Good practices on cooperation with local agents and parents involvement 21st-22nd of September 2016

Policy of presence in the neighbourhood The centre is a reference in the neighbourhood (because of its social work, because of the quality of the training offered and because it is involved in the cultural and socio economic life of the neighbourhood). The centre sponsors the football local team, where some students from the centre play.

Families There is a parents association in the centre, who chooses their own representatives among the fathers and mothers of the students and cooperate with the VET centre in diverse topics. Make publications in the magazine of the centre. Organize competitions or events (in Christmas, carnival, excursions, training for parents to deal with kids with special needs). The centre works with the families (and the students) to design and evaluate their learning paths (setting objectives, ways of learning… based on the principle of “taking out the best each student can offer according to his/her possibilities”.

Students and graduates Participation of the students in the elaboration of the centre´s magazine (interviews about their holidays, their dreams, their hobbies, their favourite TV shows…). Organization of summer camps to enforce cohabitation among students. Provision of extracurricular activities (visit to companies, excursions, sports, competitions)

Students and graduates Support to those graduates who decide to be entrepreneurs and create their own company. The centre links these graduates with companies which offer legal or business assistance. The graduates also have the possibility to use the centre´s equipment (machinery for example or meeting rooms).

Public administration Cooperation with the provincial government: I.e. DEMA Programme, organising sessions to promote entrepreneurship. Cooperation with Lan Ekintza (local development agency) organising job hunting workshops. Cooperation with the Basque Government and different local associations for the organization of different activities (for example, a competition of street art)

Other VET organizations Cooperation with other nearby VET colleges to use occasionally some of their facilities. Participation in different working groups of HETEL (dual VET, employment, international relations) to exchange good practices, generate knowledge and innovation and learn from each other. Cooperation with Tknika (the Basque Institute for Innovation in VET), being part of working groups and receiving training in different fields (learning methodologies, inclusion practices in VET, entrepreneurship and empowerment).

Companies Agreements with national and international companies for the provision of equipment for the centre to be used by the students. In exchange, the centre present this equipment to other companies which might be interested in acquiring such machinery (so the centre acts like a kind of commercial agent). Realization of internships or involvement of companies in dual VET.

Other organizations Cooperation with charities and NGOs on programmes for the development of the education system in refugees camps and underdeveloped countries. Involvement of external organizations (depending on the kind of student) to design the learning paths and to evaluate the results, not only of the student but also of the inclusive system in the centre. Visits to centres for the rehabilitation of people addicted to drugs, talks about gender violence, cyberbullying (with the local police), organization of sport activities with local teams.

To sum up A proactive attitude from the centre. Motivation of the staff, achieved by a human centred approach from the management team. Involvement of and WITH all kinds of agents in society and joint work with them in different activities. A lot of work to create a sense of belonging to this inclusive project in all actors involved.

Thank you very much for your attention! Tamara Rodríguez Responsible of International Projects international@hetel.org Twitter: @trodriguezfer / @hetelfp Skype: trodriguezfer www.otxarkoaga.org Twitter: @CF_Otxarkoaga