“TRAM-WBL Engaging SMEs for Quality Transnational WBL experiences”
- Adela Vitkovska
- Nov 6, 2025
- 12 min read
Start date 01-09-2015–End date 31-08-2018
EU Grant–437.471,01 €
Programme–Erasmus+
Key Action:
Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices
Action Type:
Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training
Countries covered–7
Coordinator
Fondazione Centro Produttività Veneto
Via Eugenio Montale, 27
36100 Vicenza
Veneto
🇮🇹 Italy
Coordinator Type: Foundation
Phone: +39 0444 994700
Summary
Enhancement of WBL models is the objective of numerous cooperation agreements between European states and it is also a goal of the EU Commission. This has led to initiatives such as the “European Alliance for Apprenticeships”, which was launched in July 2013. Work-based learning in all its forms is a flexible VET model that serves the various interests of society. WBL experiences represent a fundamental tool for the development of key competences in dealing with working changes and ensuring employability. It has been highlighted the strong educational value of such experiences as they enable the acquisition of knowledge and competences, additional to those obtained through the ordinary training curriculum, as well as of intercultural and language abilities and skills, attitudes towards change and “international competences”.
TRAM-WEB project improves transnational WBL for learners by creating and validating a WBL implementation model engaging companies, schools and VET organisations. Through its focus on educational opportunities and career advancement in the labour market, TRAM WBL project has the potential to turn entry-level work experiences into career opportunities, thereby increasing learning and improving student retention and education progress. The mutual business-school support of a WBL model helps create a community-wide environment of collaboration and cooperation.
TRAM-WBL project has implemented a platform to provide support to international mobility within formal learning pathways. The platform may be used for the management and administration of international mobility activities offering support to learners, teaching staff and host companies in a way that should ensure that the full value of international mobility experiences is achieved. It offers a consistent framework for mobility. It includes: quality assurance elements; shared references which can be considered as a “common body” of learning outcomes related to a qualification which is applicable across countries; eligibility criteria, which are to be met by institutions that want to join the network; templates for LA, MoU and PT.
The project management activities included the organization of a kick off meeting, 4 transnational meetings and a final International conference.
TRAM-WBL partnership consists of 11 partners from 7 different countries:
FONDAZIONE CENTRO PRODUTTIVITÀ VENETO–IT is a Foundation promoted by the Chamber of Commerce of Vicenza and other 4 Chambers of Commerce and several Business Associations.
ASSOCIAZIONE STUDIO L&P–IT carries out researches, surveys, studies on the industrial sector.
CESPIM - CENTRO STUDI PER L'INNOVAZIONE D'IMPRESA–IT (agency for SME’s innovation) is a technical structure of CONFAPI (Italian Confederation of the Small and Medium Enterprises which today represents more than 90.000 associated enterprises employing about 1 million of workers).
ISTITUTO GUGLIELMO TAGLIACARNE–IT is a training and socio-economic research Foundation, established by the Italian Union of the Chambers of Commerce.
UFFICIO SCOLASTICO REGIONALE PER IL VENETO–IT represents one of the regional branches of the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research.
INTERNATIONALER BUND E.V., IB SÜD–DE belongs to the Internationaler Bund, one of Germany’s largest non-profit organisations for training, youth work and social work.
INSTITUTO DE SOLDADURA E QUALIDADE–PT is the biggest Portuguese technological infrastructure and the second biggest VET player in Portugal.
BIEDRIBA EUROFORTIS–LV promotes continuing education of schools and enterprises, supporting development of hard & soft skills.
OBCHODNÁ AKADÉMIA DUDOVA–SK is a Business Academy, an economic school.
FUNDACIÓN PARA LA FORMACIÓN, LA CUALIFICACIÓN Y EL EMPLEO EN EL SECTOR METAL DE ASTURIAS – ES promotes training and professional qualifications, as well as labour improvements, for the industry –metal sector in particular.
CHAMBER OF CHALKIDIKI – EL is a consulting and advisory body of the state, aiming at the local economic development.
The project has given the opportunity to:
- explore companies’ required support for effective student learning in WBL environments abroad and to develop information and guidance materials and tools for employers, students and schools/VET providers teaching staff;
- support schools/VET providers on how to improve integration of WBL into school-based practices or how to innovate existing WBL practices;
- promote school and business collaboration on the provision of WBL meanwhile enhance cooperation in areas such as curriculum design, career guidance and mentoring and results in better value for money, /resources/technology are shared with employers;
- identify and disseminate effective institutional policies and practices in engaging and developing the “employer role” in providing successful WBL learning environments. WEBPAGE: https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/projects/search/details/2017-1-IT02-KA204-036465
Partners
Associazione Studio L&P (Learning & Progress) 🇮🇹 Italy
Via San Giacomo 24
09124 CAGLIARI
Sardegna
🇮🇹 Italy
Partner Type: Non-governmental organisation/association/social enterprise
Phone: +39 070 668800
BIEDRIBA EUROFORTIS 🇱🇻 Latvia
ANNINMUIZAS BULVARIS 38-37
1067 RIGA
🇱🇻 Latvia
Partner Type: Non-governmental organisation/association/social enterprise
Phone: +37127763451
CESPIM - CENTRO STUDI PER L'INNOVAZIONE D'IMPRESA SRL 🇮🇹 Italy
VIA DELLA COLONNA ANTONINA 52
00186 ROME
Lazio
🇮🇹 Italy
Partner Type: Small and medium sized enterprise
Phone: +39 06690151
EPIMELITIRIO CHALKIDIKI 🇬🇷 Greece
58 POLITECHNIOU
63100 POLIGIROS
Κεντρική Μακεδονία (Kentriki Makedonia)
🇬🇷 Greece
Partner Type: Regional Public body
Phone: +302371024200
FONDAZIONE ISTITUTO GUGLIELMO TAGLIACARNE 🇮🇹 Italy
VIA NERVA 1
00187 ROMA
Lazio
🇮🇹 Italy
Partner Type: Foundation
Phone: +3906780521
Fundación para la Formación, la Cualificación y el Empleo en el Sector Metal de Asturias 🇪🇸 Spain
Juan de la Cosa, 27
33211 Polígono de Roces-Gijón
Principado de Asturias
🇪🇸 Spain
Partner Type: Foundation
Phone: +34985990020
INSTITUTO DE SOLDADURA E QUALIDADE 🇵🇹 Portugal
TAGUSPARK AVENIDA PROFESSOR DR CAVACO SILVA 33 TALAIDE
2740 120 PORTO SALVO
Lisboa
🇵🇹 Portugal
Partner Type: Other
Phone: +351214228100
Internationaler Bund e.V., IB Süd 🇩🇪 Germany
Heusteigstr. 90/92
70180 Stuttgart
BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG
🇩🇪 Germany
Partner Type: School/Institute/Educational centre – Vocational Training (secondary level)
Phone: +4971164543
Obchodna akademia, Dudova 4, 851 02 Bratislava 🇸🇰 Slovakia
Dudova 4
851 02 Bratislava
Bratislavský kraj
🇸🇰 Slovakia
Partner Type: Other
Phone: +421262412404
UFFICIO SCOLASTICO REGIONALE PER IL VENETO 🇮🇹 Italy
Via Forte Marghera, 191
30173 Venice
Veneto
🇮🇹 Italy
Partner Type: Regional Public body
Phone: +39 041 2723111
Results
Direct effect on participants and project partners
IO7 TEST-BEDS IMPACT EVALUATION FINAL REPORT
Description
The report contains the most relevant observations made by the project partners regarding the usability of the mobility portal. The testing phase was a crucial part of the project because it was about the usability and customer experience of the IO3 the platform to support mobility. The whole project is about developing mobility support tools and services. The testing phase was the opportunity to reflect on the experience gained with the tools and services developed in the framework of the project.
Type
Results of tests evaluating skills and knowledge
Contents
Practical & reusable resources for the practitioners
IO 2 TRANSNATIONAL WBL QUALITY ENHANCEMENT FRAMEWORK _EN
Description
The IO2 aims at providing guidelines to support a successful engagement of SMEs and their employers in transnational work-based learning. It has been conceived as a tool-kit simultaneously addressed both to employers and its staff and to education and training providers. The key assumption of the work is the need to support practices enhancing the role of employers at all stages of the assessment process of transnational WBL projects, being this engagement a key paradigm to foster WBL as a fundamental value for employability.
The main target group of this guideline consists of VET providers, training centers, companies, employment services. Those supporting the process of transferring good practices can benefit from this IO. The common feature for organizations is a need to improve their WBL planning practices by transferring methods and adopting tolls developed elsewhere into their own organization.
Type
Guide
Contents
IO 2 TRANSNATIONAL WBL QUALITY ENHANCEMENT FRAMEWORK _IT
Description
The IO2 aims at providing guidelines to support a successful engagement of SMEs and their employers in transnational work-based learning. It has been conceived as a tool-kit simultaneously addressed both to employers and its staff and to education and training providers. The key assumption of the work is the need to support practices enhancing the role of employers at all stages of the assessment process of transnational WBL projects, being this engagement a key paradigm to foster WBL as a fundamental value for employability.
The main target group of this guideline consists of VET providers, training centers, companies, employment services. Those supporting the process of transferring good practices can benefit from this IO. The common feature for organizations is a need to improve their WBL planning practices by transferring methods and adopting tolls developed elsewhere into their own organization.
Type
Guide
Contents
IO 2 TRANSNATIONAL WBL QUALITY ENHANCEMENT FRAMEWORK _D
Description
The IO2 aims at providing guidelines to support a successful engagement of SMEs and their employers in transnational work-based learning. It has been conceived as a tool-kit simultaneously addressed both to employers and its staff and to education and training providers. The key assumption of the work is the need to support practices enhancing the role of employers at all stages of the assessment process of transnational WBL projects, being this engagement a key paradigm to foster WBL as a fundamental value for employability.
The main target group of this guideline consists of VET providers, training centers, companies, employment services. Those supporting the process of transferring good practices can benefit from this IO. The common feature for organizations is a need to improve their WBL planning practices by transferring methods and adopting tolls developed elsewhere into their own organization.
Type
Guide
Contents
IO 2 TRANSNATIONAL WBL QUALITY ENHANCEMENT FRAMEWORK _LV
Description
The IO2 aims at providing guidelines to support a successful engagement of SMEs and their employers in transnational work-based learning. It has been conceived as a tool-kit simultaneously addressed both to employers and its staff and to education and training providers. The key assumption of the work is the need to support practices enhancing the role of employers at all stages of the assessment process of transnational WBL projects, being this engagement a key paradigm to foster WBL as a fundamental value for employability.
The main target group of this guideline consists of VET providers, training centers, companies, employment services. Those supporting the process of transferring good practices can benefit from this IO. The common feature for organizations is a need to improve their WBL planning practices by transferring methods and adopting tolls developed elsewhere into their own organization.
Type
Guide
Contents
IO 2 TRANSNATIONAL WBL QUALITY ENHANCEMENT FRAMEWORK _P
Description
The IO2 aims at providing guidelines to support a successful engagement of SMEs and their employers in transnational work-based learning. It has been conceived as a tool-kit simultaneously addressed both to employers and its staff and to education and training providers. The key assumption of the work is the need to support practices enhancing the role of employers at all stages of the assessment process of transnational WBL projects, being this engagement a key paradigm to foster WBL as a fundamental value for employability.
The main target group of this guideline consists of VET providers, training centers, companies, employment services. Those supporting the process of transferring good practices can benefit from this IO. The common feature for organizations is a need to improve their WBL planning practices by transferring methods and adopting tolls developed elsewhere into their own organization.
Type
Guide
Contents
IO 2 TRANSNATIONAL WBL QUALITY ENHANCEMENT FRAMEWORK _SK
Description
The IO2 aims at providing guidelines to support a successful engagement of SMEs and their employers in transnational work-based learning. It has been conceived as a tool-kit simultaneously addressed both to employers and its staff and to education and training providers. The key assumption of the work is the need to support practices enhancing the role of employers at all stages of the assessment process of transnational WBL projects, being this engagement a key paradigm to foster WBL as a fundamental value for employability.
The main target group of this guideline consists of VET providers, training centers, companies, employment services. Those supporting the process of transferring good practices can benefit from this IO. The common feature for organizations is a need to improve their WBL planning practices by transferring methods and adopting tolls developed elsewhere into their own organization.
Type
Guide
Contents
IO 2 TRANSNATIONAL WBL QUALITY ENHANCEMENT FRAMEWORK _E
Description
The IO2 aims at providing guidelines to support a successful engagement of SMEs and their employers in transnational work-based learning. It has been conceived as a tool-kit simultaneously addressed both to employers and its staff and to education and training providers. The key assumption of the work is the need to support practices enhancing the role of employers at all stages of the assessment process of transnational WBL projects, being this engagement a key paradigm to foster WBL as a fundamental value for employability.
The main target group of this guideline consists of VET providers, training centers, companies, employment services. Those supporting the process of transferring good practices can benefit from this IO. The common feature for organizations is a need to improve their WBL planning practices by transferring methods and adopting tolls developed elsewhere into their own organization.
Type
Guide
Contents
IO 2 TRANSNATIONAL WBL QUALITY ENHANCEMENT FRAMEWORK _GR
Description
The IO2 aims at providing guidelines to support a successful engagement of SMEs and their employers in transnational work-based learning. It has been conceived as a tool-kit simultaneously addressed both to employers and its staff and to education and training providers. The key assumption of the work is the need to support practices enhancing the role of employers at all stages of the assessment process of transnational WBL projects, being this engagement a key paradigm to foster WBL as a fundamental value for employability.
The main target group of this guideline consists of VET providers, training centers, companies, employment services. Those supporting the process of transferring good practices can benefit from this IO. The common feature for organizations is a need to improve their WBL planning practices by transferring methods and adopting tolls developed elsewhere into their own organization.
Type
Guide
Contents
TRAM-WBL_IO3_Platform_users guide
Description
TRAM-WBL_IO3_Platform_users guide
Type
Guide
Contents
IO5 TEACHING STAFF GUIDE FOR TRANSNATIONAL WBL PLANS
Description
The Guide is meant to be a useful tool to support teachers in helping students maximize their transnational WBL experience and plan their next steps based on the learning outcomes they have achieved. The output represent a useful tool for all those teachers interested in helping students to make a WBL experience. The guide, as a pedagogical material, is on line and it is easily transferable to schools and VET institutions during the meeting organized to partners in occasion of the promotion of ESF and European mobilities programme.
Type
Guide
Contents
Research material bringing forward the reflection in the sector
TRAM-WBL_IO1_1_RECOMMENDATIONS_for_smart_transnational_WBL_ecosystems
Description
The research aimed at developing and evaluating an evidence-base to explore the extend of shared understandings within the tripartite relationship of schools/VET providers, learners and employers of key factors in creating and sustaining successful active, reflective transnational WBL environments. This practice guide is to give an overview of some of the current literature exploring work-based learning contributing to identify obstacles and constraints in the development of effective WBL. IO1 is, above all, a useful guide for the development of work-based learning modules as part of the school/VET qualification. IO1 contributes to improve the quality of school/training systems through the development and transfer of innovative contents, methods and procedures within WBL.
Type
Policy recommendations
Contents
TRAM-WBL_IO1_2_RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SMART TRANSNATIONAL WBL ECOSYSTEMS_Final
Description
The research aimed at developing and evaluating an evidence-base to explore the extend of shared understandings within the tripartite relationship of schools/VET providers, learners and employers of key factors in creating and sustaining successful active, reflective transnational WBL environments. This practice guide is to give an overview of some of the current literature exploring work-based learning contributing to identify obstacles and constraints in the development of effective WBL. IO1 is, above all, a useful guide for the development of work-based learning modules as part of the school/VET qualification. IO1 contributes to improve the quality of school/training systems through the development and transfer of innovative contents, methods and procedures within WBL.
Type
Policy recommendations
Contents
IO 5 TEACHING STAFF GUIDE FOR TRANSNATIONAL WBL PLANS
Description
SUPPORTING MATERIAL FOR INTELLECTUAL OUTPUT 05 TEACHING STAFF GUIDE FOR TRANSNATIONAL WORK-BASED LEARNING PLANS
Type
Studies
Contents
Community building tools
IO3 E.R.M.E.S. MOBILITY PORTAL. ADAPTED MATERIALS AND TOOLS FOR A TRANSNATIONAL WBL OPEN MARKETPLACE
Description
TRAM-WBL platform may be used for the management and administration of international mobility activities offering support to learners, teaching staff and host companies in a way that should ensure that the full value of international mobility experiences is achieved. It offers a consistent framework for mobility. It includes: Quality assurance elements; shared references which can be considered as a “common body” of learning outcomes related to a qualification, which is applicable across countries; eligibility criteria, which are to be met by institutions that want to join the network; templates for LA, MoU and PT.
WBL platform capitalization facilitates high quality WBL opportunities: students gain the “hard” and “soft” skills and knowledge that support their persistence, completion, and job readiness. These experiences, brokered by educators and employers, help eliminate barriers tha
Type
Online platform
Contents
IO 3 TRAM-WBL Mobility Platform
Description
Login observer1
Please ask for password
Type
Online platform
Dissemination material
IO4 TRANSNATIONAL WBL DIGITAL STORIES
Description
The guidelines gives suggestions to all partners about the digital stories characteristics: contents, length, how to catch audience attention, format … Stories are effective means to promote and disseminate the mobility in general, the TRAM WBL platform and to engage target groups and stakeholders.
All digital stories are embedded in the site www.tram-wbl.eu
Type
Other: Guideline and Videos and stories presentations
Contents
IO6 TRAM-WBL Flyer
Description
Project Flyer
Type
Leaflets
Contents
TRAM-WBL website
Description
Type
Website
Organizational and working documents
IO6 TRAM_WBL Communication and Marketing Plan
Description
The aim of the IO6 is to provide through a communication and marketing plan publicity and awareness of the TRAM Project and its mobility portal among local training centres, schools, companies (in particular small and medium size) and students. The communication plan facilitates the way and give suggestions on how to transfer key knowledge, best practices and “lessons‐learned” to build the capacity of planning WBL experiences.
Type
Other: Plan
Contents
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