The project sets out to reduce dropout rates in schools and colleges through improving the guidance offered to students and through creating a more attractive learning environment. The project attempts to bring together aspects of education and VET with the social work goals aimed at student welfare and further intends to integrate the existing knowledge and expertise from a range of institutions into a coherent guidance and counselling system based upon a model of social competencies adapted from youth work. Students with emotional, social and motivational problems will be specifically targeted by the project in order to assist these groups to make informed training and career choices. To this end, an integrated methodology, aimed at reducing early school dropout, will be developed by the project partners and will be based upon identified best practice across the partner countries. Such best practice will be grounded in the principles of an integrated approach to youth-based intervention between institutions, alternative learning pathways for young people and a sound pedagogical climate. The identified best practice will be adapted for piloting in the partner countries, with the onus on transferring practice to different settings and user groups. The results of the pilot phase will be presented in the printed form and on CD-Rom (featuring video clips). A series of three printed newsletters and an interim report will raise awareness of project progress. End results will be promoted via a dedicated project website and will comprise a series of recommendations for integrated VET schooling and social work, aimed primarily at policy and decision makers.