Apprenticeship is a priority all over EU. On the last years most of Member states have adopted regulations and schemes on Apprenticeship, but the majority of them suffers from the same problems: find shared solutions at EU level, strengthening apprenticeship effectiveness and
governance trough cooperation between all relevant VET stakeholders and companies, make VET more responsive to a changing skills demand.
R.APP project partners are from 5 EU Countries and, apart from DE, where apprenticeship in Dual System is a strong reality, 4 of them (IT, RO, MT, EL) share the same situation of very limited performances and even if regulations and schemes are rather recent, they are all atone for
cultural legacy that influences effectiveness, governance and employers’ perception.
Everywhere, resistances are still related to the lack of information and awareness, bureaucratic procedures, lack of coherence between the professional/skills needs and available didactic programs, absence of training culture, difficulty to find suitable apprentices and preparing internal
tutors.
R.APP project represents a reply to the above mentioned problems and it aims to pursue the following objectives:
-Train Apprenticeship Tutors within VET Providers and Schools, who need to gain or improve skills to plan and manage Apprenticeship schemes, motivating and guiding companies in providing quality paths and properly evaluate and validate LOs achieved by apprentices;
-Train Apprenticeship Tutors within Enterprises, who need to gain competences on normative and administrative aspects and recruitment procedures; shape curricula design and seek flexible arrangements between VET Providers/Schools and Companies to meet specific demands;
-Contribute to remove obstacles at the company level in investing and providing apprenticeship paths;
-Foster the adoption of quality assurance procedures to raise the standing of apprenticeship among VET stakeholders;
-Make sure that apprenticeship programmes give a genuine, high quality learning experience that gives young people a solid foundation and an entry-ticket to rewarding careers;
-Lay the basis for widening an EU VET Mobility area for Apprenticeship with transparent qualifications systems which enable the transfer and accumulation of LOs and allow young apprentices to further develop their skills and enhance their employability perspectives.
Main R.APP project expected results are:
O1–R.APP Didactical Guidelines for training VET Tutors: it is a compact presentation of how didactical process should be organised and implemented when dealing with apprentices and how to support them during Apprenticeship paths even at EU level in Mobility projects.
O2–R.APP Training Guidelines for training VET Tutors: it will include a theoretical part and the supply of concrete competences to VET Tutors when dealing with apprentices, enterprises and key stakeholders; how to improve enterprises motivation and commitment; how to map skills,
design curricula and seek flexible arrangements between VET providers and companies.
O3–R.APP In-Company Tutors Vademecum for Enterprises Staff: it is a very practical tool to support the target on normative and administrative aspects and recruitment procedures; ensure a strong correlation between training programmes and professional needs; properly assess and
validate LOs achieved by apprentices.
O4–R.APP Apprenticeship Mobility Vademecum for VET Staff and Enterprises Tutors: the aim is to support VET sending organizations and EU hosting Enterprises on how to work on LOs acquired in a EU context and how to evaluate the apprentices during Mobility, with the final aim to
develop more permanent actions to raise the quantity and quality of mobility experiences for apprentices, even on a long-term basis.
These IOs are connected with Multiplier Events, in order to reach the widest range of target groups and stakeholders possible. In addition to these 4 core IOs, R.APP will develop a number of further outputs necessary to achieve the set objectives: Dissemination Strategy; Website and
R.APP e-Learning Desk; Dissemination materials; Quality Management Handbook; Learning/Training Teaching Activities.
R.APP is supposed to achieve an extended impact on:
-Direct participants in the project: R.APP will provide concrete competences for the targets on how to properly plan and manage Apprenticeship paths; how to evaluate apprentices during their in-company training; how to foster companies motivation to take on apprentices;
-Partner Organisations: with the project they will receive an innovative approach for planning and managing flexible Apprenticeship pathways both at NA and EU level;
-Other stakeholders: they are labour market authorities, political decision makers and policy makers on regional, NA and EU level; labour market organisations; chambers of commerce and social partners. They will all realise impact out of the project with the innovative and flexible
approach of the R.APP Model.
