VET-WELL – Promoting VET Teachers’ Mental Health and Wellbeing

Programme: Erasmus +, Key Action 2 Cooperation for Innovation and the Exchange of Good Practices, Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training

PROJECT OVERVIEW:

The VET-WELL project sets the overall objective to equip educational professionals in the VET sector with resources and skills to deal effectively with the challenges of their work environment and to create a positive mental health and wellbeing culture in their schools. 

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES:

Develop a conceptual framework for teachers’ wellbeing in VET

1. Design a comprehensive professional development programme aimed at strengthening skills supporting VET teachers’ wellbeing
2. Create an interactive self-reflection and e-learning environment supporting professional development of VET teachers
3. Facilitate wide adoption and implementation of the wellbeing support programme in various VET contexts
4. Raise awareness among education stakeholders of teachers’ mental health and wellbeing in VET

INTELLECTUAL OUTPUTS

Framework for Teachers’ Wellbeing in VET that will identify specific skills supporting teachers’ wellbeing (incl. life skills and pedagogical skills).

1. Professional development programme, aimed at strengthening skills that VET teachers need to effectively manage their own wellbeing and to improve their self-efficacy in the classroom.
2. Interactive Self-Reflection and E-Learning Tool allowing VET teachers to reflect upon their “wellbeing skills” and to create a personalized professional development pathway.
3. Guidebook for improving VET Teachers’ Wellbeing in VET that will provide precise recommendations for improving mental health and wellbeing of teachers in VET schools through the implementation of a dedicated professional development programme.

TARGET GROUPS

1. VET professionals (teachers, lecturers, trainers, mentors, senior leaders) and school psychologists;
2. Professionals in initial teacher education and continuous professional development of teachers;
3. Aspiring teachers and student teachers;
4. Representatives of organisations dealing with/ promoting mental health and wellbeing in VET.

About 600 VET professionals and experts in the fields of VET, teacher training, mental health and wellbeing will be involved directly in the project activities and events, such as surveys, focus group interviews, pilot training workshops and promotional conferences. In addition, we intend to reach at least 5000 project stakeholders through targeted dissemination of the project results.

The new professional development programme delivered by the VET-WELL project will hopefully help VET teachers to strengthen their resilience and improve their self-efficacy in the classroom. This, in turn, will help to create positive learning environment, improve students’ engagement and learning outcomes, and contribute to the culture of wellbeing in VET schools. Improved self-efficacy and wellbeing of teachers will eventually result in improved job satisfaction and retention – a social change from which VET systems in European countries stand to benefit greatly.

PARTNERS

1. EuroPartnership Agency Ltd, United Kingdom (coordinator) – europatrainingltd.com
2. University of Lodz (ULO), Poland – uni.lodz.pl
3. Mental Health Perspectives (PSP), Lithuania – perspektyvos.org
4. Promimpresa srl, Italy – promimpresa.it
5. European Center for Quality Ltd. (ECQ), Bulgaria – ecq-bg.com