Connection and transition from school/training to work constitute the main step for the insertion of young people, for improving their employability, and acquiring the skills adequate to the requests coming from the labour market. All the European countries are currently facing severe problems of skill gap for the young people just out of their training life. As far as the transition from school to work is concerned, a key reference at European level is presented by the “dual learning” system: many countries are rethinking / reorganizing their school schemes and training courses, moving to the direction of dual learning. At the same time, those countries where the dual system was developed are facing unexpected problems, particularly in the relationship between the school/training system and the process school/work, that often are not properly connected to each other. SWORD intends to proceed with a reflection on the model of dual learning, leading to an innovative shared European approach. Its results will allow countries that are already using the model to deal with the existing problems, while countries wishing to adopt the model will overcome the critical issues emerged from the previous tests. In addition, the project seeks to identify a model of dual learning in which the transition can also be managed in different countries, thus promoting processes of transnational mobility. The development of innovative solutions concerns the Autonomous Province of Trento, the Autonomous Province of Bolzano, Friuli Venezia Giulia and the area of Gdansk, where TNOiK participate in the ongoing process of national revision of the model of VET. Among the partners of the countries where the dual learning is already in operation, Arbeit und Leben-Hamburg, as well as BFI OOE, already started a common reflection with other local actor on the existing problems, especially in the transition from school to work (highlighted by the reduction of young people who choose this model). SWORD will proceed to identify an innovative model of transition, attentive to the balance between classroom and in-company training, with the objective to develop skills responding to the different working environments. For the implementation of the project three intellectual outputs were identified: - O1: comparative analysis of regional contexts, including two steps: collecting documents and information in partner regions, and preparation of the comparative analysis report; - O2: model, mechanism and tools for transition from school to work, where three activities are planned: i) creation of a shared "approach" to transition, aimed at defining a model; ii) fine tuning of the model, i.e. design and localisation of transition mechanisms in different contexts; iii) testing the model in the partner areas; - O3: manual with the "rules of the game", presenting recommendations and guidelines. Here two activities are planned: definition of the structure of manual, and development of the manual. The SWORD project also plans: - 5 multiplier events for disseminating the model of transition from school to work, and one final conference; - study visits to Germany and Austria for teachers/operators of educational and training system; - periods of short-term mobility in other countries for young people, who are going to come out or are just out of their educational life. The approach followed by the project provides several pathways for supporting insertion in the labour market, providing tools and support for planning and managing the activities at local level. In this way it should be possible overcome the existing problems, providing solutions at various levels: - local governance, with an impact on institutional partners, through guidelines and recommendations for policy options, able to strengthen the link between education, training and work; - vocational education systems, involving educators/teachers in the design and development of blended solutions with a close collaboration between schools, training systems and enterprises, leading to a unitary process of learning; - school system, giving students the opportunity of combining education, training and experience in an enterprise, aimed at increasing the skills needed for job insertion and provide further learning opportunities; - business system (also at the level of business associations), providing guidelines and recommendations to define learning paths between school, training and work environments, able to answer the requests of qualification expressed by companies. A further impact is given by the model of dual learning envisaged by the project, where transition among education, training and work can be managed at transnational level, thus promoting new models of transnational mobility.