<< Objectives >>The future of the EU is dependent on all its citizens and to assure a common dimension, young people of all backgrounds must be reached and become aware of how the EU benefits their daily life. The EU365 project aims to enhance the active citizenship as well as shared European values and identities of the hard-to-reach target group of VET learners and their mentors in companies and at school by highlighting ways to get actively involved and support a green and more inclusive Europe of tomorrow.<< Implementation >>The partnership plans development and implementation phases of three main activities:1) Development of printable calendars (wall, desk) feat. key messages on EU participation/values, eco-consciousness & green skills in VET, inclusion & diversity relevant in VET2) Development of a toolkit for VET mentors for reflective exercises3) 365 days of promoting key messages of the EU that directly affect VET learners on social media campaign, including a participative challenge with prices for winners<< Results >>The main impact envisaged is to provide two sustainable, transferable project results (toolkit & calendars) that can be utilised easily by VET and WBL mentors to activate their learners and foster their European identity and shared values in three key areas (participation, environment, diversity). In a the broad social media campaign and by promoting the project and its results out to huge national and international networks of partners, more than 10.000 VET learners and mentors will be reached.

<< Objectives >>DIG-IN-KPI The consortium team will address the opportunities and limitations of digital capabilities to support business and economic performance; this will be realized through events at each of the 3 project meetings. Consortium members will also contribute to activities 2 and 3. DIG-IN-KPI will build a network of a KPI-focused project consortium that will define and map business digitalization, sustainability and greening through future Erasmus+ and trigger end-user reactions and responses.<< Implementation >>ACTIVITY 1: DIG-IN-KPI KICK OFF + INITIATION PHASE: guidelines, work program, consortium agreement, management, communication and administration, research with the report.ACTIVITY 2: DIG-IN-KPI INTERIM MEETING + PRESENTATION OF PHASE 1 deliverables and initiation of phase 2 tasks.ACTIVITY 3: DIG-IN-KPI FINAL MEETING + PRESENTATION OF PHASE 2 Results + FINALIZATION PHASE (initiation of phase 3 tasks and completion of the action).<< Results >>By implementing this project, we aim to create a valuable partnership that will help us: - increase the capacity of our organizations - improve our experience in working on international projects - bring our activities in line with the modernising world - increase the efficiency of our organisations by optimising work processes- improve digital capabilities, adopt new ICT approaches, motivate our employees to innovate,- design of services that best support members and stakeholders, VET,...

As it was pointed out by the European Ministers of Vocational Education and Training in the Bruges Communiqué, WBL constitute a foundation for the social coherence of the current and future employees as well as the base for their professional and personal development. It is worth and important to include WBL into the strategic activities on the national and international levels. The renewed European agenda for adult learning also calls for promoting WBL, as a form of vocational education and training, which assure achievement of the aims of the Strategy ET 2020. Latvia has already reached most of its targets for Europe 2020 Strategy (employment, early school leaving and tertiary education attainment rate). Vocational education policy aims to increase the share of vocational learners by offering them better future work opportunities and updating the curriculum according to the needs of labour market. Yet, challenges remain. Promoting participation in vocational education is one of key challenges outlined in the Latvian national reform programme for implementation of EU 2020 strategy. Regardless of the past investments in the modernisation of vocational schools and the reform undertaken in the vocational education, the basic school graduates still prefer the general education more than the vocational education. There is strong evidence that work-based learning helps to equip young people with the practical skills that can improve their employability and ease the transition from school desk to work. Thus there is an increasing and urgent need in Europe to boost and support the participation of SMEs in WBL. In-company WBL trainers are the main persons ensuring quality of WBL. However, in-company WBL trainers, in most European countries, lack standardized support ensuring their successful contribution in the learning process. In Latvia in-company trainers involved in providing WBL must have (as of January 2019) a master of crafts qualification, vocational education or at least three years of relevant work experience and have acquired 72-hour teaching competence-development course or special 32-hour teaching competence-development course for in-company trainers of apprenticeships (Cabinet of Ministers, 2016b).Slovenia adopted the Law on apprenticeship in 2017 and basic pedagogical training for WBL in-company trainers prescribed by law in Slovenia, Lithuania and Bulgaria are on the way to requirements to in-company trainers. Crafts qualification and professional skills and craftsmanship are not a problem for companies, but pedagogical competence and knowledge are the main drawback for companies to provide WBL. Objectives of the project1)Development of an open e-learning tool for in-company trainers involved in WBL, thus ensuring successful contribution of SMEs in the WBL process.2)Promotion of WBL and raising VET prestige, thus bridging the gap between labour market needs, qualified workforce and education.Main target groups of the project are:1) Companies – WBL providers and companies planning to participate in WBL. In-company trainers are the main target users of the project outcomes and in-company trainers are also the final beneficiaries.2) Teachers and educators of VET schools3) Young people deciding on their future education and career options4) VET students looking for qualitative WBL5) Employers’ organisations (the national and sectorial) wishing to support their members in human resource development though traineeships.All project international partners will contribute in development of the content of the e-learning tool– learning modules, self-evaluation tests, FAQ, content of videos, additional useful sources, elaboration of the final test.There will be simple requirements for the e-learning tool - user friendly interface, thoughtful, design-attractive, with interesting tests.There will be possibility to personalize the final tests - to log in with official login (bank card, ID etc.)When passing the final test, the trainer will receive affirmation on taking the e-learning course and passing the test. During the project implementation, the certification process of this affirmation will be undertaken in partner countries.

The EC has within its Survey of 2011, carried out on request of DG Enterprise and Industry (DG EI), realized that the main barriers of innovation in the eyes of the SMEs, are lack of financial resources and inability to manage innovation process. Since different understandings of the term "Innovation Management System" (IMS) have been noted the EC has supported European Committee for Standardization to provide the stakeholders with a unified definition of relevant parts in the IMS. According to this definition the most important parts of IMS include company's innovation processes from idea generation to innovation result, but also leadership, management skills and other enabling factors, like the ability to cooperate with third parties like RD partners, clients, and suppliers. The objective of this project in Slovenia is to enable SMEs to bridge the knowledge gap in innovation management, get aware of shortages and improve their internal innovation management system and/or focus on achieving market value with their inventions. The consortium will achieve this objectives with providing: 1.) Enhancing the Innovation Management Capacity of SMEs. The beneficiaries will receive diagnostic of their innovation system based on the standardized IMP³rove tool. This will lead to the formation of tailored action plan to improve the SME’s capacity to better manage innovation. 2.) Key Account Managers – Facilitators for the H2020 SME Instrument. Key Account Managers will identify and source appropriate lead coaches (from predefined pool of coaches), facilitate linking the SMEs to innovation support services and to support the lead coach in delivering services to the SME. The SME Instrument participants will receive the most appropriate services and support to enhance the probability of successful exploitation of the innovation project and to leave a footprint for the future sustainable growth of these beneficiaries.

We are facing very important and long-term changes that go further than the crisis we are undergoing and that have impact in all economic and social changes. These geo-political, economic and social changes are forcing our companies to change their “ways of doing”, to make things better or differently, transforming their value proposals, their international presence and their organisation and management model. They make us innovate permanently in the products and services we offer and question the validity of the business models permanently. We need more and better investment and innovation to back our competitiveness and strengthen economic recovery. Innovation and creativity have to be increased in all levels of Education and Training (ET2020).In this context, the EU has decided to establish for 2020 the objective of achieving a 75% employment rate for woman and men aged between 20 and 64 (Europe Strategy 2020). It is basic to have qualified workers with professional profiles adapted to the new labour market demands and needs in order to reach this objective. The education and training systems should offer the suitable mixture of qualifications and competences to achieve a quick and suitable transition to employment. Talent and innovation are key factors in the equation as a guarantee of employability and competitiveness. In this complex and uncertain context, we use the concept of open innovation as an ally. “In a world that is featured by the disseminated knowledge, we can create more value by integrating external talent and knowledge. When all the talents do not work for the company, it is advisable to find them, get in contact with them and take profit of their capacities” (Henry Chesbrough U:C. Berkeley).Although actual VET Systems are changing the way of doing and starting to collaborate with the business world, it is true than nowadays VET System, in general, are based on a traditional way of doing where the VET student has a passive role and are placed far from the real business world. Our challenge is to address the VET Innovation Systems to generate new opportunities and favour employment creation. Therefore, we need to anticipate the industry/company needs, identify proactively the opportunities to generate new products or productive processes, which improve the competitiveness in the companies and the young people’s employability. We are planning to use all the possibilities and opportunities of the vocational training network, its closeness to companies (particularly the SMEs), to act as a booster for innovation in them, mobilizing the VET young people’s talent. We are willing to use the OPEN INNOVATION MODEL to develop applied innovation projects with companies mobilizing the VET young people’s capacities and talent and strengthening the connection VET–Company (Work Based Learning).Open Innovation is a new innovation strategy under which companies go beyond the internal limits of their organisations and where cooperation with external professionals has a main role. Open Innovation Models combine internal knowledge with external knowledge to develop new and innovative projects and products. Using Open innovation Models, on the one hand, the innovation process is accelerated and the associated costs and risks are reduced and, on the other hand, new possibilities for commercial exploitation of knowledge are opened.The objective of SPACE 4 COCREATE - OPEN AND INNOVATIVE SPACES FOR COLLABORATIVE WORKING BETWEEN VET PROVIDERS AND BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS project is to create an open model, methodology and tools based on the innovation models, addressed to the VET centre professionals (teachers, mentors, guiders…) to develop innovation projects with companies through young VET teams, stimulating VET young innovation and supporting synergies between education and business world.The main outputs will be:1) SPACE 4 COCREATE MODEL (Open Innovation Model) to develop applied innovation projects with companies and young VET teams. It will define the better way to collaborate between VET Systems and Employment, how to improve synergies between Education, Research and Innovation fields.2) SPACE 4 COCREATE TOOL BOX: methodologies, tools and resources to favour the conceptualisation, design, implementation and validation of applied innovation projects addressed to VET Centres, involving both parts: VET and Business Sector.