EUPA hosted this year’s EuroApprentices meeting at the AX Seashells Resort at Suncrest in Malta between Wednesday 8th May and Friday 10th May. The EuroApprentices Network meeting brought together young VET students, who have done an apprenticeship or work based learning and who have been on an Erasmus+ experience. The Main Objectives of the EuroApprentices are to promote VET as the first choice of education, the importance of apprenticeships and work-based learning, and the benefits of Erasmus+ to their peers. Fifty- eight young participants and sixteen National Agency staff members from Finland, Austria, Germany, Czech Republic, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom and Malta came together to share experiences and advocate the benefits of Erasmus+ and work based learning.
The meeting kicked off on Wednesday with an address by Hon. Dr. Aaron Farrugia, Parliamentary Secretary for EU Funds and Social Dialogue and Mr. Brian Schembri, Programme Manager for the Adult and VET Sectors followed by some games enabling the EuroApprentices to start to get to know each other. Furthermore, through these activities they learned more about Europe, its diversity and the EU, about the VET systems in the 10 participating countries as well as the about the EuroApprentices Network. Various workshops were held, intended to provide the EuroApprentices with the necessary tools to perform their task of raising awareness. The day was concluded by a guided tour around the Maltese Capital City of Valletta and dinner at the Valletta Waterfront.
On the second day, the group was welcomed with an address by Ms. Malgorzata Kozac, DG EAC, Youth, Education and Erasmus+, European Commission and followed by visits to the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology and the Institute of Tourism Studies. The final day of the meeting included several hands-on visits to various companies including Lufthansa Technik Malta, AirX Charter Ltd, Vodafone Malta and PriceWaterhouseCoopers to gain a first-hand experience of the work done in each sector before the group split their own way to head back home.
The Maltese National Agency received very positive feedback from the EuroApprentices and the meeting augured well for the future of the network. The National Agencies are committed to further develop the network and to organize and participate in future VET events.
Short videos on each day and some photos can be found below.
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