Professional Mobilities for the Future of Craftsmanship
Professional Mobilities for the Future of Craftsmanship
MOSAIC’s Professional Mobilities offer a unique opportunity for artisans, company owners, and professionals working in the Arts & Crafts sector to enhance their skills, gain international exposure, and participate in a European network of excellence. These one week experiences are carefully designed to combine hands-on learning with peer exchange: participants present their businesses and professions in VET schools abroad, engage with students during practical workshops, and take part in company visits and peer-to-peer sessions with colleagues from other countries. The goal is to promote mutual learning, showcase emerging technologies and practices, and support lifelong upskilling. These mobilities are more than training opportunities – they are spaces to reflect, share, and innovate within the evolving context of craftsmanship and vocational excellence in Europe.
Eligible sectors
MOSAIC professional mobility experiences are open to professionals working in the Arts & Crafts sector, with a specific focus on traditional and contemporary fields that blend manual skills, creativity, and innovation. Eligible sectors include:
Ceramics and pottery
Woodworking and carpentry
Textile and fashion design
Metalworking and jewelry
Graphic and visual design
Architecture and advertising
And more!
Services provided
Selected professionals participating will receive a grant covering essential costs related to their stay abroad. This includes international travel (flights) as well as a daily subsistence allowance to cover: accommodation, local transportation, and catering expenses throughout the mobility. The goal is to ensure that participants can fully focus on learning, exchanging practices, and engaging with their peers and host organisations. All logistics will be coordinated in collaboration with the sending and hosting partners to guarantee a smooth and enriching experience from start to finish.
Within the MOSAIC project, the Guidelines for Organising Professional Mobilities were developed based on the experience gained during pilot professional mobilities carried out across six project countries. Throughout the piloting phase, feedback was systematically collected from participants, hosting organisations, and sending organisations in order to understand strengths, challenges, and areas for improvement in the organisation of professional mobility activities. The document below brings together the key lessons learned from this process and translates them into practical guidelines aimed at supporting institutions that wish to organise or participate in professional mobilities. The recommendations are intended for both hosting and sending organisations and provide a structured reference to help ensure high-quality, well-coordinated, and impactful mobility experiences.
Guidelines for Organising the Next Professional Mobilities
Timeline: 6 – 9 months before mobility
Key Actions
- Define mobility objectives linked to professional skills and sector needs.
• Identify hosting organisations able to provide real professional learning environments.
• Select the appropriate period (avoid peak production seasons or holidays affecting company availability).
• Ensure programme focus matches available facilities and expertise.
• Plan realistic group size based on venue capacity.
Roles
Project Coordinator / Sending Organisations
- verifies compatibility of hosting organisation defined strategic goals and learning outcomes with internal development plan
- approves hosting partners and calendar
- confirms professional profiles needed
- shares sector needs and priorities
Hosting Organisation
- defines strategic goals and learning outcomes
- confirms feasibility, facilities, experts, and local partners
- identifies companies/workshops to visit
Timeline: 5 – 6 months before mobility
Key Actions
- Develop a clear programme including:
- hands-on activities
- workplace visits
- interaction with professionals
- cultural and networking moments
- Align programme ambition with tools and facilities available.
- Prepare a detailed description using a common template.
- Clearly state expected skills, participant profile, and measurable professional outcomes that should be reached during the program
- Include flexibility for adaptation to participant profiles.
Roles
Hosting Organisation
- designs programme and confirms experts
- ensures equipment and tools availability
Project Coordinator
- validates coherence with project objectives
- ensures catalogue clarity and consistency
Timeline: 3 – 4 months before mobility
Key Actions
- Define common selection deadline across partners.
- Collect candidates’:
• expectations
• professional background,
• skill level - Match participants to mobility offers based on profile and interests.
- Verify English proficiency and professional readiness.
- Confirm placements only after selection deadline.
Roles
Sending Organisation
- recruits candidates aligned with criteria, if requested by hosting organisation organise an interview
- verifies motivation and language skills
- collects expectations and professional goals
Project Coordinator
- monitors fairness and transparency
Hosting Organisation
- reviews profiles and confirms suitability
Handling candidates not meeting criteria / waiting list:
Sending Organisation
- Informs candidates who do not meet the required criteria (professional profile, experience level, language proficiency, or motivation).
- Redirects non-eligible candidates to future mobility opportunities where possible.
- Considers candidates who partially meet criteria only after confirmation from the hosting organisation.
- Maintains a short waiting list of eligible candidates ranked according to the selection criteria.
- In case of participant withdrawal, immediately informs the project coordinator and hosting organisation.
- Replaces withdrawn participants with candidates from the waiting list.
- Ensures replacement candidates are validated by the hosting organisation before confirmation to guarantee compatibility with the programme and group composition.
Project Coordinator
- validates replacement participants if needed
- ensures transparency of the selection process
Timeline: 6 – 10 weeks before mobility, once participants are confirmed, the preparation phase begins
Key Actions
- programme and schedule
- tasks and expected outcomes
- tools and materials to bring
- accommodation and transport guidance
- cultural and practical tips
• Provide list of participants and professionals involved.
• Clarify roles (participants, mentors, experts).
• Create digital communication channels (WhatsApp, shared drive).
• Facilitate pre-mobility online meeting.
Roles
Hosting organisation
- provides programme details and logistical info
- shares tools, facilities, and expectations
Sending Organisation
- prepares participants and ensure readiness
- encourages participants to follow accommodation suggestions provided by the hosting organisation
Participants
- prepare presentation of their work
- review programme and objectives
Timeline: Mobility week (5 days + 2 days of traveling)
Key Actions
Day 1
- Welcome session and introductions (including practical information on health, safety and emergency contacts to ensure participants are fully prepared)
- Clarify objectives, roles, and schedule
- Participant presentations
During mobility
Ensure balance between:
- hands-on practice
- professional exchange
- workplace visits
- reflection moments
- provide direct interaction with local professionals.
- maintain structured daily rhythm (briefings & wrap-ups).
- communicate any schedule changes immediately.
- facilitate informal networking and cultural activities.
Environment
- Ensure comfortable, well-equipped venues with sufficient space.
- Provide tools and digital equipment aligned with programme focus.
Roles
Hosting Organisation
- coordinates daily activities and logistics
- ensures trainer availability
- supports networking and integration
- monitor the activities and organise self-assessment or goal-setting exercises to increase engagement and alignment with learning outcomes
Experts/Trainers
- deliver practical learning sessions
- mentor participants
Participants
- actively engage in collaboration and exchange
Timeline: During mobility + immediately after
Key Actions
- Collect daily feedback and adjust programme if needed.
- Conduct final reflection session.
- Gather evaluation data on learning outcomes and experience.
Roles
Hosting Organisation
- facilitates reflection and feedback
Project Coordinator
- collects evaluation data
Timeline: within 2 – 4 weeks after mobility
Key Actions
- Share contacts and networking opportunities.
- Disseminate results and learning outcomes.
- Encourage continued professional collaboration.
- Integrate feedback into future mobility planning.
Roles
Project Coordinator
- synthesizes evaluation results
Sending Organisation
- supports impact transfer to home institutions
Participants
- apply learned methods and share experience locally
- Clear preparation and communication
- Strong coordination between partners
- Professional relevance and hands-on learning
- Small-group interaction and networking
- Alignment between programme goals and resources
- Flexibility combined with clear structure
- Early participant engagement and preparation
How it works?
Step 1
Explore and filter all available destinations
Step 3
Get selected
Step 2
Fill in application form
Step 4
Embark on your journey!
