International projects

Apart from the educational programmes which stimulate the exchange of students, teachers and programmes, MBO Raad participates in a number of European projects, sometimes as coordinator, sometimes as a partner. The projects promote, among other things, the quality of education and focus on priorities in VET, such as digitalisation, sustainability and Lifelong Learning.

Other European support programmes

There are more opportunities to obtain grants for initiatives that affect the field of vocational education. A few examples:

  • Citizenship issues under the Europe for Citizens programme
  • Environment and sustainability under the Life programme
  • Entrepreneurship under the COSME programme
  • Refugees and migrants under Asylum and Migration Fund.

Current projects:

EXPECT: Exchanges of Practices in Education for Climate Targets, an Erasmus+ KA2 project

This project concerns the exchange of good examples in the field of sustainability in order to learn from each other and is done through a number of Peer Learning Activities (PLAs) in the partner countries, which consist of three groups:

  • Countries that have reached the EU climate targets and are at the forefront of circular economy and sustainability, such as Finland and Austria
  • Countries that are well on their way, such as Spain and Latvia
  • Countries that are still far from reaching the targets, such as the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

Some points of interest in the project are:

  • Educational programmes, taking into account changes in work or professions, technical and demographic changes, climate objectives and a circular economy.
  • Tailor made programmes and increasing digitalisation

MBO Raad is the initiator of the project with the Koning Willem I College as another Dutch partner.

PRALINE: PRomoting Adult Learning In NEtworks

EUproVET, the European association of national or regional VET associations currently has members from Finland, Ireland, Slovenia, France, UK and the Netherlands. In order to obtain a broader base and thus enlarge representation, MBO Raad took the initiative to develop an Erasmus+ project which aims to help set up association structures in countries where such networks do not yet exist or are still in a very early stage.

In the project new members have joined from France, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Estonia and Croatia, which should lead to a huge increase in the support base and the creation of a true EU-wide association. In addition to the support for the creation of professional associations, Peer Learning Activities (PLAs) will be held in all new countries around the themes of Lifelong Learning (LLL) and Adult Learning.

Life Long Learning for all

MBO Raad coordinates this project, which is carried out with EFEE (European Federation of Education Employers) and ETUCE (European Trade Union Committee for Education) as part of the social partners' joint work programme for the coming years. The core of the project consists of five Peer Learning Activities (PLAs), organised by the social partners from the participating countries Finland, Germany, Slovenia, Portugal and the Netherlands. Ireland and Belgium also participate, but do not organise a PLA.

Women as Teachers and Trainers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (WaTT in STEaM)

The objective of this project is to find an answer to the current and expected future shortage of female teachers in technology. The emphasis is on successful strategies from other countries for getting women to act as role models in STEM classrooms. Besides MBO Raad, ROC Mondriaan and ROC van Twente are taking part in the project.