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Description
The main research goal of the project is to investigate, how can vocational education and training (VET) enhance social inclusion of young people at-risk, both in terms of combating school drop-out and promoting transitions between various (social) learning contexts, such as school-work transition. The project comprises of three sub-studies. In the first phase we focus on understanding personal strategies and institutional factors supporting or hindering educational careers of young people. In parallel with a narrative study focusing on at-risk youth in VET schools and workplace learning contexts, statistical analyses based on PIAAC data will be conducted. The second part of the study is aimed to map the “best practice” of approaches, methods and tools used to support inclusion of at-risk youth. As the third phase of the study an Educational Learning Lab intervention will be implemented to develop, test and assess methods and technology-based tools for successful inclusion of at-risk youth. The project will shed light on complex interplay of personal and institutional factors and different dimensions in the ecosystems of young people affecting their learning trajectories and life careers. Moreover, the project will have practical implications on actors and settings of interventions. By applying the Educational Learning Lab model the study is expected to introduce a novel approach how school or community level processes could be co-constructed and is expected to give a boost to the professional development and agency of vocational teachers and workplace instructors. The project will also contribute into networking and future research collaboration between partner institutions. In the frame of the project a joint project application for Horizon/RIA project will be developed. Moreover, the networking and professional development of the doctoral students involved in all phases of the project are taken as a central importance.
Summary of project results
The project focuses on the at-risk youth and the role of vocational education institutions - in collaboration with other community actors - promoting social inclusion. The specific target groups are students with disadvantageous prospects in vocational education and workplace training contexts, including learners from socially disadvantageous settings/regions, students with special needs, or those with migrant backgrounds. The project aimed to empower vocational teachers and boost their competence development, primarily in regards promoting more effective social inclusion among youth at risk, but also when it comes to their digital skills and utilizing digital technology to improve the quality of vocational education.
The findings of qualitative research of vulnerable vocational education and training students encourage more active engagement of these students in the design and development of empowerment and support practices, leading to more effective and personalized solutions in this area. The project also distinguished the centrality of the vocational education and training teaching staff in empowering vulnerable students through educational support and building of social capital in the environments of school and enterprise. The findings of experimentation of the Educational Living Labs disclose a high potential of this methodological tool of development of pedagogical innovations in creating or applying such innovations in the field of empowerment of learners in vocational education and training .
The project advanced social innovation through solutions aimed at the intersection of vocational education and demanding life settings of young people at risk. This was also very important in developing their digital life skills and new tools to that end. In Lithuania and Latvia these students were from the families living in the conditions of social exclusion, especially in the rural regions and small towns. In Estonian case, the specific emphasis was on meeting the challenges related to Russian speaking youth in the North-East region of Estonia. The project had a significant impact in several regards. First, the study provided evidence-based knowledge on the personal strategies and institutional factors and their interplay, which affect students´ educational transitions and life careers. Second, by mapping best practices, crucial success factors concerning education of these students were found. Moreover, the intervention was conducted as a co-constructive process, able to provide practical support for more successful, effective social inclusion of at-risk youth.
Summary of bilateral results
The project fostered collaboration between the vocational education and training researchers in Norway and Baltic countries. The cooperation has led to establishing of a small community of researchers working on the theme of vocational education and training. Each project partner contributed to its success in the area of one`s best knowledge and competences. The partners` cooperation led to successful H2020 project application in 2023 on the topic of sustainable pathways of skilled migration.