with the following impact aspects: • Identify and overcome the challenges of Dual Higher Education through the exchange of best practices and knowledge. • Concept and forms of dual training in the European framework of Higher Education. • Pedagogy and didactics methodologies of dual training for Universities • Establishment of University-Industry relationships. • Possibilities for collaboration and networking. • Advice and support for new initiatives in this line At national and European level, the desired impact of the project is the establishment and sustainability of the European Network of Cooperative and Work Integrated Higher Education that counts with the support of educational authorities at national and European level, as well as the support and cooperation of the industrial sector in order to consolidate the dual model in higher education. In order to ensure the sustainability of the network and the project intellectual outcomes, a sustainability strategy will be developed during the course of the project.