The project Bridge is co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the Servicio Espanol para la Internacionalizacion de la Educacion (SEPIE). Neither the European Union nor the National Agency SEPIE can be held responsible for them. -- Number: 2025-1-ES01-KA220-HED-000359236 --

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LEVEL 1. InclusionToC – Women Migrants in VET

BRIDGE Main Challenge: A.5. Discrimination, racism and sociocultural polarisation, including hate speech

What problem does it address?

Migrant women in Europe face multiple overlapping barriers to vocational education and training (VET): language difficulties, cultural differences, gender-based discrimination, social exclusion, and institutional inflexibility. VET systems apply a 'one-size-fits-all' approach that fails to account for the intersecting vulnerabilities of women with migrant backgrounds, limiting their access to education and employment.

What does it propose?

The project applies the Theory of Change (TOC) methodology to transform VET institutions into inclusive environments. It delivers a 30-hour training programme for VET staff, a digital participatory platform, a self-assessment tool for organisations, and a leadership and empowerment guide for migrant women. Migrant women are active co-designers of institutional inclusion strategies, not passive beneficiaries.

Why is it an inspiring practice?
  • Uses the Theory of Change as a systemic, evidence-based framework for lasting institutional reform.
  • Intersectional approach: explicitly addresses gender, migration, language, and socio-economic disadvantage together.
  • Migrant women are co-creators of inclusion strategies, not just targets of intervention.
  • Digital participatory platform enables collaboration across VET staff, management, and migrant learners.
  • Self-assessment tool allows VET institutions to measure and improve their own inclusion practices.
  • 93 dissemination activities reached 5,000–7,500 individuals across five partner countries.
  • Memorandums of Understanding with VET organisations ensure continuity beyond the project lifecycle.
  • Leadership and empowerment training prepares migrant women to become role models in their communities.
Resources you'll find
  • 30-hour training programme for VET teachers and staff on TOC methodology and inclusive practices
  • Digital participatory platform for implementing inclusion strategies (https://theoryofchange4inclusion.eu/)
  • Self-assessment tool for VET organisations to evaluate and improve inclusion practices
  • Leadership, soft skills, and empowerment training guide for migrant women
  • Desk research reports, focus group analyses, quality evaluation reports (4 semester reports)
  • Two yearly Dissemination Reports and final impact analysis
  • Newsletters, multiplier event presentations, brochures, and online publications
Featured results
93
dissemination activities implemented across partner countries
5000-7500
individuals reached through dissemination activities
2117
unique visitors to the project website (5,411 total visits)
5392
Facebook accounts reached through social media campaign
30 hours
VET staff training program on TOC methodology and inclusive practices
4
semester Quality Evaluation Reports produced
What can visitors learn?
How to apply the Theory of Change methodology to drive systemic inclusion in VET institutions.
How to develop a participatory digital platform for co-creating inclusion strategies with migrant women.
How to build a self-assessment tool enabling organisations to monitor their own inclusive practices.
How to train VET educators in intercultural, gender-sensitive, and intersectional pedagogical approaches.
How to empower migrant women through leadership and soft-skills training as agents of community change.
How to design large-scale dissemination reaching thousands of VET professionals across Europe.
How to formalise institutional commitment to inclusion through Memorandums of Understanding.

LEVEL 2. EXPLORE BEST PRACTICE

Introduction

InclusionToC addressed the exclusion of migrant women from vocational education and training (VET) in Europe by applying the Theory of Change methodology to transform VET institutions from within. Partners from Poland, Turkey, Italy, Spain, and Cyprus developed a digital participatory platform, a 30-hour staff training programme, a self-assessment tool, and an empowerment guide for migrant women. 93 dissemination activities reached 5,000–7,500 individuals, with migrant women actively co-designing inclusion strategies.

  • Coordinating organisation: Fundacja Rozwoju Spolecznego "Deinde" (Poland)
  • Participating countries: Cyprus (CY), Italy (IT), Poland (PL), Spain (ES), Turkey (TR)
  • Duration: 2021-2023
  • BRIDGE Main Challenge: A.5. Discrimination, racism and sociocultural polarisation, including hate speech
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
  • SDG 4: Quality Education
  • SDG 5: Gender Equality
  • SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
  • SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
  • SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
  • SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
Secondary Challenges
  • A.1. Structural and intersectional inequalities that shape inclusion and social cohesion
  • A.2. Gap between regulatory frameworks, institutional discourses and actual inclusion practices
  • A.3. Educational gaps throughout educational trajectories, including higher education

The Challenge

What social issue does it address?

Migrant women across Europe are persistently excluded from vocational education and employment. They face intersecting barriers: language difficulties, cultural exclusion, gender discrimination, social isolation, and institutional inflexibility. VET systems' 'one-size-fits-all' approach, critiqued by EIGE, reproduces structural inequality by ignoring the specific realities of women with migrant backgrounds.

Why is it important?

Migrants are vital to Europe's ageing economies, yet migrant women remain underutilised due to systemic barriers. Inclusive VET systems are essential for social cohesion, gender equality, and sustainable labour market integration. Without targeted intervention, structural inequalities deepen and communities fragment.

How does it contribute to the BRIDGE Challenge?

InclusionToC directly counters discrimination and sociocultural polarisation by equipping VET institutions with tools to dismantle structural exclusion. Migrant women become active agents of institutional change, challenging stereotypes and building intercultural bridges in educational and community settings.

How does it work?

The project runs in four phases: needs analysis and research, development of tools (digital platform, training programme, self-assessment tool, empowerment guide), implementation with VET organisations across five countries, and evaluation/dissemination. Migrant women are actively involved throughout via participatory design, co-creating the inclusion strategies VET institutions adopt.

What might inspire you?
Ideas for adaptation
  1. Apply the Theory of Change to drive systemic, measurable institutional transformation in education.
  2. Make migrant women co-designers of inclusion strategies, not passive recipients of support.
  3. Build a digital participatory platform enabling VET staff and migrant learners to collaborate.
  4. Develop a self-assessment tool so institutions can independently audit their own inclusion gaps.
  5. Design a 30-hour staff training that blends TOC methodology with intercultural pedagogy.
  6. Train migrant women in leadership and soft skills so they become community role models.
  7. Use intersectional analysis to reveal how gender + migration + language combine into exclusion.
  8. Secure institutional commitment via Memorandums of Understanding for post-project continuity.
  9. Combine research (desk research, surveys, focus groups) with practice from day one of design.
Resources created

30-Hour VET Staff Training Programme on TOC Methodology

Online training

A structured 30-hour training programme designed for VET teachers, trainers, and management staff. It covers the Theory of Change (TOC) methodology and its application in vocational education settings, inclusive educational practices, intercultural competences, gender-sensitive approaches, and strategies for supporting migrant women's participation. The programme was piloted across all five partner countries and evaluated through participant feedback and quality reports. It supports VET organisations in developing long-term inclusion strategies and improving their educational environments for diverse learner groups.

Teaching staff, Professionals

https://theoryofchange4inclusion.eu/

Digital Participatory Platform for Inclusive VET (TOC Platform)

Interactive digital resource

An online platform enabling participatory implementation of the Theory of Change methodology within VET organisations. The platform facilitates collaboration between VET staff, management, teachers, students, and migrant women in co-designing inclusion strategies and institutional changes. It provides access to training materials, inclusion frameworks, and self-assessment functions. The platform is accessible through the project website and supports both synchronous and asynchronous participation, making it adaptable for VET institutions across different national contexts.

Teaching staff, Students, Professionals, Policy Makers

https://theoryofchange4inclusion.eu/