Mobility of VET students has recently emerged as an important topic on the EU agenda. Cross-border mobility projects for vocational students create added value for students, vocational education and training systems, employers and our labour markets. However, only a small number of VET students participate in cross-border mobility.

On 7 November 2017, students, teachers, coordinators, employers, managers and policy makers gathered in Brussels to explore new opportunities to promote an interregional mobility culture in Initial Vocational Education and Training (IVET/apprenticeships). Together, they focused on cross-border mobility between four border regions in the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Germany.

The event had a twofold purpose:• Identify actions to stimulate a mobility culture in VET in border regions;• Create partnerships and networks by bringing together stakeholders from different backgrounds and organisations.It was hosted by Members of the European Parliament Jeroen Lenaers (NL, EPP), Tom Vandenkendelaere (BE, EPP) and Sabine Verheyen (DE, EPP).

The questions that were discussed were: “How can we scale up interregional IVET mobility in an inclusive and sustainable way?”, “ How do we use each other’s networks for that purpose?”, “What can be the role of EU funding to stimulate cross-bor-der mobility in IVET?” and: “How can we make cross-border mobility more attractive for our students?”

This paper outlines the key take-away messages from the event, categorised in their respective spheres of influence and are alternated by quotes from the participants. A full meeting report can be found in the annex to this paper.

How to promote a VET mobility culture?

European level

• Create more flexibility in the Erasmus+ programme to respond optimally to the needs of learners: mobility should fit within their ‘life plan’. The Erasmus+ programme should seek a right balance between supporting long-term and short-term mobility.• The future follow-up programme to the Erasmus+ programme should strive for internationalisation for all, including for less wealthy students. Internationalisation at home, can also contribute to social cohesion on the European continent.• Ensure that students receive credits for their mobility experience, bin their curriculum and for extra curricular activities. Flexible monitoring tools need to be developed and unified to have a good record of what has been learned through the mobility experience and make this visible for employers.

National level

• Make mobility of VET students a strategic priority by developing an ambitious agenda that triggers mobility aspirations.• Lift up the image of mobility towards schools and make them aware that Erasmus+ is a life-enriching learning experience.• Create toolkits to raise awareness about VET mobility and motivate students to go abroad through initiatives such as student ambassadors (e.g. ‘WilWeg ambassadors’ in the Netherlands - students who have lived abroad and are excited to share their experiences with others).

“I could not go on mobily as there was no practical information available.”

“We need crazy people who have a love for mobility.”

Employers

• Create partnerships with (regional) authorities and the education sector to develop supporting structures to ensure that mobility also aligns with the needs of the employers. • Involve employers in developing a recognition and quality assurance system of a mobility experience.

Students

• Students are each other’s best mentors: students tend to trust other student’s experiences more. A ‘buddy system’, where students go on mobility in small groups, or where a local student helps to get settled, could help to overcome the fear of being left to fend for oneself.

Schools

• Learn from other schools that have experience in VET student mobility.• Create awareness among students about mobility opportunities, e.g. through developing a ‘standard information toolkit’ (including financial information and information about cultural diversity) and developing a mentoring programme.• Invest in ‘mobility coordinators’ who are responsible for information and guidance and set up an “SOS helpdesk” for students who are ‘lost in translation’. • Ensure that less wealthy students can also benefit from a mobility experience.

“International mobility has given me an appetite for travelling and has been a great motivation to

continue learning.”

“I felt privileged to have had the opportunity to go to France.”

“Students should be able to play around with the length of their mobility.”

“It would be good if schools were paying for the mobility: for some of my classmates, a contribution

of 50 euro a month is already a lot of money.”

Regional level

• Cooperate closely with the education sector and the employment sector to make mobility possible within the region (e.g. Lernende Euregio).• Focus on sectors where there is a skills need (chemistry, green construction…) and facilitate matchmaking by organising matchmaking events or setting up a database with mobility candidates.• Integrate VET education programmes across borders to facilitate exchange opportunities, e.g. by offering a comparable study programme, or to give students the opportunity to follow a part of the study programme across the border.

• “Promote the use of the EU ‘Erasmus+ App’ to put mobility at the fingertips of mobile learners.”

• “Create “ EU Mobility TV”, a website where one can find stories on EU (VET) mobility.”

“Having been abroad has helped me to become independent.”

ANNEXThe lunchtime seminar brought together coordinators, employers, managers and policy makers involved in VET education to discuss priorities, changes and challenges in the IVET and mobility landscape in relation to the EU agenda.Introductory speeches were given by Ms Chrystalla Petridou (Policy officer- Erasmus+ VET, DG Education and Culture), Mr Carlo Scatoli (Team Leader - Strategic frameworks and instruments, DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion), Mr Arnold de Boer (Social Policy and Vocational Training officer, UEAPME) and Mr Laurens Steehouder (Researcher, Nuffic).

Morning session – policy makers

Ms Chrystalla Petridou presented the state of play in the Erasmus+ evaluation. The results of the mid-term evaluation of the Erasmus+ programme show that the programme is on track to meet its targets. In her presentation, she focused on VET learners’ and staff’ motivation to take part in mobility activities. According to her, the introduction of ErasmusPro for mobility between 3 and 12 months in the 2017 call for financing has been one of the key developments with regard to the VET sector. She concluded with a future outlook for the post-2020 period and the Commission’s ideas to make the programme more inclusive, flexible and simple.

Mr Carlo Scatoli emphasised that students who go on mobility in another EU country leave as young kinds, and are coming back as young adults. They acquire new personal and professional skills. However, some rules of attraction need to be respected:• Opportunities for mobility should be created. This means first of all, to secure sufficient budget, not only from Erasmus+, but also from the European Structural and Investment Funds, in particular from the European Social Fund.

• Second, students should not be paying a big price in terms of study delays. To that end, tools for monitoring need to be developed and unified to have a good record of what has been learned through the mobility experience. Exchange programmes should also be made more flexible and the experience should fit within the ‘life plan’ of the student.

• Mobility can also be organised through mutual learning experiences, or eventually through joint degrees.

Arnold de Boer pledged to create an EU space for education and training which raises the employability of learners who are equipped with transversal and labour-market related skills. UEAPME is one of the founding fathers of the Alliance for Ap-prenticeships, where companies are at the core. We should facilitate learning mobility from their point of view, i.e. support-ing structures are needed. The administrative requirements can be simplified further, also when it comes to the validation of skills.Moreover ErasmusPro should not come at the expense of short-term mobility as the radius to go abroad on average is less than 60 km. Rather, mobility should be adjusted to the needs to the learners, also if this means that Erasmus+ will be opened to the world.

Mr Laurens Steehouder (Nuffic) presented an overview of the mobility statistics in VET the Netherlands. Studying abroad or doing an internship for a while is becoming increasingly popular. 5.7% of the generation that graduated in 2013 had a mo-bility experience. This has risen to 7% in two years. The increase is mainly due to internships, which are more popular than student exchange programmes.

The majority of the students (52.6%) went abroad for a period of 3 to 6 months. Striking is the strong representation of female students: 62.8% of VET students who did an internship abroad are women.

Morning session – students

Twelve students from the Netherlands, Belgium and France participated into the student session, which was hosted by student representatives Frédéric Piccavet (BE) , Coco Peet (NL) and Max van der Breggen (NL). The discussions showed that there are some major differences in their experiences.

• There were mixed opinions regarding the level of information and preparation. Some students told that in some studies (e.g. tourism) it was quite easy to go on an exchange, as schools have a well-established networks. Others revealed that they had to take care of everything themselves. This was the case for example for a Dutch student who wanted to go to Turkey and a Flemish student who was interested in going to the UK. She was not able to go to the UK, even though she had already found herself an internship and accommodation.

• The French students were positive about their stay abroad, which allowed them to improve their foreign language skills and incentivised them to go on another mobility experience:

• One Flemish student was very enthusiastic about the internship she did in France, where she learned a lot from the differ

ent way of working in France.

• All students think that going abroad is very good for their language skills, for their curriculum vitae, for familiarising themselves with another culture and for becoming independent. However, more structured support and guidance by schools is needed.

Main outcomes of the afternoon sessions

Motivating and preparing learners for regional mobility

Time lapse• Keep students motivated until they are going on an exchange in order to prevent dropouts. It takes approximately 3 months from the application to the approval of a request to go abroad. In the meantime schools could undertake activities to prepare the students for their mobility experience, for example by looking for work places, organising language classes, etc. in the meantime.

• Preparing students to go abroad takes time. Schools should be willing to invest time and money in mobility experiences of

students.

Assistance/Guidance• Schools need to make students aware of the opportunities for mobility. It should be an option for every student to go on

an exchange and schools should play a role in offering this option.

• Right now, there are major differences between schools in what they offer in terms of support and guidance. A more stra- tegic approach to the opportunities the Erasmus+ programme offers is needed in the VET sector.

• Support should be adjusted to the needs of the students. Some VET students are very young (15, 16, 17 years old). When applying for Erasmus+ funding, a school should be able to support the students actively in the preparatory process. The discussions have shown that if the school doesn’t inform them well enough in advance about the mobility opportunities, those students tend not to leave after all.

• For the more independent students, schools could reserve a special budget that the students can use to prepare their mobility experience. Next, financial assistance in the preparation phase, funding should be reserved for less-wealthy students and families for whom an income difference of 50-100 euro is already rather substantial.

Awareness• The development of standard informartion toolkits could be important for ensuring a mimimum level of information.

• Student networks, such as the ‘WilWeg ambassadors’ in the Netherlands, should be used to inform them about mobility options.

• Confidence is important when students leave. This firstly expresses itself in language skills and finding their way around. Apps have proven a helpful tool to support them with language issues and practical issues such as finding your way in a new city/place.

• Work in networks with different types of stakeholders. Also involve students in the policymaking process, since they have different views and insights than institutions.

Cooperation• Establish networks in which schools, students, teachers, companies and (regional) authorities work together to make mo bility possible at school and in the region. Involving students in the policymaking process, could also be of added value since they have different views and insights than institutions. Die Lernende Euregio is a German-Dutch initiative in which schools, businesses and the government work together on cross-border learning.

Facilitating regional mobility

Coaching & Mentoring• Let students who have been on exchange already actively share their experiences through buddy and ambassador net

works. • Moreover, networks between schools schould be encouraged by organising a regional matchmaking events between

schools.

Awareness• Make people aware of the need for internationally educated students (employers and schools). Financial, administration, coaching, and funding barriers need to be eliminated. (Social) media can play an important role in awareness raising.

Reaching out• Also focus on students that are working, or in training and involve their employers in preparing and facilitating mobility.

Recognition of learning outcomes

• Improve the recognition of diplomas/internships in border regions to facilitate student mobility in those regions .• Training abroad should be recognised in the curriculum and made visible for employers, e.g. by developing a mechanism for recognising citizenship and transversal skills.