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Increasing international knowledge and experience ..
Increasing international knowledge and experience of West Nottinghamshire College Students 2
Start date: Aug 1, 2016,
End date: Jul 31, 2018
PROJECT
FINISHED
Getting more people into better jobs is a particularly pressing issue at the moment as many parts of Europe suffer high rates of unemployment. People need the skills and training required by the labour market of today – and tomorrow. Building on the success of the popular Erasmus+ VET learner and staff mobility project ‘Increasing international knowledge and experience of West Nottinghamshire College Students’, this project promotes the participation in the world of work and internationalises institution by allowing 102 participants from the Engineering, Construction, Sport & Public Services, Care & Education and Lifestyle schools of Vision WNC have an opportunity to look in their area of study outside the normal regional constraints in a transnational environment - thus providing a challenging and enriching experience that will improve their understanding of the world and links into the important college wide policy of promoting diversity and widening participation. It is also envisaged that through participation, they will gain motivation, confidence and build friendships for life.Education is the key ingredient for Member States’ competitiveness and anyone who wants to get on in life. Without a good education, and subsequent training, non-formal and informal learning opportunities, a person is less likely to get and retain a good job and more likely to suffer poverty and social exclusion. This project takes into account the free movement within the European Labour Market and encourages VET learners, who have not previously benefited from similar opportunities, to participate in international mobilities in order acquire the skills and life confidence they need to enter the labour market.The project uses a pedagogically sound vehicle for learning, supported by the specialist work and training placement opportunities that will provide a rich source of information, skills development and real work experiences. These experiences will enable learners to explore the different approaches to enterprise, commerce and entrepreneurship in each country. This fits with overall strategy of active learning and development of employability and enterprise skills that is strongly embedded in the Vision WNC curriculum. The opportunities to work and train aboard will further broaden learners horizons and instill new attitudes based on the real work experiences. In order to develop expertise in the specialist area and complement their knowledge with more technical and practical training, it is believed that the acquirement of new skills and competencies, will greatly increase the participating learners’ chance of finding a job and being successful at work as these can be used immediately after the end of international placement, either in an employed or self-employed role.From the construction, engineering and information technology perspective, globalization is not a choice, but a reality. To successfully compete in the employment markets of the so-called knowledge age, learners must be driven by passion, curiosity, engagement, and dreams. Participation in this project will help to prepare the next generation of specialists for these challenges by giving them opportunities for working and training alongside the German industry specialists while learning from the shared brainpower, organisation and innovation.The participating staff will have an opportunity to tour the partner institution, to include walk throughs of lessons taking place, to shadow an advance practitioners of partner institution, observe a range of teaching and learning activities, coaching and feedback sessions and team teach, if desired. The outcomes of the project are disseminated and used to facilitate the adoption of any best practices that are identified as a result of the project activities. Participation in this project may result in college adopting a new technique or assessment practice, or questioning strategy, as observed as part of the European visit, and putting it into practice, resulting in reinforcement of the internationalisation, capacity building and modernisation strategies of the Vision WNC.A specific Vision WNC Moodle page will be set-up as part of this project. This will enable communication between the participants and staff as well as encourage future collaboration and sustain any future partnerships. The project will be promoted through the Vision WNC Web site, Facebook, Twitter, via local and regional media and word of mouth by the learners and staff and to local large and SME employers, employer forums, industry associations and awarding bodies.