The overall objective of the project is to reduce the drop out rates of learners in vocational education and training, by providing materials and tools for counsellors and trainers to develop their own skills in working with groups, to detect potential dropouts and the special characteristics of learners’ groups, provide support adjusted to individual needs, and thereby improve the quality of their vocational education systems.

The Stop Dropout project focuses on finding at-risk individuals, evaluating their needs and providing them with flexible support. It consists of three tools that counsellors and administrators can use at various school levels, educational centres and other institutions. The tools are based on a holistic approach with the focus on the individual and his/her future opportunities.

The three components are:

• The Risk Detector, an interactive electronic tool designed for counsellors to identify individuals at risk of school failure and dropping out. The technique is designed to evaluate students’ strengths and weaknesses that are considered important in the learning environment to assess not only the risk of school failure but also what type of support is most suitable for different groups of students.
• The Personal Profile, an interview schema for counsellors designed to systematically assist at-risk individuals to examine their strengths and weaknesses and learning environment so they can define their needs in order to better fulfil their educational and personal goals.
• The Flexible Prevention and Support System prevents young people from dropping out of school and assists those that have already dropped out. It is a framework for counsellors and other professionals working with young learners and is based on individual needs and provides suitable support within various communities. The cooperation is based on working on individual basis and finding suitable solutions for each individual involved.

Stop Dropout website is available here.

Project duration: 2009 – 2011