EARLALL 3rd Virtual Meeting for the QUEENproject
16/04/2026
On 13 April, EARLALL and partners in the QUEEN project gathered online for a virtual coordination meeting to review progress and finalise preparations for the upcoming QUEEN meeting taking place in Turku, Finland, on 20–21 May. The meeting brought together representatives from Hungary, the Czech Republic, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Spain, Finland, Ireland and Italy. EARLALL, as the project’s advisory partner, presented updates on interregional capacity-building and communication activities related to the 3rd QUEEN meeting in Finland.
Exchange of Good Practices across regions
The meeting was moderated by Resolvo and ASEV, who welcomed participants and outlined the main objectives of the meeting, highlighting the partners’ shared commitment to strengthening quality apprenticeships. Emphasising the pedagogical nature of the project, the floor was then given to partners to present updates on consultations and initial findings on good practices. Several practices related to quality apprenticeships were showcased, including dual vocational education models, company-based mentorship programmes, continuing professional development for teachers, and collaboration initiatives with companies to regain and upscale skills. Partners also presented challenges faced by initiatives and regions, along with insights into sustainable solutions needed to successfully achieve change. The Tuscany Region provided details about the Tuscan Regional Charter on Quality Apprenticeships — an effort to design learning objectives and ensure pedagogical coherence across apprenticeship pathways to strengthen quality. This includes establishing common standards, clear roles, shared accountability and stronger policy-operational alignment between training providers, employers and social partners across the region. Successfully developing quality apprenticeships requires a higher level of workplace learning within the pathway, although there has already been improvement in the number of dual apprenticeships.
Preparation for the 3rd QUEEN meeting in Turku
The 3rd QUEEN meeting in Turku, taking place on 20–21 May 2026, will be hosted by Turku University of Applied Sciences. The host outlined the agenda, technical details and logistical preparations needed to coordinate a successful programme. The two-day event will include strategic perspectives from the university of applied sciences on the significance of internships, an exchange of good practices, a study visit offering insights into apprenticeship training from industry experts, and workshops featuring good practices and activities of the Foresight Academy.
EARLALL introduced a brief overview to the capacity-building module designed to support interregional learning within the project. As part of semester 2, the module is created to ensure a common understanding of quality apprenticeships across all involved regions. The activity also illustrates current territorial progress in relation to the European Framework for Quality and Effective Apprenticeships (EFQEA). It will be finalised in semester 6, concluding the shared knowledge about the QUEEN project and quality apprenticeships. As the advisory partner, EARLALL presented upcoming communication and reporting activities for the Turku meeting, including interviews with partners and stakeholders, media updates and logistical details to support the transition to semester 3. The upcoming semester will focus on partners’ good practices.
The meeting reaffirmed the importance of interregional collaboration to ensure that quality apprenticeships respond to evolving labour-market needs by fostering inclusive pathways for both youth and adults. The upcoming visit to Finland will further reinforce cooperation among partners, strengthen peer learning and support quality apprenticeships by exchanging best practices and advancing the EFQEA criteria in practice. Through the project, EARLALL continues to advocate for high-quality, learner centred systems that empower regions and contribute to a resilient and competitive Europe.