With the expansion of regional and national economies into a global marketplace, education has critical importance as a primary factor in allowing young adults to enter the workforce and advance economically, as well as to share in the social,health, and other benefits associated with education and productive careers. Vocational education has become increasingly a priority over the last few years, both for the member states as national educational reforms and across E.U. Several countries have re-branded VET to reflect its broader scope and improve its image. In times when following different learning paths in various contexts throughout one’s life becomes the norm, VET’s profile is expanding − sometimes faster, sometimes less rapidly – to anticipate and reflect changes in the world of work, domestically and internationally.
The quality of education is considered in all Member States to be a concern of the highest political priority. High levels of knowledge, competencies and skills are considered to be the very basic conditions for active citizenship, employment and
social cohesion. A recent CEDEFOP publication (European cooperation in VET: one process, many stops. Developments in vocational education and training policy, 2018 ) mentioned as challenges of VET education the following: the lower quality of
VET ((compared to general secondary education), lack of a clearly articulated vision for work-based learning, roles and responsibilities of the different partners in work-based learning are not clearly defined. These issues have been identified in
all partner countries and, particularly, for the partners’ context.
Within this context the project raises up from the need to improve quality in education and ensure a continuous professional development of VET teachers, careers guidance officers, school counselors. Involving professionals from various
perspectives of VET education we aim not only to achieve positive results in career guidance but to ensure a proper comprehensive approach to VET education.
The purpose of the project is the elaboration of complex and coherent counseling and guidance programmes regarding the selection of vocational educational pathways by students.
Such ideas come as a direct result of identified needs of VET teachers and school counselors, equally. This project addresses the needs of various target groups such as:
School counselors – the need to better cooperate with VET teachers, the need to implement large scale and consistent career guidance programmes in schools, the need to improve cooperation with VET teachers
VET teachers and specialists – the need to use a practical approach in teaching, the need to increase skills related to presenting the real work life opportunities for the VET/ dual education graduates
Participating organisations – the need to improve cooperation between different sectors, in the field of VET education
Students – the need to match skills and interests with the educational offer and the labor market possibilities, the need to increase their motivation for selecting a vocational training
