Description of the projects

Description of the project “BOQua digital”

In all EU countries, the implementation of vocational orientation (VO) activities at the interface “school – work life” have a great importance, on the one hand to reduce the drop-out rate (about 20% of all started trainings/apprenticeships) due to false professional ideas, and on the other hand to occupy increasingly free training places with potential apprentices. The young people mostly don't know the jobs of the future and what changes due to digitization are acting in the different professions. As a result, job profiles in some professions are shifting massively, or completely new professions such as e.g. merchants in e-commerce. In addition, apprenticeship professions, which are apparently unattractive for potential trainees due to the lack of information on digital changes, should be get more into the focus of the vocational orientation. In many cases, the advising and supporting specialists for vocational orientation (such as e.g. teachers, social education workers, vocational consultants in chambers) are missing the necessary knowledge regarding the changes in the working /professional world, which is attended by the increasing digitization. The many changed challenges and requirements are often not sufficiently well-known and thus cannot be passed on to the direct beneficiaries of the vocational orientation (the young people). Numerous apprenticeship

professions, especially in the industrial-technical and craft vocational field, but also in other fields such as the health sector and the commercial sector, are unattractive to young people. 

Often, digitization creates new challenges, so that information technology skills are needed and the requirements to job profile completely change. Vocational orientation specialists often lack information about the changes. Therefore vocational orientation concepts or measures must be implemented that focus on the practical testing of these changed professions. In order to achieve this, will be developed and tested five targeted and needs-oriented qualification modules for the specialists for vocational orientation, which will focus on the changes and new requirements resulting from digitization in relation to professions. For the sustainable implementation of the qualification modules, will be developed a guideline for Europe. Furthermore, should be developed five new vocational field-specific VO measures especially in terms of the aspect of digitization and which specifically take into account the new challenges and requirements in the professional world because of digitization. This includes overarching topics as well as domain-specific changes such as digitization trends in craft and industrial-technical professions or in the commercial professions and nursing and health professions. Also should be developed quality standards for VO measures to ensure an EU-wide comparability of the VO measures.

In addition an overview of all training professions should be worked out, which provides information on the new requirements with regard to digitized work processes per core training profession and that can be used as a basis for consultation and career choices of young people. And finally should be created for the actors who carry out the VOmeasures an assessment instrument that made VO measures verifiable and transparent. Thus, in case of non-success, adaptations in the VO process of the individual adolescent can be promptly initiated or the measures, e.g. against the background of regional peculiarities, can be optimized or adapted.

Description of the project “BOQua”

Against the background of a high number of drop-outs in training and increasing youth unemployment which is attributed to a lack of competences among the actors of vocational orientation due to the rapid change in the working world, the quality of vocational orientation in Europe is to be improved by means of the developed products within the scope of the project "BOQua". In addition, the project contributes to making the implementation of vocational orientation at schools, consultative institutions and within the framework of open youth work Europe-wide more comparable by means of a uniform qualification. At the same time across borders, the transparency of vocational orientation is promoted. Thus, training companies which often complain about a bad professional guidance and counselling of young people at the interface to the working life are given the opportunity to assess vocational orientation measures and activities. These are carried out before starting vocational training (apprenticeship) in order to support an easier acquisition of vocationally well-oriented trainees from other EU countries.

Within the framework of the project "BOQua", a European qualification concept "specialist for vocational orientation" will be developed under the direction of the Pädagogische Hochschule Schwäbisch Gmünd together with four European project partners from Austria, UK, Spain and Slovenia.

In addition to the young people whose job selection process is to be improved also the training companies, especially the professional staff (e. g. teachers, professional advisors, social workers), profit from the project results. The specialists’ know-how, skills and competences will be promoted and improved by the newly developed qualification and the complementary educational products. In particular, their knowledge about different vocational orientation methods, measures and activities, as well as the requirements for future skilled workers should be promoted in the context of the change in the working world. Thus their professionalism will be improved.

Besides the European qualification concept "specialist for vocational orientation", quality standards will be developed for the purpose of better comparability as well as five further training modules with a focus on different professional fields. These modules should be tested in a pilot phase.

Furthermore a good practice guideline for the implementation of vocational orientation measures as well as an assessment instrument for companies and a guideline for a sustainable implementation of the newly developed qualification in the EU will be created.

All products and further materials, tools and instruments for the implementation of vocational orientation measures can be downloaded for the transfer on this website.