The project idea and objective: Getting practice based learning recognized and used as an important element in qualifying young people to the world of work and/or education The intention of this project is to face the issue of massive youth unemployment in Europe, giving young people in NEET situations very little perspective with regard to personal career paths and possibilities of improving their quality of life, and, thereby, also threatening stability and coherence in the European societies. The challenge is, therefore, for educational institutions to build new roads towards education and stable employment for young people. One of these roads is practice-based learning, as it takes place in the spectra of non-formal to formal learning. The partners in this project agree that this learning approach should be taken much more into consideration, and a way to do that, is to widely share information on ways to document and assess learners who are learning-by-doing. Consequently, the project seeks to discuss, brainstorm, write and assemble thoughts and ways, which explains the ways that the partners assess and documents the learners’ competences in the spectra of non-formal-formal, but practice-based learning. The partners all play an important part in rethinking education and training. We are organizations and institutions working with learners who have been left behind by the educational system and/or labor market because they have not been able to fit into conventional education (NEET). In our workshops the learners are presented with a learning concept building on practical work and production of real goods and services, purchased by costumers. Here learning unfolds in binding working communities where theoretical instruction is integrated in practical work. The partners will work on 2 products. The first seeks to be a helpful tool for others working in the spectra of non-formal to formal learning with a practice-based focus. It is a catalogue presenting the partners’ national contexts and then the ways the partners assess and document the learners’ competences and progress in order to help them into further education and/or the labor market. The second is an article targeted EU and national politicians and opinion-makers within education, social and labor market policies. The project has a simple cycle with 4 transnational meetings, which serves as a platform for the partners to discuss and develop the catalogue and article on a continuous basis, in order to reach the best-value products possible. That most of the time at the transnational meetings are reserved for product development ensures alignment and agreement on the material produced and provides a forum for discussions. VET and labor market will be involved by commenting on the catalogue and the use of it – their input will have an impact on catalogue the article. The project will have an impact on the partner organizations as well as the target groups. The partners learn, share, discuss and develop together, which makes for professional growth. The project partners achieve an expanded network with likeminded colleagues with whom they can discuss and develop ideas concerning practice-based learning and documentation of non-formal learning in particular. The direct target groups – the educational institutions working with practice-based learning - gain new tools, which they can implement and adapt to their national settings. The partners all differ on the scale of non-formal to formal learning, and have main cooperation with different ministries. This is a strength for the partnership and it ensures that the receivers of the catalogue can find examples fitting their own national settings. The political stakeholders and opinion-makers will also gain insight into the importance of assessing and documenting practice-based learning, and hopefully realize that the educational approach of this is important to have in the educational system in all countries. By putting the value of practice-based non-formal-formal leaning on the European educational map, a big problem in Europe today is targeted. By sharing and collecting ideas and ways to document and asses, the project also makes the approach more visible and accessible. This to benefit the young in NEET situations and help them in their future endeavors. The mass youth unemployment has to do with young people not having viable options. For many young people, a stay at a school/institution with the focus on practice—based learning is the best solution. The material produced during the project’s lifetime will be disseminated via a subpage on IPSO’s website. We know that this website will also be used by the majority of the project partners after the project has finished, and, thus, that the material will be used and disseminated in the future. All this is part of the agenda in a joint project concerning recognition of the production school form as an indispensable part of the educational system.