The Junior On The Job Coach project aims to combat the human and financial cost of Early School/College Leaving (ESL). The project is designed to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of work-based learning and apprenticeships; offer leadership opportunities to higher-level students; and support employers in providing work placements and apprenticeships.Three new products will assist young people at risk of ESL. The first will be a Competence Framework which will describe in development steps the key skills required to be an on the job coach. Drawing on the latest research literature and by means of field research in Austria, The Netherlands, Romania, Spain and the UK, the Competence Framework will inform a JOTJC Training Programme and a Tool Kit for employers.Young people who are considered to be at risk in work placements and apprenticeships will be matched with a higher-level student in a speed-dating session to gain maximum compatibility with needs and skills. The higher-level students will have experience of work placements and have undergone a JOTJC training programme based on the Competence Framework. Support for the in work placement student will be provided face to face and by text or a preferred social media.Employers will be given the opportunity of attending a workshop that will offer them information on the training programme and provide them with all the training material in a customized Tool Kit. The JOTJC project will seek to obtain accreditation for the JOTJC Training Programme beyond the scope of the project partnership.These three products will be rigorously tested and made available free of charge. They aim to promote excellence within VET by increasing retention and completion rates; by offering inspiring workplace opportunities to more able students; and by supporting employers in their quest for better-qualified apprentices. The products will meet the needs of all three target groups.