Innovating VET practices in isolated rural and remote regions of the EU: Bottom-Up Stakeholders Feedback Project Report

This publication documents the VETgoesRural project (https://vetgoesrural.wixsite.com/vet-goes-rural) partners (Radio ECCA, Fundación Canaria, Spain, NUIM - National University of Ireland Maynooth, Ireland, IDP - Sas Di Giancarlo Costantino (Italian Development Partners, IDP), Italy, IHF - Institut De Haute Formation Aux Politiques Communautaires, Belgium, PRISM - Impresa Sociale S.R.L., Italy, EILD - Eyropaiko Institoyto Topikhs Anaptykshs Κεντρική Μακεδονία, Greece, Como Una Cabra, Spain) engaged in a “Bottom-up Stakeholders Feedback” consultation on the barriers to progression into Vocational and Further Education/Training (VET and FET*), for students from rural and remote isolated areas. Each country partner report is synthesised into a project report that lists the barriers and proposes recommendations to address the barriers. The two-year ERASMUS+ 'VETgoesRURAL' project aims to improve VET professionals' skills and capacities to provide enhanced training and foster learners' engagement, particularly in isolated rural and remote territories of the EU where isolation, disadvantage, and dis-engagement from mainstream education are identified, particularly among disadvantaged communities. To fulfill this aim, the project seeks to design, test, and inform innovative VET teaching and training methods, with an appropriate mix of open, digital and participative learning methodologies, and present an educational suite that will more effectively engage remote VET Learners. This project is concerned with disengagement from mainstream education of younger people from remote and isolated rural areas, and the lack of opportunity for younger and more adult residents of remote and isolated rural areas to continue their education. This publication also presents a summary of the literature on the challenges of engaging remote learners and feedback from focus groups of VET learners, VET teaching practitioners, and rural policymakers. * = Hereafter referred to as VET in this repor