YouNG Goes Further Project

YouNG logo2013 Europe

 

Partners

  • MCAST, Malta
  • NGi, United Kingdom
  • ZSL, Poland
  • Pedal, Slovakia
  • JA Bulgaria, Bulgaria

Intellectual Outputs

Output 1 – YouNG Goes Mainstream
Partner Countries will identify 4 different subject areas taught at EQF Levels 2 and 3 and produce teaching and learning resources based on the setting up of a business at a local market. Teaching and learning resources will include: lesson plans, teaching resources to explain what the YouNG Market is, variety of tasks /worksheets/exercises for students to use, model answers for tasks/worksheets/ exercises, reference to the curriculum specification and links to work and relevant careers.

Output 2 – YouNG Goes SEND (Special Education Needs and Disabilities)
The activity will focus on producing a programme that will support either students at SEND schools or those who have little self-belief and therefore low career aspirations to participate in the YouNG Market programme. The output targets students, parents / legal guardians and educators. The unit of learning developed will be 8 hours for students and 2 hours for parents / legal guardians.

Output 3 – YouNG Goes Teacher Training
This output focuses on the development of a short, intensive teacher training programme so that they can support and deliver YouNG Markets, learning how to deliver enterprise education. Teachers will also receive a toolkit that sets out what to do and how to do it.

Output 4 – YouNG Goes Employer Mentoring
The idea of this output is to build a high-quality mentoring scheme using business volunteers since these will be working with students while they prepare their business idea.

Output 5 – YouNG Goes Summer Camp
This activity will see the development of a five-day programme finishing with students running a market stall on a real-life local market. The YouNG Market programme will also include the preparation of a digital CV.

Output 6 – YouNG Goes to Work
The partners will design a varied work experience based upon developing employability, enterprise skills and global skills. The project will set out work experiences in each country.

Events

September 2021

thumbnail_Screenshot 2021-09-16 at 09.14.28

On Thursday 16th September, the MCAST team working on the Erasmus+ YouNG Goes Further Project organized a multiplier event where the outcomes of the project were discussed thoroughly. The online event was attended by other staff at MCAST, together with educators and youth workers in other institutions and organisations. Participants were encouraged to give their own views on work done as part of this project.

The participants agreed that we need more projects, similar to the YouNG Goes Further, that promote innovative and engaging learning opportunities for students to improve their soft skills and hence improve their employment prospects. The MCAST team emphasized that the Erasmus+ programme can surely support educators and youth workers to reach their objectives.

IMG_2175 IMG_2180

On the 9th and 10th September 2021, MCAST hosted the final transnational meeting of the Erasmus+ YouNG Goes Further project which focused on equipping vulnerable students with enterprise skills to enhance their employment prospects. The meeting was led by NGi (United Kingdom) and, together with MCAST, it was also attended by JA Bulgaria (Bulgaria), Pedal (Slovakia) and ZSL (Poland).

The meeting was also attended by an external evaluator of the project who discussed outcomes of the project and also provided a critical insight into what could possibly improve in future projects.

Some of the deliverables of the project include: enterprise skills lessons embedded with key skills, training for parents, empowerment sessions for students, training for teachers, training for mentors, and finally, preparation and implementation of a market where students prepared products which they sold themselves.

As the project comes to an end, MCAST took the opportunity to discuss with partners of this project possible opportunities for collaboration in future which will ultimately benefit MCAST students and staff.

March 2021

On Tuesday 9th March, MCAST Student Mentors had the opportunity to attend for the online training aimed at mentors who also possibly support students in preparing for their work placement. This training is part of the Intellectual Output 4 pertaining to the Erasmus+ YouNG Goes Further project.
The participants were very actively engaged during the training session and also shared best practices on mentoring vulnerable students with fewer opportunities.

thumbnail_2

January 2021 – Presentation of Certificates

On Wednesday 6th January 2021, 15 students following the MCAST Awards programmes were presented with certificates for successfully participating in the YouNG Christmas market.

With the support of their lecturers, the students came up with business ideas, prepared the products, promoted the event, set up the stall, sold products and also prepared digital CVs which they can use when applying for a job in future.
The initial idea of the project was to organize the YouNG market during the summer recess. However, due to the Covid-19 restrictions this was not possible. Instead, following discussions with the lead partner in the project, the YouNG market was adapted to a Christmas market.
The Christmas market was a success and MCAST looks forward to organize similar events in the coming years.
thumbnail_20210114_111647_5 thumbnail_D97CB9C6-64AF-46C6-8639-8D678BD55A61_6

December 2020 – Christmas Market

Thursday 17th December was an important day for a number of students taking the MCAST Awards programmes as they organized the much-awaited Christmas Market, as part of the Erasmus+ YouNG Goes Further project. Preparations for the market started at the end of November as students started brainstorming on possible items they can sell.  In early December, students worked on important soft skills such as teamwork, communication and leadership. Furthermore, they also worked on a digital CV together with a flyer to promote the event. On the 16th December, students prepared the physical space for the market and also made the final preparations on the Christmas products they were selling.

In spite of the Covid-19 restrictions, students managed to sell all the products they made and, as a group, they made a profit of €110. Proceeds were forwarded to the MCAST Good Causes Fund which supports students facing financial problems at home.

The Christmas market would not have been possible without the Learning Support Unit management and staff. In particular the following were instrumental for the successful organization of the market: Mr Duncan Vella, Ms Elizabeth Saliba Butler, Ms Svetlana Bonanno, Mr Robert Buttigieg, Ms Antida Zammit, Ms Denise Zammit, Ms Roberta Meli and Ms Marthese Galea.

image004 thumbnail_image003

October 2020 – Soft Skills Workshop

Work on the Erasmus+ YouNG Goes Further project resumed today with a workshop for LSU lecturers on the importance of soft skills. During the workshop lecturers were given the opportunity to discuss, share best practices and plan additional opportunities to development soft skills as part of their learning experience.

The project aims to instill soft skills, in particular enterprise skills, among students with fewer opportunities. MCAST is working with partners from Poland, Slovakia, United Kingdom and Bulgaria. Dr Nadia Maria Vassallo and Mr Kenny Muscat delivered the workshop.

image001 image002

image003 image004

September 2020 – Teacher Training

On the 24th September, Dr Nadia Maria Vassallo and Mr Kenny Muscat delivered a workshop to a number of lecturers working at the Learning Support Unit, MCAST. The workshop, which is part of the Erasmus+ YouNG Goes Further project, focused on the importance of soft skills. During the workshop, lecturers were given the opportunity to discuss, share best practices and plan additional opportunities to develop soft skills as part of their learning experience.

image001 image002

September 2020 – Soft Skills Workshop

MCAST Awards students are currently busy preparing items which they will sell during a Christmas market. The market is being organised on Thursday 17th December at the MCAST Main Campus, Paola.

This event is part of the Erasmus+ YouNG Goes Further project which aims to instill enterprise skills among students, especially those with fewer opportunities. On this project, MCAST is working with a number of partners from the United Kingdom, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Poland.

IMG-20201209-WA0008

thumbnail_Screenshot_20201210-113238 thumbnail_Screenshot_20201210-113323

November 2019 – Slovakia’s Peer Review

The last peer review was held in Slovakia between the 19th and 22nd of November 2019. The Peer Review Team (PRT) visited the Business Academy at Martin where lessons designed in IO1 were delivered. Students presented business ideas that were conceived in during IO1 lessons. The PRT had the opportunity to discuss and evaluate the program with students and teachers.

The PRT also held discussions with the director of Necapaly care home which implemented the program for IO2. A SWOT report on Pedal Consulting’s implementation of the two intellectual outputs was eventually compiled and findings were presented to CEO Robert Miskuf.

IMG_20191120_105631 IMG_20191120_125151

October 2019 – Malta’s Peer Review

Between the 21st and 24th October, MCAST hosted partners from Slovakia, UK, Poland and Bulgaria for a peer review event. The peer review team had the opportunity to meet the management and lecturers involved in the preparation and delivery of the 1st and 2nd intellectual output of the Eramus+ YouNG Goes Further project together with students and parents/legal guardians who benefited from the first two intellectual outputs of the project. Furthermore, the team was given an overview of the college and was taken around the campus to better understand the learning practices and environment of MCAST students.

thumbnail_IMG_20191021_114032 thumbnail_IMG_20191022_113842

September 2019 – 3rd Transnational Meeting – Sofia, Bulgaria
On Monday 30th September, MCAST staff attended the 3rd transnational meeting of the Erasmus+ YouNG Goes Further project. This time the partners from Bulgaria, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and United Kingdom met at the JA Startup Hambar in Sofia Bulgaria. The aim of the meeting is to discuss work done so far and plans for the rest of the intellectual outputs which includes training for teachers and mentors and a summer camp for young people.

71389710_2419245018125230_695353513005285376_n 71947721_2377738799131331_8788241963724832768_n

July 2019

Between the 8th and 11th July, Mr. Duncan Vella from the Curriculum Department represented MCAST in a peer review activity at Nottingham, United Kingdom. The aim of this activity was to view the work done by NGI, leaders of the Erasmus+ YouNG Goes Further project, in view of Intellectual Outputs 1 & 2 and evaluate delivery and progress. The representatives from the various project partners had the opportunity to conduct meetings, interviews and observations with various stakeholders, including students, teachers and senior management from three different schools. The peer review team finally presented findings from the SWOT analysis to NGI together with reports on IO1 and IO2.

download (1) download

June 2019
On Tuesday 11th June 2019, MCAST had the opportunity to present work done on Entrepreneurship to a delegation from UNEVOC within UNESCO. During the presentation, work done as part of the Erasmus+ YouNG Goes Further project was also discussed. The delegation showed interest on this project mostly since vulnerable students are also reached through this project.

download

In the second week of June, Mr. Ranier Bonnici represented MCAST in a peer review at ZsL in Poznan, Poland. In this, peer review, representatives from all the project partners had the opportunity to meet stakeholders of Intellectual Outputs 1 and 2. The peer review team met with teaching staff, students, parents, and industry partners to evaluate the program content and delivery. The peer review team eventually presented the SWOT analysis findings’ to the school headmaster.

IMG_20190611_100918 IMG_20190611_104813

On Wednesday 26th June 2019, Mr Kenny Muscat, Director Curriculum at MCAST, presented work done on the YouNG Goes Further project while attending the Kick-Off Conference of the Youth@Work Strategic Partnership in Istanbul, Turkey. The conference was attended by over 160 professionals from all around Europe coming from vocational education and training, higher education, non-formal education, policy makers and the business world. During the Organisation Fair organised in the evening, participants had the opportunity to present work done by the organisations they work for. Participants showed interest in the YouNG Goes Further project especially since it targets vulnerable students with fewer opportunities.

ista1 ista2

In the same month, the MCAST Awards students participated in an 8 hour Emotional and Social Resilience Programme as part of the Erasmus+ YouNG Goes Further project.

IMG_20190603_112648

The programme saw a tailor-made preparation of a number of pre-planned sessions, devised as part of the project’s second Intellectual Output by NGI, United Kingdom and adapted by MCAST. Students were presented with ice-breakers and hands-on activities which assisted them in establishing a safe space, and as students encouraged each other, this also enabled a strong sense of acceptance and inclusion.

The programme’s main goal centered around the students’ enhancement of their self-awareness and hence their ability to exert self-control. Through visuals and storytelling, students were assisted in clearly differentiating between the capabilities and complexity of the human brain versus that of other animals. In conjunction, the students could develop further understanding and test the idea of exerting a desired level of control when confronted with a number of varying circumstances.

IMG_20190605_113018 IMG_20190604_103641

The students managed to spend a significant amount of time reflecting upon their future and consecutively managed to set a considerably valuable life-goal. This goal was paired with both positive, as well as negative behaviours, attitudes as well as external circumstances which also form part of the students’ life journey. Through reflective sharing, the students managed to pin-point areas which they decided to improve with the intention of increasing the chances of reaching their goals.

IMG_20190603_112125 IMG_20190611_105831

It is encouraging to note that the majority of the students reported benefiting considerably from these sessions as they served as an opportunity for self-reflection, which also unfolded within a comfortable and safe environment.

May 2019
On Monday 27th May lecturers from the Learning Support Unit delivered a workshop to parents and legal guardians of students following the Level 1 Awards in Office Skills, Hospitality and Retail as part of the YouNG Goes Further project. The Erasmus+ project aims to instill enterprise skills among young students with fewer opportunities. The Learning Support Unit is currently working on the 2nd intellectual output of the project where students will undergo a process to work on self-awareness, resilience, confidence, self-esteem and social awareness. Parents and legal guardians were informed about this process and encouraged to consolidate this at home.

1 2

March and April 2019 – Enterprise Skills Works – Intellectual Output 1
Between March and April 2019, MCAST lecturers delivered four workshops on Enterprise Skills: two targeted at Level 2 students and another two targeted at Level 3 students. The workshops were practical and feedback provided by students was most encouraging.

March 2019 – 2nd Transnational Meeting – Nottingham, United Kingdom
On the 18th and 19th March 2019, Mr Kenny Muscat and Mr Duncan Vella, from the Curriculum Department at MCAST, attended the 2nd transnational meeting of the  YouNG Goes Further Project, which is co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme.

The meeting took place in Nottingham, United Kingdom and enabled partners from Malta, Slovakia, United Kingdom, Bulgaria and Poland to review ongoing progress of the first two intellectual outputs. The partners also discussed the way forward on this project which aims to instil entrepreneurial skills to EQF Level 1 to 3 students. This project which is at its 6-month mark has seen the partners working together to develop learning and teaching material involving key skills embedded with enterprise skills. The lessons are currently being piloted with Level 2 and Level 3 MCAST students.

YPIMG2 YPIMG3

February 2019 – Teacher Training – Nottingham, United Kingdom
Between the 11th and 12th February, Dr Nadia Maria Vassallo and Mr Kenny Muscat attended a YouNG Goes Further Training Event covering the work developed by NGi to deliver Intellectual Output 2 of the YouNG Goes Further project. The event made it possible for all partners to experience the training to be provided to students and their parents and/or legal guardians.

October 2018 – 1st Transnational Meeting – Bratislava, Slovakia
During the second week of October, Dr Nadia Maria Vassallo and Mr Kenny Muscat, from the Curriculum Department, attended the 1st transnational meeting of the YouNG Goes Further Project, which is funded by Erasmus+. This meeting enabled partners from Malta, Slovakia, United Kingdom, Bulgaria and Poland to get to know each other and to discuss the way forward on this project which aims to instil entrepreneurial skills to EQF Level 1 to 3 students. The 30- month project will see the partners working together to develop learning and teaching material, develop programme to provide support to vulnerable students, organise training for staff, train business mentors, organise a summer camp for students and also provide a working opportunity for students.

yPIMG

 

2