The European Commission has made €8.5 million available for three pilot projects focusing on vocational education and training mobility in Africa, the Western Balkans and the rest of Europe.
The Intervet – Internationalisation of VET systems in Western Balkans – will receive €2m, as it aims to improve the mobility of VET learners and competence building of teachers and staff.
“Africa and the Western Balkans are a political and strategic priority for the EU”
Associations, schools and SMEs from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Kosovo are involved, as are eight EU member states.
In Africa, €2.5m has been awarded to Overstep, a joint alliance that aims to share best practice between African and European VET systems. Additionally, Supporting Alliance for African Mobility received €4m to coordinate 32 VET organisations across 8 EU member states and 13 African countries.
“Africa and the Western Balkans are a political and strategic priority for the EU,” said EU commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Mariya Gabriel.
“We, therefore, have to ensure the full use of all our existing instruments and offer real opportunities to our partners.
“We must make sure to link vocational education and training to the needs of their labour markets, specifically in sectors with high potential for job creation, such as manufacturing and agriculture.”
Overstep aims to develop the technical and transferable skills that will aid learner employment, and promote collaboration between VET providers in 10 African countries and EU member states, Italy, France and Spain.
SAAM will use existing professional training centres, on-formal training organisations, NGOs and European umbrella organisations to support the mobility of VET teachers.
It will also develop new curricula, methodologies, technologies and management while supporting training job-shadowing.