"GAMEHIGHED explores the synergies of higher education (HE) and games in the ‘knowledge triangle’ between education, research &business. Game development (gamedev) is a booming innovation-driven EU (and global) creative industry, whose power of job creation grows faster than the available qualified workforce. Higher-ed institutions (HEI) and students, in turn, are searching for career-oriented degrees building skills valuable for employment. This is especially relevant for the humanities & soc. sciences, stereotyped as “useless” on the job market, while in fact their skillsets tend to be highly useful for creative industries in the experience economy. Next to entertainment games is (also developing rapidly) the market for serious (edu-)games: a part of the educ. technology industry. It is no coincidence that Education provides the most jobs (26.8% - 31%) for graduates of video game degrees after game dev itself (HEVGA 2015; 2019 reports). Thus, game-focused HE trains employees also for game-based learning (GBL), serious games and edu-gamification. Other career outlets for graduates of games-ed include the non-digital game industry (board / card games) & game-based entertainm.(live-action role-playing games, immersive experiences, etc.). Graduates of Master degrees may consider research-based careers in game Research & Innovation (R&I). Nonetheless, it is the commercial video game market that offers the most jobs & the most economic R&I potential. Western and Northern EU states already have well-established formal degrees for game dev careers, but in East.& Cent. EU these are new &few. Their accreditation faces resistance in traditional HEI in Cent./East. EU as game dev is inherently multi-disciplinary. In GAMEHIGHED, universities from North. (Finland), Cent.East. (Poland; Czech) and Sou.East Europe (Turkey) join forces with video game companies united in Czech Game Developers Association (GDACZ) to:1. create, field-test and implement innovative Bachelor & Master programmes for gamedev careers, with emphasis on game design2. create Open Educational Resources (OER) for further game curriculum development & gamedev education in European Higher Education Area (EHEA), including a set of practical handbooks & a digital Curriculum Generator;3. encourage an extension of the above from HE to other EU edu-sectors (secondary schools, VET, Youth, Adult);4. expand and promote EU industry-academia collaboration in the development and execution of games education, edurecruitment, and cross-sectoral projects.The curricula capitalize on Game Design Curriculum White Paper (Mochocki, 2018) and will be based in the revised 2017 European Qualifications Framework (EQF) / Bologna Process. The aim is to enlarge the scope of proposed curriculum by including new subjects and activities (programming, game jams), implement and test it in practice. The curricula will be supplemented with resource packs (syllabi, lesson plans, teaching guidelines) shaped by the methodologies of constructionist, connectivist, experiential & project-based learning. Design & implementation will be consulted with a variety of external stakeholders, most notably the game industry (also beyond the project consortium). Thanks to the project:1. The participating HEIs will implement project-created solutions (selected according to their current needs and affordances), increasing the quality and innovation of their own programmes.2. The participating HEIs will expand their networks of academic & gamedev collaborators - locally and across the EU.3. Published OER will provide all EU HEIs with ready-to-use, implementable & scalable edu-programmes & resources, plus practical guidelines on its implementation.4. The gamedev partners will strengthen & expand their ties with HEIs and with EU funding. For GDACZ it is the first Erasmus project ever.All this responds to the needs of gamedev in the project countries, expressed in the recent local (2017, 2018, 2019) industry reports. A special need is education in game design, heavily underrepresented in HE degrees (compared to programming or graphic design). Game design-focused HE is still a novelty. On EU level, GAMEHIGHED feeds into 3 key actions of the 2016 Skills Agenda for Europe: EQF; Digital Skills Key Competences. It follows guidelines for future-skills educ. of ""Worldwide Educ.for the Future Index 2018"" (The Economist Intelligence Unit). In the long run, the project should increase the quality & innovation of EU higher-ed for careers in games & related creative industries, & increase the interest of game companies in partnerships with HEIs. This in turn will bring a positive impact on the growth of the EU game industry (now hampered by the shortage of qualified staff), on the rate of graduate unemployment, and on the general perception of the practical value of HE. Some of the resources, even if developed for HE, are likely to be used in all edu-sectors: secondary schools, VET, adult and youth."

"The International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea 1972 (COLREGs) are a set of rules to avoid collisions at sea. However, a study undertaken by Ziarati et al (2008) and later Acar et al (2011) showed that almost 50% of seafarers disregard or ignore the COLREGs at sea. This is supported by recent Mariners' Alerting and Reporting Scheme (MARS) and Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) case law, which indicates that many of the principles of collision avoidance are improperly applied, particularly relating to more complex rules or more complex real-life situations (Ziarati et al, 2015).Collisions remain a major source of accidents at sea resulting in serious injuries and loss of life and property. European Maritime Safety Agency’s (EMSA) 2014 Accident Review found that between 2011-2013 in the category of 'accidents with a ship', collisions were the second leading cause of accidents resulting in serious injuries. It was accepted that there will be no changes to the COLREGs in the short to medium future when the International Maritime Lecturers’ Association made its position supporting the COLREGs clear in its June 2014 Newsletter, where it stated that ""COLREG specific"" accidents can be attributed to ""the unsatisfactory results of maritime training"". Seeing the severity of this issue, along with the target of zero collisions in the European Union’s (EU) Research and Development (R&D) Framework (Horizon 2014), research was carried out during the ACTs project (2013-15) to identify training needs. This led to the ACTs+ project aims which were as follows:1.To develop learning materials to improve the ability of seafarers to apply the COLREGs in complex real-life scenarios.2.To develop a teacher training programme to improve the ability of teachers to teach the correct application of the COLREGs.3.To develop an e-learning delivery platform.4.To involve shipping companies in the development of these learning materials so that real-life situations are addressed.5.To submit a case study to the international policymaker and professional associations to raise the need for improved teacher and cadet/seafarer training on COLREGs.It is estimated that a little over 50,000 participants were involved in the project either directly or indirectly through dissemination. These participants fell into the following target markets:1.PrimaryoMaritime trainers / teachers oMaritime companiesoSeafarers (inactive and active)oCadets (still in training at their Maritime Education and Training Institutions (METs))2.SecondaryoMaritime education policymakers (national, European and international)oInternational awarding, accrediting and licensing bodiesThe primary target audiences were identified because they were to be the end users of the ACTs+ project outputs. The secondary target audiences were selected because they provide the environment that the primary audiences operate in. The policymakers set the training requirements, and the professional bodies accredit and licence training courses and learning materials giving the international 'stamp' of quality.The project contained a mix of intellectual outputs and multiplier events covering: •The development of the delivery system (an online learning platform)•The development of online learning scenarios and accompanying self-assessment quizzes•The development of a teacher training course for the teaching of the COLREGs in more complex situations•Validation workshops during the development of the learning scenarios, self-assessment quizzes and teacher training course•Piloting of all the learning materials•The Final Conference•The report to relevant international maritime associations and policymakers with recommendations for changes in teacher training and learning practices in relation to the COLREGsCOLREGs content is currently taught in bridge simulators that have limited capacity and are expensive. To address this multi-ship and/or multi-rule situations were transformed into a set of PC based scenarios, which Ziarati (2007) reported to be as good as bridge simulators in terms of acquiring navigational skills and competencies. The PC based scenario approach to developing such skills is based on a proven methodological approach developed in several recently completed Leonardo projects: M’aider (2009-11), SURPASS (2009-2012) and ACTs (2013-2015). The project was designed to produce a range of impacts from the long-term reduction of collision-related accidents and consequently safer seas, to the improved competencies of maritime lecturers in designing and delivering digital e-learning materials, and a more mobile and qualified EU maritime labour force able to compete on the global stage for higher skilled jobs. It was also intended to help build the e-learning infrastructure of the EU and the maritime industry and position the EU as a centre of high quality and innovative e-learning based maritime education."

Joblessness and underemployment among youth are two of the most challenging economic and social problems that policymakers face in developing countries. One of the primary reasons of the young unemployment and failure to satisfy the expectations of the newly graduate professionals in the European scale where Turkey takes places within is insufficient cross-cutting capabilities based on ICT such as e-leadership skills. This leads to failing to satisfy the capabilities of employment of qualified graduate and young workforce, in return. For the most countries, less educated people experience worse employment conditions and have been most hard-hit by the crisis. Significant percentage rates are generated in Turkey (21), Italy (25.2), Greece (47,6) and Portugal (42.3), where between one in five and one in four 18-24 year-olds are neither in employment nor in education and training.Past developments have shown that ICT-related occupations are much more resistant to crises than most other jobs. The market absorbs more than the annual output of ICT graduates from educational institutions. Consequently, today, investing in e-skills entails even greater opportunities and fewer risks. European Commission’s Publication “e-Leadership Skills for Competitiveness and Innovation” (2013), the job market demand rises by 227,000 e-leaders to a total of 915,000 people annually Europe-wide, including Turkey. There is a huge opportunity for job creation and growth which Europe should not miss. Yet, economies cannot meet the adequate qualified supply.Global Innovative Leadership Module (GILM) project believes that one of solutions for the current young unemployment passes through the university or development and training on the ICT based capabilities after graduation. The growing importance of ICT for both business operations and innovation is an opportunity for professionals and youngsters who are e-skilled. These competencies are critical for fostering both jobs created by existing companies through innovation and growth as well as self-created jobs by entrepreneurs (including social entrepreneurs) who leverage technology to create new products, services and business especially for young people.From this point of view, it is aimed to enable youth in e-leadership on the purpose of decreasing the young unemployment in the direction of the certain vocational and personal needs of the young, to enable them to know their sufficiencies and improving their capacities. It is also aimed to learn using ICT based tools and methods for the purpose of job creation/employability along with the taking an active leadership role in changing progress. Within the scope of project, six partners (university, institue, company, sivil society organization) from four countries will take joint action to develop new education module which can be used in formal and nonformal educational institutions. The module will be prepared by using non-formal education method focusing on youth. It also will be a digital online platform involving e-courses, training modules, ICT based tools etc. The project will have been taking place for two years and it will comprise transnational meetings, dissemination activities, training courses, intellectual outputs etc.

"The European Council in its informal meeting in January 2012 agreed that Member States should increase ""substantially the number of apprenticeships and traineeships to ensure that they represent real opportunities for young people, in cooperation with social partners and where possible integrated into education programmes"". In addition, according to the newly adopted ""European Framework for Quality and Effective Apprenticeships"" (October 2017), European Commission identifies 14 key criteria that Member States and stakeholders should use to develop quality and effective apprenticeships. Among the specific criteria, is made a concrete reference on the necessity to exist a specific procedure for teachers, trainers and in company mentors to ""update their skills and competences in order to train apprentices according to the latest teaching and training methods and labour market needs"". In-company WBL mentors are in the core of quality WBL. However, in-company WBL mentors, in most European countries, lack standardized support and guidance which will set the expectations and boundaries clarifying and ensuring their successful contribution in the learning process. Thereby it poses administrative barriers to achieving the EU's targets for the promotion of a coordinated, unified network system on vocational education and the targets of the LLL-program to bolster cross-border mobility of workers. Based on the above and also the identification of the WBL needs and gaps by NetWBL, there is a significant need for the development of standards and qualifications identifying certain knowledge, skills and competences providing adequate assessment that will lead to valid certification ensuring quality in-company WBL mentorship by enterprises providing apprenticeships and internships. This proposal aims to: -develop ECVET compliant qualifications for trans-sectoral vocational skills, knowledge and competences necessary for qualifying high quality in- company WBL mentorship -boost the skills of in- company WBL mentors, while recognising prior learning which is now underdeveloped and non-qualified, through on-line training based on innovative learner-centred approaches incorporating the use of ICT -develop VET business partnerships for ensuring labour market relevance through high quality WBL provision from companies and accessibility to continuing VET learning -enhance, through a European certification scheme for workplace mentors based on a European skill card for mentors, transparency, recognition and validation of skills and qualifications via innovative e-assessment methods through the development of an online platform dedicated to competences examination -enhance prior learning facilitating the transition from education to work. Under the aforementioned rationale, #Mentor4WBL@EU project's partners were chosen based on their previous or current EU projects' involvement, their skill sets and their ability to deliver the project outputs. The consortium is composed by partners experienced in EU-projects such as, employers organizations (IME GSEVEE), public authorities (OAED), Certification bodies (EFCoCert), SMEs (ViaSyst and C4FF), Universities (BAU) and VET providers (IEK Aigaleo). The methodology followed by the project aims in the fulfillment of a twofold target. The first, to assure the validity and acceptability of project's results among the partners. The specific procedure will be guaranteed through the creation of a Steering Committee composed of project's partners, that will meet on a regular basis (e.g. managerial meetings, virtual workspace). The second to involve as many related stakeholders as possible, in order project's outputs to gain in validity and expertise. Thus, three multiplier events (i.e. United Kingdom, Turkey and Greece) and a final conference (Greece) will take place, in order a broader debating procedure to be implemented. In the framework of the project a number of IOs will be produced: -Course and Syllabus design for WBL mentors -Mentor Certification Scheme -E-course content development and platform -IT platform for online competence certification -Testing of the training and of the certification scheme -Exploitation report Finally and based on the previous mentioned activities, project's main impact can be summarized as follows: -development of skills and competences of in company WBL mentors -Improving the quality of apprenticeship and traineship -Transform of SMEs into quality WBL venues -Boosting of the ""culture"" of cooperation, LLL and certification for in-company trainers based on a common methodology -usage and dissemination of e-learning platform (and course) by the involved partners within national level -certification of mentor competences available in all Europe; - increase number of mobilities of certified mentors in Europe; - exploitation of the mentor certification scheme manual and of the e-assessment platform by other stakeholders (e.g. PCBs, national relevant authorities);"