PTMA Partners

France

APRECA is an accredited VET Training Provider created in 1990 with 6 paid employees & 3 volunteers. It has offices in two French regions including Bourgogne-France Comté & Midi-Pyrénées.

For more than 29 years, Apreca has been managing exchange and placement programmes in Europe on behalf of various communities and educational institutions. Their services cover various missions ranging from the design, development and set-up of projects to the handling of all the logistical aspects of the beneficiaries' stay (language courses, work placements, accommodation, administrative procedures, follow-up and monitoring, visas, remuneration, cultural activities, etc.). 

APRECA has also developed partnerships with language schools in several countries in Europe. The objective is to improve the language level as it is a major concern for many students and employees. Too often low language skills are a barrier to obtaining a degree or finding a job. We propose then effective solutions for making rapid progress. 

Our missions:

Ø  Providing access to European mobility programmes in the interests of equal opportunities 

Ø  Promote access to professional mobility for job seekers, apprentices and students 

Ø  To offer tailor-made support to each applicant 

Ø  To improve the quality of European mobility 

Ø  Facilitate the recognition of learning outcomes and work experience at European level (ECVET) 

Team:

Norbert GORLT is the Managing Director of APRECA and EPN since 1992, an independent Training organisation.  His main objective by creating the organization around European mobility is to provide high quality, secured and innovative mobilities that lead to concrete and qualitative results     

Laura DI FRANCO is a European Project Coordinator; she is in charge of managing the operational side of European exchange programmes and coordinating Key Action 2 projects in the projects in which APRECA is involved. Laura is trained to work in an international environment, especially in international relations and multicultural communication. 

Julie GORLT is a European Project Coordinator; she is in charge of managing the operational side of European exchange programmes and coordinating Key Action 2 projects in the projects in which APRECA is involved. Julie has a background in marketing and communication, having worked in various companies with an international dimension. 

Latvia

RISEBA University of Applied Sciences is a university-type private higher educational institution fully accredited by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Latvia. RISEBA is one of the 10 largest higher education institutions in Latvia (both public & private) with almost 3000 students, including 200 international students, who attend 20 study programmes of different levels and specialisations, and more than 9000 alumni. RISEBA provides programmes which are either unique in the market or were first introduced to the market by RISEBA. It is one of the few institutions that offers full degree programmes in three languages – Latvian and English.

RISEBA is spread across five sites: three buildings of RISEBA main campus are located in Riga (the capital city), one regional branch is based in Daugavpils (the second largest city in Latvia). Guided by its vision RISEBA comprises three major academic components or schools:

• School of Business with Bachelor, Master and PhD programmes, which cover the areas of business, management and economics

• School of Media and Communication with Bachelor and Master programmes in arts and communications

• School of Architecture and Design, which currently offers a Bachelor programme in Architecture.

RISEBA is an inter-disciplinary, multicultural university providing the global labour market with intelligent, creative and independently thinking individuals. RISEBA stands for excellent education, internationally recognised degrees, high quality of graduates, excellent research base and highly qualified staff.

RISEBA life-long education centre also participates in different kind of projects in national and EU level. During year 2020 there already are more than 2000 adults trained in various educational programs. RISEBA delivers higher education in study fields as business and administration, communications, audio-visual media arts and architecture. To implement RISEBA vision - “the place where business meets arts” RISEBA has created Creative Business Incubator to inspire, educate, mentor students and graduates from different sectors to speed up the growth and success of their business ideas, start-up and early-stage companies, to support students in the business idea and project development process and acceleration process of the new start-up companies. The main directions for RISEBA Creative Industries are areas are Creative Industries, Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation. One of RISEBA study programs is E-Business which teaches new professionals who can work as project managers in e-commerce, as website designers, managers in e-commerce departments in public institutions and private businesses. Also, they can work in e-health, e-government, e-education and e-business and welfare fields.

Our previous experience with the cooperation projects advances our core disciplinary knowledge and address key issues for the society such as creative methods in business and learning to innovation, strategic management and technology. We ensure programmes at RISEBA meet the expectations of the university sector by offering creative study programmes in the various fields: Business, Psychology, Communications, Audio-visual media arts and Architecture.

Within business and economics, art, communication and architecture sciences, research is carried out in a number of different fields, like:

+ Strategic management

+ Public management

+ Strategic Business IT

+ Entrepreneurship and Social Entrepreneurship

+ Economics, Finance and Banking

+ Innovation Management, Creativity, and Innovation

+ Life-long education

+ Human Resource Development Research into Creative Industries

+ Architecture in transition towards new hybrid urban typologies

+ Social media, marketing, public relations, and communication

As a Lifelong Learning Centre RISEBA provides more than 50 different education programmes. During the year 2019 more than 2900 VET trainees have attended different kind of education programmes in RISEBA learning centre. RISEBA runs courses for VET learners that range from key competences to degree level courses & we will contribute an ‘academic’ focus, helping to ensure the quality of the results. The centre also participates in different kind of projects in national & EU level.

RISEBA delivers higher education in study fields as business and administration, communications, audio-visual media arts and architecture. To implement RISEBA vision, “the place where business meets arts”, RISEBA has created a Creative Business Incubator to inspire, educate, mentor students and graduates from different sectors to speed up the growth & success of their business ideas, start-up & early-stage companies, to support students in the business idea and project development process & acceleration process of the new start-up companies.

RISEBA therefore is one the main VET delivers in Latvia. The main directions for RISEBA Creative Industries are areas are Creative Industries, Social Entrepreneurship & Innovation. One of RISEBA study programsme is E-Business which teaches new professionals who can work as project managers in e-commerce, as website designers, managers in e-commerce departments in public institutions and private businesses. Also they can work in e-health, e-government, e-education & e-business and welfare fields.

Our previous experience with the cooperation projects advance our core disciplinary knowledge & address key issues for the society such as creative methods in business & learning to innovation, strategic management and technology. We ensure programmes at RISEBA meet the expectations of the university sector by offering creative study programmes in the various fields: Business, Psychology, Communications, Audio-visual media arts & Architecture.

Iveta Cirule, PhD in Business management has a broad working background in the field of public administration, business environment, & international project management. Currently Iveta is the mentor in RISEBA Creative Business Incubator & provides professional experience and expertise in youth business incubation and social business ideas. Iveta has over 10-year experience in international project management & international cooperation consulting (Public Health, Human Resources, Start-up companies and Youth). Her main areas of expertise - creative business idea generation, business plan development; youth & social business incubation starting from “grass root level” and succeeding with real business incubation (national network, trainings, projects and sponsorship), including establishment of first Latvia Students’ Business Incubation Initiative. She will be able to play a full role in preparing the pedagogical preparatory materials for VET trainees prior to a transnational mobility. She can also develop entrepreneurial competences & improve of labour market access.

Nellija Titova PhD has extensive experience working with Erasmus+ projects & is currently working with some of the partners in the INTERGEN & PORTFOLIO FOR EMPLOYMENT projects. She will be responsible for the important role that RISEBA will play in the PTMA project.

RISEBA has made a major contribution to this application by providing a substantial proportion of the provisional content for results 1-5.

Italy

CEDIT aims to make a positive contribution to Education & Training in Italy and across Europe through involvement in both national and European projects, related to the themes of VET, entrepreneurship & work-based learning. Is uniquely placed due to its strong links with small and medium enterprises and educational Institutions of Tuscany.

Among the most relevant international experiences in the relevant area of the project, its current experience in the Project ‘ShowValA-Showcase and Valorise Achievements in Transnational Work-based Learning’ is particularly important. The Project is a strategic partnership for the enhancement of the recognition of the learning acquired by students within the TWBL, in which CEDIT takes care of communication activities (management website and social media) and, together with the other parts of the project, also the realisation of the project outputs (pedagogical methods & materials, e-learning materials). Furthermore, CEDIT is currently involved in another strategic partnership relating to the SUFABU- Succession in Family Business Training for Sustainable Succession Process in Family Business Model Project to compare the relevance of the family business in the various countries participating in the project and through the creation of an innovative distance-learning pedagogical training model to help family businesses in the succession of their company.

CEDIT was also the leader of the Project SMEB- Getting SMEs on Board which aimed to simplify the procedures relating to the school-work alternation processes. In particular, through the project, a pedagogical programme & teaching methodology were produced aimed at systematising information about students and companies that gave their consent to host young people in alternation and a training course that involved school tutors who dealt with alternation, tutors of companies and other intermediary organisations.

CEDIT also took part in the European Entrepreneurs Campus Project, the aim of which was the configuration of multidisciplinary models to promote entrepreneurship in VET and higher education, transferring and adapting innovative practices based on Problem-solving learning methodology and using a virtual, distance learning approach. The results will develop of entrepreneurship training courses to be used for professional development, an online digital teaching guide for teacher training, a system of indicators to evaluate the results & impact of entrepreneurial training.

Furthermore, thanks to participation in the European Youth talent to market project, CEDIT has developed, tested & adopted innovative practices in the field of youth entrepreneurship by providing workshops and traineeships in mixed mobility for young people, which supports them in developing and supporting a business. in the creative sector. The project identified a non-formal entrepreneurial training path for craftsmen and has developed innovative methodologies for VET trainers and professionals targeting a specific commercial sector.

CEDIT could also contribute to the project thanks to its experience in ENDuRE, an Erasmus knowledge project of the Alliance, which has led CEDIT to develop an innovative approach for the education of new entrepreneurs and support aimed at increasing the resilience and competitiveness of European start-ups. Thanks to this international project, CEDIT is able to design and develop a holistic framework to transform ideas into technically and economically sustainable companies, through innovative solutions. CEDIT is able to develop a series of educational and practical tools to be used in the different phases of initial growth.

CEDIT will work & use their experience of European projects and working with companies to bring added value to the development of the results & to the Experimentation phases. CEDIT has been undertaking job shadowing for its staff & staff from partner business both inside Italy and across Europe. This experience will be of considerable value here.

LAURA SIMONCINI, Master Degree in Economics at the University of Florence, is the Director of CEDIT and, from 1994, she is also the Manager of the Economic Development Department of Confartigianato Imprese Toscana (an independent entrepreneurial organization, founded on the principle of free association and open to all forms of Italian craftsmanship and small enterprise, which associates about 25.000 enterprises in Tuscany). On behalf of Confartigianato she cooperates with public bodies (Tuscany Region, Municipalities, Chambers of Commerce, Universities, etc.) and collaborate with private stakeholders (enterprises, Tech Parks linked to Tuscany Region, other Business Associations, private consultants etc.). In her experience she coordinated many projects aimed at the pedagogical development of VET providers and at the business development of the enterprises, financed by European funds (direct and indirect funds). She is also the ENDuRE project manager.

FRANCESCA MASSELLI, project manager, Master Degree in Science of International Relations & Information Tech part of European and national project. She is responsible for IT communication activities, social media & digital skills development.

Germany

EPN Germany is an SME with 5 employees & 4 unpaid volunteers created in September 2019 and based in Erfurt, Germany. It is part of the European Placement Network, which includes EPN UK (created in 2011) & based in Bristol & Manchester; EPN Switzerland (created in 2019) & based in La Chaux de Fonds.

EPNG has 3 main activities.

Firstly, EPNG brings expertise in innovative learning solutions for adult learners & in-service solutions to companies. EPNG has been working local companies to improve their familiarity with remote-access communication tools & digital software programmes for communication & translation.

EPNG also offers bespoke training solutions in Language Learning & developing entrepreneurial skills. In 2020 in response to the negative effects of the COVID pandemic, EPNG has been working with career advisory & adult learning centres in Erfurt developing soft-skills and positive thinking among VET trainees, job seekers & adults from difficult backgrounds. This will be of considerable value for the PTMA project.

Secondly, EPNG specialises in the management of European mobility programmes & work-based learning in addition to the design, coordination & participation in Erasmus+ projects. EPN Germany looks to find innovative solutions, to organise personalised work-based learning projects & to develop quality home-based possibilities for accommodation. The opportunity to participate in & contribute to the PTMA project would enable EPNG to send & host trainees with special needs.

Thirdly, EPNG has a rapidly-growing & diversified network of partner companies in Germany. This network includes large multi-national companies, PME's, non-profit organisations from the public & private domains and across all activity sectors. EPN Germany is an active member of local Business Networks, contributing to business conferences, meetings & discussion groups.

Working with a wide network of European partners such as local authorities, non-profit organisations, private companies and educational establishments, we arrange work placements for European trainees & adults not in employment all over Germany. This will help share & promote the results of this project and thereby increase the impact.

We choose to participate in strategic projects and/or partnerships with the aim of improving the quality of our processes.

Ursula Muller is an educator with over 30 years' experience in teaching languages & key skills to adults & VET trainees.

Eléna Bajric is the European Placement Coordinator responsible for matching the needs & expectations of trainees & host companies & for finding personalised solutions for German language training, accommodation, cultural activities & local transport.

Dorte Schinkel has experience working in the Tourism Sector & in particular with job seekers – through the provision of support programmes & the monitoring of job-shadowing & work-based learning.

Jean-Luc Moreau is semi-retired & works with EPNG on a part-time, voluntary basis. He has extensive experience in Erasmus+ project evaluation through work with 3 National Agencies as an Expert-Evaluator. He will take responsibility for the Quality Monitoring Analysis & Evaluation strategy. He will work closely with the project coordinator & the External Expert Evaluator & coordinate the Quality Monitoring Group. We are extremely fortunate to be able to benefit from Jean-Luc’s knowledge & guidance

One of the most important missions of EPNG is to work with job seekers of all ages on a regular basis through contracts with Job Centres & career advisory centres in Thuringen & Berlin.

EPNG also manages work-based learning & job shadowing in the local region & in other European countries. The up to date & adaptable results planned for the PTMA project would therefore be of direct benefit to us in our daily activities.

The intergenerational character of this project is particularly exciting because we believe passionately that different generations have skills & knowledge that can help members of other generations.

The PTMA project will produce resources facilitate remote, variable-access learning. Because it seems unlikely that society and adult education will return to normal very quickly, the PTMA project would therefore make a huge contribution to the quality of the work that we do with our learners. We also work with adult educators, showing them how best to use digital technologies in the teaching & in the education sessions. 

For the first time we have also noticed a reluctance on behalf of jobseekers to travel to gain new experiences. This is partly due to health concerns and worries about the pandemic, but also due to a lack of knowledge & experience working with people from other countries & making yourself understood. Here again, this project would make a considerable impact because all the participants would work with participants from 5 other countries. We believe that this could be the kickstart that encourages adult learners to take advantage of all the funding opportunities to gain crucial work based on cultural experience in another European country. Furthermore, the planned module on being a European citizen would also be a huge value & could have a noticeable effect on employability & job market access.

The opportunity to participate in & contribute to the PTMA project would enable EPNG to share current practice & experience as well as improving the capacity to send & host trainees with special needs. EPNG will also bring expertise in digital marketing & audio-visual competences for the production of the interactive learning tutorials.

We are able to make a contribution to the development of digital skills of all partner organisations & to provide digital technical support for the development of all the results & for the innovative sharing, promotion & exploitation tools that we intend to use for example EPNG regularly produces promotional videos & learning tutorials to support our day-to-day activities.

EPNG has contributed to the writing of this application by providing procedures for quality management evaluation & for the assessment & analysis of the impacts of the project. These procedures have been developed in previous Erasmus plus partnerships & been described as best practice by the National Agencies concerned.

Spain

AMT is a language school that specialises in the provision of in language course for school students, VET trainees & adults. This includes Spanish lessons for individuals & groups who come to Sevilla & in English lessons for Spanish young people & adults.

We have developed our own innovative digital language learning materials, based on an approach that favours the communication skills necessary in real life situations. We will be able to contribute to the PTMA project through the content and links that will be provided to potential mobility participants to help them prepare linguistically for their transnational mobility. We believe firmly that grammar has its place, but that an emphasis on communication is a far more effective way of preparing for transnational abilities. We are fortunate to have a team of experienced and dynamic teachers who are all committed to sharing their knowledge and expertise for the benefit of the PTMA project.

We have also developed out competences in regard to the management of educational programmes for youngsters throughout Europe. Since our foundation in 2003 we have participated in hundreds of educational programmes & specialise in Language Teaching, using & creating innovative digital solutions for learners. We will coordinate the translation of the PTMA outputs & dissemination materials.

We are also fully involved in European work-based learning programs as sending and hosting partners. We tailor make every program to ensure its success. We handle projects from initial consultancy through completion, providing a fully managed end-to-end service. We have developed procedures for the monitoring of trainees and so are ideally placed to appreciate their needs during the COVID19 pandemic. We will coordinate the 8 pilot studies that will test the PTMA outputs.

We are experts in all the phases of transnational work-based learning programmes including projects drafting, submission, implementation (including all the services of a mobility programme: travelling, accommodation, cultural & linguistic preparation, training, follow up, validation and certification) & project validation and recognition through the application of ECVET. Our aim is to enhance and improve professional qualifications of young people, by implementing their individual competences & linguistic skills & quantifying / capitalising on their achievements.

As already mentioned in the question above, AMT was founded with the aim of offering a comprehensive & skilled service in language learning & then branched out into the hosting of work-based learning programmes in the area of Education and Learning. Over the years we have participated in countless training projects, both as sending and receiving institution, so that we have succeeded in constructing and managing networks of businesses. We are at the forefront of improving quality in pedagogical programmes and the links between learning objectives, learning outcomes and units of learning outcomes. We play and have played a lead role in researching, experimenting and implementing skills transfers.

The added value that AMT will bring to this project for its success is our expertise in coordinating work-based learning programmes with educational and training institutions and linking the work-based experience to the pedagogical programme followed by the trainees. This experience has led us to perfectly know and understand which are the roles, perspectives, expectations and outcomes of the main parties involved in any period of transnational work-based learning: the training institution, the trainee and the training company.  We act as connectors between these stakeholders, bringing them closer, for the training success. We have realised that trainees should think before starting the training period not only in his/her expectations but also in real terms regarding what possible outcomes he/she can achieve considering also his/her background. In the same way, and before accepting a trainee, the company should think on the company target & also on the professional skills they can provide to the trainee.

The management of transnational work-based learning is currently both complex and time-consuming and we are really excited to be involved in the project which will improve the quality of the management of the process. We currently use IT to manage these work placements and have a lot of ideas about how to encourage companies to engage in transnational work-based learning. Ms Raquel Pineda who has extensive IT experience will be actively involved as a technician and will bring an experienced eye to look at the proposed PTMA project outputs and suggest key pedagogical improvements.

Ms Belén García Balbontín will also be fully involved in the project and as a researcher. For the outputs Since 2005, she has been in charge of our work-based learning projects and their integration within the pedagogical programme for staff, trainers, students and trainees. She ensures the quality of the work-based learning experience by managing each individual placement with personal attention to detail, and by being in contact with the host companies that have accepted to host the trainees.

Sweden

Klara Teoretiska Gymnasium Vallgatan is located in the downtown area of Gothenburg, Sweden. We currently have about 350 students in grades 10-12 specializing in science, social studies, vocational diplomas & business studies. The staff of 30 consists of certified teachers, school management, and a student welfare team.

Our students come from in and around the city of Gothenburg, which means that we have a great diversity among our students. This is a fact we are proud of and continuously keep promoting. Furthermore, we pride ourselves in emphasizing the importance of a sustainable development of society in everything we do. We also nurture close ties to the higher educational system and do our best to prepare our students for further studies.

Currently, we are involved in two Erasmus+ projects. Firstly, we are hosting foreign teachers for a job shadowing experience here in our school & will be sending out our own faculty members starting 2021. Secondly, we are involved in a five-country exchange programme with schools in France, Italy, Poland, & Spain. This project was scheduled to launch in the school year 2021/22, & the first mobilities shave now taken place.

Transnational mobilities, both work-based & tradition ‘cultural or study’ mobilities, is an area that we have been wanting to take part in & develop pedagogical approached designed to get the greatest benefits for our school, our pupils & our trainees.

Klara Vallgatan is taking a great interest in branching out and extending its international network. The staff is actively working on developing pedagogical strategies and differentiating our approach to teaching and learning. Through our open mindedness and willingness both to share knowledge and to learn from others, we would be ideal for collaborating on this project intended to set guidelines for what a meaningful job shadowing experience is. We firmly believe that having educated and knowledgeable teachers are, at the end of the day, what benefits the students the most. 

We are highly motivated for this project as it could help us encourage more of our students to take part in our varied transnational mobility programs and opportunities. We believe that having a personal transnational mobility assistant built into a smart phone is a genius idea and that it will really appeal to our staff and in particular to our VET trainees and students

As mentioned above, we are already involved in several Erasmus+ projects and are looking to expand our commitment to both learning from and sharing knowledge with our European partners. The staff at Klara Teoretiska Gymnasium Vallgatan is very much involved in a continual collegial learning process and could offer a great deal of experience on how to benefit from each other as teachers. We regularly visit each other’s classrooms and discuss various aspects of teaching, learning, and classroom management.

Moreover, we can offer the perspective of an English and German language teacher and someone with abundant experience from various international exchange programs. Also, we offer dedicated staff members who would be happy to share their knowledge while also learning from foreign colleagues. In other words, we can contribute with previous international experience, a committed and engaged workforce as well as a productive learning environment. Furthermore, we have sent several groups of students abroad – also during the pandemic – and have gained varied insight into what students need in order to prepare themselves for a mobility abroad.

SUAH NILSSON AND KRISTINA TENGELIN will be representing Klara Vallgatan. Suah is the head principal of the school and has abundant experience of improvement work within the Swedish school system. More specifically, this means organizing and administering projects designed to enhance the overall quality of the school, including elaborating on teaching methods and enabling the faculty members to enrich their competence through collegial learning. Suah’s experience also includes a leadership role in several international student projects, for example in South Africa. Finally, she is passionate about working with and promoting sustainable development - both on a local and global level - and would happily bring this mindset to the project. 

Apart from teaching English and German, Kristina also manages Klara Vallgatan’s international projects, which include hosting teachers participating in Erasmus+ job shadowing programs, and a five-country Erasmus+ exchange program involving teachers and students from Spain, Italy, Poland, France, and Sweden. Moreover, she is an active member of eTwinning and participates in several projects with schools across Europe. In addition, she coordinates job shadowing experiences within the Erasmus+ program for Klara Vallgatan’s faculty members. Her previous experience also includes Erasmus studies at the university of Cologne, assistant teaching within the Comenius program at a high school in Nuremberg, as well as many years of organizing, running, and leading student exchange trips and summer programs abroad. 

As mentioned above, we are already involved in several Erasmus+ projects and are looking to expand our commitment to helping students get ready to go on a mobility. Our KA2 school partnership project is designed to make students aware of the international possibilities the EU offers, as well as prepare them and empower them to embark on their journey. This applies to administrative, linguistic, and cultural preparations. These are key elements in the PTMA project; thus we should be able to contribute with insights and ideas to facilitate mobilities for students.

Apart from experience and ideas from mentioned projects, we can offer the perspective of an English and German language teacher and someone with abundant experience from various international exchange programs - both from an organizational and participating point of view.

Ireland

ACU MANAGEMENT is a Global training provider based in Dublin, Ireland that specialises in accredited & bespoke training courses. Our courses are made to suit people at different levels of study. With over 200 courses in various subject areas. Popular courses we cover include subject areas such as Leadership & Management, Accounting & Finance, Sales & Marketing, Human Resources & Project Management.

Accredited Training Provider with the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), Chartered Logistics & Transport (CILT), Continuous Professional Development Standards Office (CPDSO), International Association of Six Sigma (IASSC), Axelos (Prince2).

Type of Organisation: Small and medium sized enterprise

Total number of staff: 6 Full-time and 35 Freelancers / Trainers

Total number of current learners - 4,500+

The UK branch was established in 2013, followed by Ireland in 2020, in order to raise and widen participation and achievement of candidates within their chosen industry, therefore becoming a valuable resource to employers. Our mission is to:

• Promote training through practical application

• Be effective in supporting skill shortages in the industry

• Help candidates with career satisfaction and success after training

Our Training Values are:

• Providing participants with an environment that will empower them whilst developing their skills whether face2face or virtually

• To act as a catalyst for effective partnerships between employers and employees

• Rewarding dedication, commitment and effort by the provision of best-in-class training

• Committed to fulfilling clients’ needs and managing the expectations of both learners and employers

• Working in accordance with best practice

• Celebrating the success of others

Our training programmes are designed to empower learners, enabling them to achieve their educational and career goals. We build bright futures by facilitating participants with the skills to bring about a unique combination of benefits for themselves and their employer.

Being a training institute, we have seen various types of delegates progress through our learning programmes over the years. We believe the impact of Covid has affected certain age groups far more than others. Being part of this project will enable Acudemy to showcase how we integrate learning for different age groups and how this could have a wider impact for Intergenerational Learners across Europe and encourage greater numbers to take part.

Creating a network of intergenerational adult learners at local, national & European levels will improve both awareness of & access to qualifications and therefore to the labour market. The project will directly help us to improve our Digital, Personal/Social & Entrepreneurial training through the existing & new innovative systems. It would make a major contribution to focussing the relevance of our courses & maximise impact on learners.

Yousouf Neetoo is the Managing Director of Acudemy Training, an independent Training organisation.

He has drawn his experience from a background in corporate insurance broking meeting a range of businesses and individuals. He focusses on providing insightful, high quality, high value and innovative programmes that deliver measurable impact and results. As such, Acudemy approach fuses proven teaching practices with a consultative, result centric outlook that emphasises the practical application of knowledge to your strategic aims and needs. Yousouf will be responsible to coordinate the internal workflow in Acudemy for the entire duration of the project and will be responsible for the project implementation in the organisation.

Dr Graeme Lindsay is Programme Director at Acudemy Training. He joined in 2018 as a specialist in Distance Learning Undergraduate and Post-graduate level. Experienced Trainer on CMI, CIM L5 and 7 along with other bespoke management-based courses such as Risk Management, Reputation Management.

Amélie Cathier is the European Projects Director and will be responsible for managing the project for ACU. She has a master’s degree & extensive experience in Erasmus projects developed over several years working with a French Association.

ACU has contributed & adapted the sharing, promotion & exploitation strategy for the PTMA project that has successfully been used in previous projects and activities. ACU will also manage this important area if the PTMA application is successful. ZCU will also have overall responsibility for the development of the my personal transnational mobility assistant smart phone app. We have a team of state of the art app developers who will aim to produce an app which meets all requirements and which is fun and even a ‘bit cool’ to use.

Iceland

Step by Step is small, but strong innovative training NGO with the main focus on non-formal training & development on international level. The company has been at the forefront of introducing new, interesting & innovative teaching and training methods in the field of VET education and entrepreneurship. We have long experience in structuring & conducting different research in the labour market as well as working closely with diverse company in many fields, creating, composing and running big training sessions for our partners.

Through our work and projects, we have created different strategies and we have published online books both in the field of VET training & entrepreneurship. We have worked closely with the labour market & we have established extensive network in the VET learning sector.

We have a strong network, extensive experience and for the past decade we have been working with VET trainees in SMEs as well-developed quality training modules for many large companies in Iceland. We have been promoting VET & adult education for years and our experience in working with diverse groups on a non-formal and informal level is profound and wide.

Our organisation participates in the research, development & training network. We have taken on different tasks that allow us to review and improve our educational methods and projects for VET trainees so that they can better ensure their working situations in the future. Our main strength is in our different project experience & our knowledge in approaching VET trainees in the field of training, equality & entrepreneurship.

Through our experience we are powerful in finding the right platform in partners discussion, solving all kinds of obstacles, based on respect and understanding, finding a common goal and getting the work done in good way. This experience and work have made us strong, resourceful and resilient partners.

The company has worked in several international projects as well as some big Icelandic project with the focus on strengthen people ability to deal with changes and to become stronger as a person in ever changing environment. Some of our projects have had a special focus on minorities groups like drug abusers, handicapped, seniors & migrants. The aim is always to find a better ways to facilitate social inclusion.

Our objective is to be able to continue to provide international, professional & sought-after services in the field of VET education and training. With our work & experience we want to improve quality & sustainability and thus contribute to better and more lucrative jobs among our customers. To this effect, the company needs to constantly seek new ways to improve the knowledge, skills, competence and confidence of its employees. We seek to build international and a global network, to be able to increase access to knowledge, culture & international cooperation.

This project is about using experience, knowledge, network and long-term learning skills to support transnational mobilities & build up new for VET trainees, especially through entrepreneurship. Step by Step has considerable expertise & knowledge’s in creating training materials & different activities to foster entrepreneurship among young people as well as older groups. This work & experience will be used in the PTMA project.

Staff have different backgrounds in multiple areas, like in psychology, teaching, human resources, chefs & cooking, art and building, IT and writing, management, couching and mentoring. The manager & owner of Step by Step Hansina B Einarsdottir, holds Cand. Polit in Criminology and MA in leadership, management, & training. She has extensive experience in working with diverse companies, developing educational project, creating, & presenting different seminar & project on a global level for the past decades. She has created, developed, & manages serval major international project as well as working as a mentor for many company owners on a directorial level.

She has been active in different research, in criminology, equality, women in business and on political level. She has worked closely with young people in entrepreneurship as well as with seniors on different field. Hansina has good experience in implementation, good solid international network and extensive experience of international partnerships and cooperation both in the field of training and innovative thinking as well as working with VET training. 

She has published serval articles in diverse field and has been in the forefront in creating several cluster project in Tourism & for women in business.

She is an entrepreneur, not only running her NGO training and research company, she also started up her own hotel (www.hotelglymur.is) with her husband which they developed and run for more than 10 years. She has been working on governmental level as well as for the private sector, managing different educational & training project for VET & ault people in their working life.

Step by Step has an expertise knowledge’s in creating training materials and different activities and entrepreneurship among young people as well as older groups. We use Andragogy ideas and put them into real live on a live long learning basic so therefore we will be active involved in the designing and trying out our ideas in the PTMA project.

We will have particular responsibility for the development of the content for Module 5 ‘Understanding Cultural Considerations & planning for my destination &/or host company’.

Below is a list of 26 EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS FROM 13 COUNTRIES who have agreed to become associated partners for the PTMA project. They have all completed LETTERS OF INTEREST. Some key associated partners have been highlighted with descriptions in the list.

These partners include universities who run lifelong learning courses, associations, adult education training centres, business associations, mobility service providers, a cultural body & chambers of commerce. This will help to INCREASE THE BREADTH & IMPACT OF THE PROJECT. They will be invited to meetings, focus groups, evaluation workshops & conferences in their neighbouring countries & have agreed to cover costs from their own funds. The associated partners will provide a precious detached view of the tangible results & have also agreed to play an ACTIVE ROLE IN THE SHARING & PROMOTION OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROJECT & its results, thereby making a significant contribution to guaranteeing the widespread impact of the project.

1.      BS Linz7 (Austria)

2.      Anmiro (Finland) is a Finish association working with VET & adult learners to develop social awareness & employability

3.      IRFA-APISUP (France) is linked with the regional Chamber of Commerce in the Picardy region & will bring an employer’s point of view regarding the key competences required in potential employees.

4.      Bildingverein Bautechnik (Germany)

5.      Berlink (Germany) is a registered training organisation, based in Berlin working specifically with younger adult learners & so the PTMA materials will be of value to them. They are also open to developing a new intergenerational programme. 

6.      SBSZ Eisenach (Germany)

7.      ANKA (Greece)

8.      RIGHT NOW (Iceland)

9.      Come & Train (Iceland)

10.   SUDURNESJABAER (Iceland) is a municipal training b& youth centre. They will be a valuable additional promotion & sharing channel for PTMA.

11.   CDC Brescia (Italy)

12.   CFP G Zanardelli, Brescia (Italy)

13.   Pintadera (Italy)

14.   Junior Academy (Latvia) The Junior Achievement Latvia is an association that specialises in helping young people develop the formal & non-formal skills necessary to access the job market.

15.   LATVIAN AEI (Latvia) is responsible for adult education in Latvia & is particularly interested in the PTMA project & the stimulus the project could give to transnational mobilities.  

16.   KAUPA (Lithuania)is vocational & adult education centre from Lithuania & are particularly interested in digital communication competence development.

17.   ACB (Portugal) is a chambre of commerce that also runs courses in initial & ongoing education for VET trainees & adults

18.   Dos Hermanos City Council (Spain)

19.   IES Lucus Solis (Spain)

20.   UNIVERSIDAD PABLO DE OLAVIDE (Spain) is from Sevilla & is particularly interested in PTMA as it could help objectively with life-long learning programmes. The University will also disseminate the results amongst its network of partner universities all over the world.

21.   IES Fuentepina (Spain)

22.   EMPLEO E INDISTRIA, Almendralejo (Spain)

23.   KLARA GYMNASIUM POSTGATAN (Sweden)

24.   KLARA GYMNASIUM LINKOPING (Sweden)

25.   SJOLINS GYMNASIUM GOTEBORG (Sweden)

26.   NEW BUCKS UNIVERSITY (UK).