ERASMUS: Capacity building in the field of Vocational education and training (VET)

Capacity building projects are international cooperation projects based on multilateral partnerships between organisations active in the field of VET in Programme and third countries not associated to the Programme. They aim to support the relevance, accessibility, and responsiveness of VET institutions and systems in third countries not associated to the Programme as a driver of sustainable socio-economic development.

Through joint initiatives that foster cooperation across different regions of the world, this action intends to increase the capacity of VET providers – especially in the fields of management, governance, inclusion, quality assurance, and innovation – so that they are better equipped to engage with private sector/enterprises/business associations to explore employment opportunities and jointly develop responsive VET interventions. International partnerships should contribute to improving the quality of VET in the third countries not associated to the Programme, notably by reinforcing the capacities of VET staff and teachers as well as by strengthening the link between VET providers and the labour market.

It is envisaged that the capacity building projects VET contribute to the broader policy objectives that are being pursued between the European Commission and the third countries not associated to the Programme or region concerned, including Global Gateway investment packages.

Objectives of the Action

Specifically, the action will:

• Build capacity of VET providers to strengthen cooperation between private and public stakeholders in the field of vocational education and training for demand-oriented and opportunity-driven VET interventions;
• Improve the quality and responsiveness of VET to socio-economic opportunities and social developments to enhance the labour market relevance of skills provision;
• Align VET provision to local, regional and national development strategies.

Thematic areas

Features that characterise capacity building in VET include some thematic areas presented below. Proposals should focus on one or more of the following themes:

• Work-based learning (for young people and/or adults);
• Quality assurance mechanisms;
• VET teachers/trainers professional development;
• Key competences, including entrepreneurship;
• Public Private Dialogue and Partnerships in VET;
• Innovation in VET;
• Green and digital skills for the twin transition;
• Skills matching with current and future job opportunities, including in promising value chains under development

In addition, applicants can cover thematic areas that are not presented above. These must demonstrate that they are particularly appropriate to meet the objectives of the call and identified needs.

Activities

The activities proposed must be directly linked to the objectives and thematic areas of the action, i.e. they must correspond to one or more of the thematic areas listed above and they must be detailed in a project description covering the entire implementation period.

In the context of this international worldwide action, project activities must focus on building and strengthening the capacities of organisations active in the field of VET principally in the third countries not associated to the Programme covered by the action.

Funded projects will be able to integrate a wide range of cooperation, exchange, communication and other activities including for example:

• Creating and developing networks and exchanges of good practice between VET providers in third countries not associated to the Programme and in EU Member State or third country associated to the Programme;
• Creating tools, programmes and other materials to build the capacity of institutions from third countries not associated to the Programme (practical training schemes training programmes and tools for assessing and validating learning outcomes in VET, individual action plans for participating institutions; professional guidance and counselling and coaching methods…);
• Creating mechanisms to involve the private sector both in the design and delivery of curricula and to provide VET learners with high quality work-based experience;
• Developing and transferring pedagogical approaches, teaching and training materials and methods, including work based learning, virtual mobility, open educational resources and better exploitation of the ICT potential;
• Developing and implementing international (virtual) exchange activities for staff primarily (including teachers and non-teaching staff such as school leaders, managers, counsellors, advisors, etc.).

In case learner and staff mobility activities are proposed, these should contribute directly to the objectives of the project and be strongly embedded in the project logic as a whole.

The proposed activities should bring an added value and will have a direct impact on the achievement of the project results.

Regional priorities

The budget available is divided between different regions of the world (i.e. Western Balkans, Neighbourhood East, South-Mediterranean countries, Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and Caribbean) and the size of each budgetary envelope is different. Further information on the amounts available under each budgetary envelope will be published on the Funding and Tender Opportunities Portal (FTOP).

The EU has set a number of priorities regarding geographical balance and specific objectives. In addition, organisations are encouraged to work with partners in the poorest and least developed third countries not associated to the Programme.

The regional priorities set for this action are the following:

If the application involves one or more ETF (European Training Foundation) partner countries, the proposal should provide evidence of responding to ETF recommendations formulated in the relevant Torino process ¹ regional reports ² .

Western Balkans

• Priority will be given to projects that contribute to its Economic and Investment Plan and/or the European Training Foundation recommendations under the Torino process (see above);
• Mobility of learners (students) and staff (teachers, trainers, directors, managers etc.) will be privileged.

Neighbourhood East

• Priority will be given to projects that contribute to its Economic and Investment Plan³ and/or the European Training Foundation recommendations under the Torino process (see above).

South-Mediterranean countries

• Priority will be given to projects that contribute to its Economic and Investment Plan and/or the European Training Foundation recommendations under the Torino process (see above).

Sub-Saharan Africa

• Priority will be given to least developed countries; a special emphasis shall also be put on migration priority countries; no country will access more than 8% of funding foreseen for the Region;
• Priority will be given to projects that contribute to the respective geographic Multi-annual Indicative Programmes at country or regional level, and to the EU-Africa Global Gateway Investment Package;
• Priority will be given to projects that contribute to foster public-private dialogue between VET institutions and the private sector.

Latin America

• Priority will be given to regional projects (projects involving more than one eligible third country not associated to the Programme) or projects in lower and upper middle income countries;
• Priority will be given to projects that contribute to the respective geographic Multi-annual Indicative Programme ⁴ at country or regional level.  

Caribbean

• Priority will be given to regional projects (projects involving more than one eligible third country not associated to the Programme) or projects in least developed, lower and upper middle income countries;
• Priority will be given to projects that contribute to the respective geographic Multi-annual Indicative Programme ⁵ at country or regional level.  

In case the above regional priorities are addressed, projects will have to demonstrate how and to which extent they do so.

Horizontal aspects to be considered when designing your project

In addition to complying with the formal criteria and setting up sustainable cooperation arrangement with all project partners, the following elements can contribute to increasing the impact and qualitative implementation of capacity building projects throughout the different project phases.

Applicants are encouraged to take these opportunities and dimensions into account when designing their project.

Inclusion and diversity

The Programme supports projects that promote social inclusion and aim at improving the outreach to people with fewer opportunities, including people with disabilities and people with a migrant background, as well as people living in rural and remote areas, people facing socio-economic difficulties or any other potential source of discrimination based on sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation. The projects will help addressing the barriers faced by these groups in accessing the opportunities offered by the Programme, as well as contributing to creating inclusive environments that foster equity and equality, and that are responsive to the needs of the wider community.

Environmental sustainability

The Programme supports awareness-raising about environmental and climate-change challenges. The projects are encouraged to develop competences in various sustainability-relevant sectors, green sectorial skills strategies and methodologies, as well as future-oriented curricula that better meet the needs of individuals. The Programme also supports the testing of innovative practices to prepare learners and VET providers to become true agents of change (e.g. save resources, reduce energy use and waste, compensate carbon footprint emissions, opt for sustainable food and mobility choices, etc.).

Digital dimension

The Programme supports digital transformation plans of primary, secondary, vocational education and training (VET). It fosters the purposeful use of digital technologies. This includes the development of digital pedagogy and expertise in the use of digital tools, including accessible and assistive technologies and the creation and innovative use of digital education content.

Common values, civic engagement and participation

The Programme supports active citizenship and ethics in lifelong learning. The projects should offer opportunities for people’s participation in democratic life, social and civic engagement. The focus will also be on raising awareness on and understanding the European Union context, notably as regards the common EU values, the principles of unity and diversity, as well as their cultural identity, cultural awareness and their social and historical heritage.

Eligible participating organisations (Who can apply?)

In order to be eligible, the applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities, if applicable) must:

• be legal entities (public or private bodies);
• be active in the VET field or in the labour market;
• Participating organisations can be, for example (non-exhaustive list):
  • VET providers
  • Companies, industry, other employers  or sector representative organisations
  • National/regional qualification authorities
  • Employment services
  • Research institutes
  • Innovation agencies
  • Regional development authorities
  • International organisations
• be established in one of the eligible countries, i.e. EU Member State, third country associated to the Programme, third country not associated to the Programme from an eligible region. The eligible regions covered by this action are Regions 1, 2, 3, 9, 10 and 11 (please see Part A of this Guide).Exception: organisations from Belarus (Region 2) and the Russian Federation (Region 4) are not eligible to participate in this action.

The coordinator must be an organisation active in the VET field. It applies on behalf of all participating organisations involved in the project. It cannot be an affiliated entity. Organisations from third countries not associated to the Programme cannot be coordinators.  

Other entities may participate in other consortium roles, such as associated partners.

Consortium composition (Number and profile of participating organisations)

Proposals must be submitted by a consortium of at least 4 applicants (beneficiaries, not affiliated entities) from minimum 3 eligible countries:

• at least 2 EU Member States or third countries associated to the Programme;
  • each of these participating countries must involve at least 1 organisation
•     at least 1 eligible third country not associated to the Programme:
  • at least 2 organisations from the participating eligible third country/countries not associated to the Programme from the same region
  • organisations from different eligible regions cannot participate in the same projects. Cross-regional projects are not eligible.

The consortium must include at least one VET provider at non-tertiary education level.  

The number of organisations from EU Member States and third countries associated to the Programme may not be higher than the number of organisations from eligible third countries not associated to the Programme.

Affiliated entities and associated partners do not count for the consortium composition.

(Geographic location) Venue of the activities

Activities must take place in the countries of the organisations participating in the project.

If duly justified in relation to the objectives or implementation of the project:

• Activities can also take place at the seat of an Institution of the European Union, even if in the project there are no participating organisations from the country that hosts the Institution.
• Activities involving sharing and promotion of results can also take place at relevant thematic transnational events/conferences in EU Member States or third countries associated to the Programme or eligible third countries not associated to the Programme.