By Martín García
As the SupportSphere project approaches its conclusion, it is a good moment to look back at the experience shared by the partnership and reflect on one of the main challenges addressed throughout the project: how to better support VET students who may be at risk of disengagement and, ultimately, becoming NEET.
For Montecastelo, participating in SupportSphere has been an opportunity to collaborate with European partners, exchange good practices and explore new approaches to identifying and supporting students who may need additional guidance during their vocational education journey.
One of the most valuable moments of the project was the Train-the-Trainers activity held in Vigo, where trainers from the partnership came together to explore the SupportSphere methodology and its different tools and approaches. The training provided an excellent opportunity not only to learn, but also to share experiences from different educational contexts and discuss how the methodology could be adapted to the realities of VET centres.
Following the training, Montecastelo also participated in the pilot phase of the project. Working directly with students allowed us to put the project methodology into practice and, most importantly, to reflect on how educational centres can detect warning signs at an early stage and provide students with the appropriate support.
This experience reinforced an important idea: preventing students from becoming NEET is not only about reacting once a student is already disengaged. It is about creating an educational environment where students feel accompanied, listened to and able to identify a clear path towards their personal and professional future.
VET centres are particularly well positioned to contribute to this objective. Through practical learning, contact with companies and the development of professional skills, vocational education can provide students with a strong connection between what they learn in the classroom and their future opportunities in the labour market. However, this potential is strengthened when technical training is combined with guidance, motivation and personalised support.
SupportSphere has therefore been much more than a collection of activities and project outputs. It has been a shared learning experience for the professionals involved and an opportunity to strengthen cooperation between European VET organisations.
As the project comes to an end, we would like to thank all the partners for their commitment, collaboration and willingness to share knowledge and experiences throughout these months. The different perspectives brought by each organisation have contributed to making the project richer and more meaningful.
At Montecastelo, we are taking away new ideas, resources and, above all, a stronger awareness of the importance of early support for VET students. We hope that the knowledge and practices developed through SupportSphere will continue to be useful in our daily work and will contribute to helping more young people remain engaged with education and successfully build their professional futures.
The end of SupportSphere is not the end of this commitment. It is another step towards creating more inclusive, supportive and student-centred VET environments across Europe.
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