The project raised awareness of social inclusion issues within schools and local communities in Croatia. A follow up project developed action plans to address social equity and inclusion obstacles identified in vulnerable groups. While the national education strategy recognized social inclusion, it did not specifically address vocational education and training policy. Future Erasmus+ programs aim to improve cooperation between vocational schools and employers to help with challenges like a lack of career guidance.

1. What difference does the project make?
o Raising awareness of social inclusion issues within included school and
involved local communities
o Limited effects on national level VET policy
o Project serves as an evidence-based tool for advocating social inclusion VET
policy and putting it on political agenda

2. Measure resulting from the project
o Follow-up project aims at the development of action plans for addressing
social equity and inclusion issues within schools included in initial project
(financed with national resources)
o The project is led by CYN (Croatian Youth Network) with partner schools
o Issues addressed in action plans were related to obstacles to social inclusion
identified in initial project

3. Measures in the pipeline
o The issue in social inclusion of vulnerable group has been recognized in the
New National Strategy for Education, Science and Technology in the area of:
o Curriculum and assessment
o Support for pupils
o Quality assurance
o The strategy does not address issues of VET social equity and inclusion issues
in particular.
o Erasmus+ starting in 2014 will be oriented toward cross-sectoral cooperation
of VET schools, employers, social partners and other stakeholders.

4. Challenges
o Lack of systematic co-operation between VET schools and economic sector
o Gaps and overlapping institutional framework within VET
o Improvement in career guidance and counseling