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Learning through mobilities - VMA learner and staff mobilities within VET
Start date: Sep 1, 2015, End date: Aug 31, 2017 PROJECT  FINISHED 

Verkmenntaskólinn á Akureyri (VMA) is a comprehensive college in Northern Iceland offering many different types of study at the secondary level. VMA offers vocational programmes as well as academic studies for matriculation to the university level. VMA has gradually become more active in international cooperation. For some years we have had the opportunity to send students from assistant nursing to Denmark and Finland for some of their practical training periods. This has proven to be a very productive part of the programme and VMA has been receiving students from the colleges we cooperate with in Denmark and Finland. VMA has been successful in organizing and applying for funds for Strategic partnership programs within the Leonardo da Vinci and Erasmus plus programs. Through this work VMA has formed contact with colleges in many countries. In addition to the project work the institutions are planning mobilities for teachers and students. VMA plans to first send teachers or administrators to the cooperating colleges and prospective workplaces. During these visits the teachers will map put the possible opportunities for their students, contact and observe the facilities at the colleges and the workplaces and plan the sending of students. After a process of selection in VMA where students have equal opportunity to apply the departments select their candidates in cooperation with administrators. After this the students are prepared, all documents reviewed and signed and travel arrangements will be made. After each trip a report will be prepared and the training will be evaluated and accredited to the student through the use of Europass and ECVET formats. An overview of the mobilities proposed is: Assistant nursing: four teacher mobilities to Denmark and Finland, two for each country. Hair dressing: four student mobilities for an apprentice period in Norway. Art department: two teacher mobilities and ten student mobilities to Trondheim for making use of Facilities at Charlottenlund College art department. Food and catering: two teacher mobilities and four students mobilities to Lahti, Finland. Meat processing: two teacher mobilities and two student mobilities to Denmark. Technical studies: four teacher mobilities and four student mobilities to either Netherlands, Denmark, Germany or Britain (will have to be decided after teacher visits. A total of 14 teacher / administrator mobilities and 24 student mobilities (two weeks up to one year). This project is both seen as a part of the wide vision VMA has of the school´s role in the small society in Northern Iceland being the only major vocational college and as a part of trying to increase the interest of students in VET studies. Like in so many communities we face both a big problem of early school leaving and the problem of not getting students into the VET studies we need more people to finish. VMA hopes a deep discussion among VET teachers and students preparing for and coming back from abroad will lead to a change in teaching and learning and a change in the number of interested students in VET and an increase in the proportion of students that graduate.
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