Considering the high unemployment rate of youth in Slovakia and Italy, the project targeted at further establishing the countries' dual system of vocational training by means of supporting the professional-ism in companies that train apprentices. To this end the the corporate, well-established, and widely networked German training establishment IB Jena cooperated with its partners in Italy and Slovakia - both companies providing long-standing, excellent, and considerable experience in vocational training.The Italian partner FONDAZIONE ENAIP LOMBARDIA has shown expertise in the vocational training for metalworking and food service. They are partners for companies in the dual vocational training in Lom-bardy.Next to the long-established schooling in the food service and service sector in their facility, the Slovaki-an partner, Stredna odborna skola hotelovych sluzieb a obchodu Stredna odborna skola hotelovych sluzieb a obchodu, have trained apprentices for the local companies within the framework of dual voca-tional training.The dual vocational training systems in the three countries are as inconsistent as is the array of institu-tions and their responsibilities. In order to achieve a better mutual understanding, a common matrix was developed to indicate con-trasting aspects such as training duration, distribution of training facilities, percentage of theoretical and practical training, apprentice's pay, entry of youths into the dual system etc. The matrix was used, among others, to initiate conversation with various networking partners within the three countries and in order to be able to work on individual issues such as recruitment of potential apprentices / supporting arguments for companies. The conversations mentioned were, among others, included in the six project meetings. These meetings also served the mutual presentation and transfer of numerous documents.Comparing the framework plans' contents for curriculum and training as well as the examination content for the professions cook and cutting machine operator identified a wide-ranging conformity.The experts were particularly interested in the expansion of their technical and methodical repertoire.Various tasks in terms of the transfer of good practice examples from basic training to examination level were mutually exchanged.In order to support company trainers, training material was collectively updated in terms of methodolo-gy.An activity-oriented project task for companies was designed and tested for each profession. The mate-rial thus generated is usable and stored in a Cloud. Access to the Cloud is granted by the three partner-ing institutions. In addition, a Facebook account with regard to the project was generated, thus far how-ever counting an insufficient number of followers. The intended starting point, namely to raise the aware-ness within companies to get into training apprentices themselves, was unnecessary to this extent. The Slovakian and Italian companies have realized that the dual vocational training system pays off for them and they are willing to accept apprentices. Demographic change combined with the increasingly exaggerated academization result in the common problem of finding young school graduates who can enter the system . The dual system in Italy and Slo-vakia has noticeably progressed and hence consolidated in the course of the project . The development is, however, not yet complete. Each country requires additional formalities and tools to further promote progress.The project led to the conclusion that the companies have to become more attractive in order for gradu-ates and their parents to realize the chance in starting a dual vocational training.The partners will continue their cooperation in the course of various Erasmus+ projects.

SmarTrain joins VET providers and Research and Technology Organisations from the Woodworking and Furniture Manufacturing Industries to challenge and broaden the horizons of European VET systems. The project will detect the core changes required to include new SKCs (Skills, Knowledge and Competencies) in the official curricula of VET, aligned with the current and future demands of the wood&furniture sector. Hitherto it addresses a major TRAINING GAP between VET curricula and companies’ real needs for transformation. Acknowledging that 40% of workers does not have sufficient digital skills (Eurostat 2015), SmarTrain fosters the EVOLUTION OF ENTERPRISES TOWARDS THE INDUSTRY 4.0, exploiting previous initiatives aimed to facilitate this undeniable new industrial revolution for both companies and their future workers. The main objective is the acquisition of SKCs about CIRCULAR ECONOMY, ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING and INTELLIGENT FURNITURE, which require new (soft) skills in this digital era: digital literacy, curiosity and imagination, critical analysis of information, entrepreneurship, collaboration in networks, agility and adaptability, critical thinking and problem solving. SmarTrain is a collaboration of RTOs, an European umbrella organisation (AIDIMME, COSMOB, INNOVAWOOD) and 3 VET centres (CIPFP Catarroja, ENAIP Lombardia, WOODWIZE), paired by countries. SmarTrain composes a network fostering VERTICAL (between sectoral and VET centres), HORIZONTAL (between centers of the same typology) and MULTIDISCIPLINARY links for exchange and collaboration, all of them forming a CIRCULAR CONSORTIUM in touch with the labour market and the educational sector.The initiative includes the development of three IOs:• IO1: Innovative open training material on Circular Economy and Digitisation (AdditiveManufacturing, Intelligent Furniture) including e-Learning, ready-to-use for VET-learners in the wood&furniture sector.• IO2: Cross-cultural course for VET students & teachers consisting of 3 cooperative VET school projects (Project Based Learning and Co-creational Learning).• IO3: Open Education Handbook and Best Practices for VET stakeholders: from VET students to hiring companies.Both students and accompanying teachers will acquire fundamental SKCs and new soft skills, and will participate in National MEs to expose their final pieces of furniture as prime showcases for INNOVATION MANAGEMENT incorporated into current VET systems. SmartTrain promotes fellowship, collaboration, support and synergy, and above all, Smart Attitudes.Therefore, the initiative will give much room for the INCLUSION of participants ‘with different skills’. All our students are going to join forces and talents. In every student there are for sure hidden aptitudes, expertise and genius to be offered to the rest of the group.We aim at the participation of some 30% of students with lesser chances, students that are particularly, facing difficulties and obstacles to participate in international projects. They will participate in the same activities as the rest of students, coming from other VET Centres. All of them will perfectly complement each other, fitting as the pieces of a puzzle in order to make the most of this project: development of a piece of furniture from scratch, applying innovative elements of CIRCULAR ECONOMY and DIGITISATION. In total, max.10 students + 3 teachers coming from the wood and furniture VET institutions will be trained within the SmarTrain framework.The METHODOLOGY carried out will be as follows:•TRANSFER of knowledge from RTOs to VET centres.•COOPERATIVE APPROACH, which will aim to organise activities into academic and social learning experiences, leading to structuring positive interdependence. Students will work in groups to produce a furniture collectively toward academic goals.•Active and INDUCTIVE learning methods, such as PROJECT BASED LEARNING, paired with the ever-growing technology access available in the facilities of the European VET centres will ensure a deeper comprehension and understanding of new technologies. •Gathering of feedback from the VET stakeholders in this experience. After all, in the European labour market, a gradual upward movement of the increasingly specific and high-profile competencies is occurring. Companies are demanding professionals to deal with digital transformation. However, people looking for jobs rarely meet the ever-demanding requirements of industry 4.0. The ability to work as a team according to the methods of collaboration of less hierarchical and structured working environments, MORE TECHNOLOGICAL and DYNAMIC becomes fundamental. What must be clear, however, is that the 4th Industrial Revolution is about people, not machines. SmarTrain bets on the provision of this skilled workforce in the wood and furniture sector and the development of the competencies demanded by the companies, thanks to the establishment of a circular network of SKCs provision and reception.

The Digital Innovation for Competencies Assessment and Validation in Work-based Learning Experiences is a transnational initiative that brings together VET providers, business organisations, and ICT companies to develop innovative digital tools to assess and validate the key competencies of lifelong learning and specific job-related competencies during work-based learning experiences for VET learners. The project is rooted in the needs of VET providers to promote work-based learning in all its forms through innovative actions for the assessment and validation of the competencies, and hence the reinforcement of the learning process of VET learners. The pandemic has, in fact, strongly affected the possibility to provide work-based learning experiences, and it is now necessary to adopt measures to allow the re-organisation of such activities, in line with governments restrictions. The project will also be complementary to other European funding focussed on the organisation of apprenticeships (e.g. ERASMUS+ KA102/116), service learning (EU Aid volunteers), as well as national tenders.The MAIN OBJECTIVE of the project is to strengthen the learning process of VET learners taking part in work-based learning activities, but leveraging on digital tools for the assessment and validation of their competencies.This objective is divided into three specific objectives:O1 Support VET providers in delivering work-based learning activities through the acquisition of digital competencies development and innovative toolsO2 Strengthen the assessment and validation in the work-based learning process, in all its formsO3 Reinforce the resilience of the work-based learning ecosystems (VET learners-VET providers-company tutors-WbL organisers), by strengthening the connections between the actors and developing shared solutions to the problems raised by the pandemicThe targets of the project are:VET LearnersThe project will support young VET learners aged 16 – 25 enrolled in VET systems during the implementation of the project. We will particularly focus on VET learners with from poorer socioeconomic backgrounds and with cultural differences to enhance their inclusion in work-based learning activities.VET trainers and company tutorsVET trainers are defined as the specialised teaching staff of VET providers, which support the educational development of VET learners. Company mentors are the people – in companies or WbL organisers – that support the implementation of the activities and follow the VET learners in their experience.The methodology is based on the strategic collaboration among different organisations. The first phase of the project will focus on understanding the current assessment and validation practices of competencies during work-based learning activities. The partners will evaluate and compare the existing instruments and create national reports, which will be discussed with VET trainers and company tutors. This will allow to define priorities and needs developed during the pandemic. Starting from this research, the second phase of the project entails the development on a smartphone app that, through gamified activities, allow VET learners to monitor and assess their competencies during work-based learning activities. The app will be an open-source tool and will be piloted with VET learners from Italy, UK, Spain, Belgium, and France. The final phase of the project will focus on the development of guidelines for the VET trainers and company tutors, who play an important role in the learning process. The guidelines will allow to gain the digital knowledge and skills to create the conditions for the use of the app, and using the results for assessing the performances of VET learners and validate their competencies.During the project, the partners will meet four times in transnational project meetings, happening in critical phases and milestones of the project. By the end of the project, we expect the following results:RESULTSThe results of the project are:- Stronger digital readiness of VET providers and Work-based learning organisers- Enhanced learning process of VET learners in work-based learning, in all its forms- Stronger key competencies for lifelong learning of VET learners, assessed and validated through innovative tools- Enhanced competencies development regarding vocational sectors, aligned with ESCO skills database- Shared practices and tools for the assessment and validation of VET learners' competencies on an European level- Stronger training and professional development capacity of the partner organisations for VET trainers- Stronger territorial and European cohesion between VET providers, WbL organisers and companies- Increased ability of VET organisations to reach and include VET learners with fewer opportunities

<< Background >>The tourism industry is one of the major economic drivers and employers in the world. The EU’s tourism industry in the strict sense (traditional providers of holidays and tourism services) is made up of 2.3 million businesses, primarily small and medium-sized enterprises, employing 12.3 million people (Eurostat).Starting from March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to a radical decline in the aforementioned numbers, due to the enforcement of strict travel restrictions. With its toll of uncertainty, the outbreak of the COVID-19, represents today the most crucial challenge for the future of the sector. At the same time it revealed, even to the general public, that tourism activities were considerably contributing to environmental degradation and consequently climate change with its impact spanning from soil erosion, increased pollution, discharges into the sea, natural habitat loss, increased pressure on endangered species, etc.Climate action requires that all actors embrace carbon-limited, socially-accepted practices in order to contribute to international climate goals. The tourism sector was already in transformation mode. Reopening tourism in a sustainable way will require coordination at EU level. It is an opportunity that the sector can take advantage to cope with both labour market needs while contributing to environmental prosperity. Considering the above, the DGI TOURISM project aims to become a front-runner in the witnessed developments in the tourism sector. Its ambition is to adapt the VET offering to the challenges of the digital age and climate change, innovatively accommodating post-Covid travel sector needs that dictate a smooth transition towards more sustainable strategies, ensuring a futureproof for the tourism sector. The partnership has identified that main target groups of the DGI TOURISM project would be VET providers, trainers, trainees in disciplines of tourism. The profile and age distribution of VET students varies as consortium partners would focus on VET students of 16- 20 y.o. (initial VET) but would also explore transferability potential to working adults. Indirectly there is potential to affect stakeholders, such as links of the whole supply chain of tourism delivery (policy makers, travel-tech, umbrella organisations, consultancies) and, of course, travellers. The needs/problem to be addressed by the project are:VET providers/trainers need to:adapt their training courses for trainees in tourism professions and consider evolving market needs, especially towards the post-covid era thinking in digital, green and innovative ways,adapt VET courses targeted to working professionals that have to diversify and evolve to survive. A boost in employability is required with flexible training opportunities for digitized and sustainable tourism.VET students need to familiarise with: ways to promote eco-friendly travelling and identify eco-conscious tourism products,digital tools and promote data-driven decision making.Policy-makers and umbrella organisations, either sustainability-oriented or business-oriented, need to raise awareness on the importance of responsible travel and inspire travelers and professionals to improve their environmental and social performance. For travelers, it has been identified that the concept of sustainable travel has been forwarded by 5 to 10 years, and as such they really need travel businesses to get on board this transition and offer more sustainable travel options.From the perspective of the partnership and taking into account its composition of forward-thinking organisations, it’s considered a priority to contribute to the UN's 2030 agenda on sustainable development especially in the context of goals: 4. education and quality, 8. decent work and economic growth, 11. sustainable cities and communities, 12. responsible consumption and production, 13. fighting climate change, 15. life on earth.<< Objectives >>The aim of the DGI TOURISM project is to create a holistic training framework for VETs focusing on tourism professions that would inspire responsible travel and secure sustainable growth for the industry in the post-covid era. In this way, the consortium is targeting the horizontal priority: Environment and fight against climate change and the sectoral priorities: VET: Adapting vocational education and training to labour market needs and VET: Increasing the flexibility of opportunities in vocational education and training.DGI TOURISM sets clear objectives and aims to:Develop interactive, participatory, and lean teaching approaches that boost sustainable thinking in tourism. An innovative methodology will be developed based on well-recognized models for quality excellence tailored to the delivery of digital, green, innovative training for VETs. State-of-the-art methodologies (EFQM, DigiComp framework, TQM etc.) will be screened and the selected criteria will be adapted for vocational education and training to deliver the DGI TOURISM training methodology. The aim is to deliver a lean training methodology focusing on defining key aspects that add value to training activities and remove wasteful process steps.Develop an ECVET profile and accompanying training plan to boost flexible learning. The objective is to develop the ECVET profile of the ‘Digital and Green Tourism Expert’ and decide on main thematic priorities for the new training plans (initial or continuous) dedicated for VET students.Develop training material by tourism experts, taking advantage of ontology mapping, fostering eco-friendly, best practices in an easily adaptable, reconfigurable, and transferable way. Training content and modules will be adapted to local needs and are thus considered transferable for use to various countries, as well as to disciplines with an interest in sustainable service delivery in the transport and HORECA domains. Moreover, the personalised training path approach with the use of a semantic ontology schema is considered highly transferable to other disciplines and VET fields. Propose a path for tourism professionals to adapt to post-covid market needs, improving their digital and green skills and competencies. The project aims to prepare the tourism professional that can continuously adapt to align to the market needs and economic challenges, proposing an intelligent skills mix (including green and digital), thus boosting employability. Moreover, the proposed VET training program will balance skills acquisition with work-based learning, taking advantage of established practices of VET schools within the consortium. Perform trials and assess results, offer feedback to VET centers and stakeholders. The DGI TOURISM project aims to deliver, test, and evaluate all project findings in an iterative way. Two cycles of internal testing are foreseen allowing for improvements. Evaluation activities are planned to get feedback from trainers and professionals based on a validation plan which will be prepared. Practical guidelines will be developed for trainers, based on the evaluation results, while feedback to interested VET centres will be also delivered.<< Implementation >>The DGI TOURISM project will build, deliver and evaluate a training plan, including an ECVET profile, ontology schema, dedicated courses and tools, that will empower VET trainees, trainers/providers and trainees to adjust to the world agenda and become true agents of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), taking into consideration the three pillars of People, Planet, Profit.In order to fulfill these objectives, the consortium has created a clear work breakdown structure consisting of the following activities with links to Project Results (PR):A1-Methodological framework definition [M1-M7, lead TRAVEL2FIT, link with PR 1]A2-ΕCVET profile and Training Plan design[M6-M12, lead ENAIP, link with PR 2] A3-Training course preparation [M10-M24, lead X23, link with PR 3]A4-Training course delivery and evaluation [M10-M24, lead ATLANTIS, link with PR 4]The above activities are linked with the results foreseen in the project. For their efficient implementation these activities have been further partitioned into tasks. This partitioning is outlined below:PR1 - Methodological framework (includes tasks: PR1/T1: Selection of Methodologies (M1-M4) and PR1/T2: Lean Methodological Framework (M3-M7)).PR2 - ECVET profile DGI Tourism Professional and Training Plan (includes tasks: PR2/T1: ECVET profile development (M06-M12) and PR2/T2: Training Plan (M10-M12)).PR3 - DGI TOURISM training courses (PR3/T1: Ontology schema development (M10-M13), PR3/T2: Training Content development (M12-M24) and PR3/T3 Localization of training course (Μ17-Μ22))PR4 - Method and tools for training course delivery and evaluation (PR4/T1 Training course delivery (Μ10-Μ24), PR4/T2 Training course evaluation (Μ10-Μ20), PR4/T3 Training course testing and final release (Μ12-Μ24)).The project foresees also horizontal activities related to project management, dissemination and exploitation:A5: Overall management and coordination of the project (M1-M24, lead X23),A6: Quality assurance activities (M1-M7, lead ATLANTIS),A7: Dissemination and communication activities (M1-M7, lead Green Destinations),A8: Exploitation activities (M1-M7, lead X23),A9: Impact & Sustainability (M1-M7, lead Green Destinations).(The codes A1 - A9 are given in the attached time plan file GANTT).<< Results >>The project aims to provide a novel training methodological framework for the VET sector so as, from one hand, to contribute to socio-environmental challenges, like travel sustainability and the fight against climate change, while from a different perspective, to allow travel professionals (both entry-level and experienced) to adapt to new market trends and requirements, thus, boosting their employability. By utilizing the DGI TOURISM methodology, VET centres will enrich and ensure increased quality, adapt to post covid-19 needs, meet learners’ expectations and industry requirements for a flexible transition towards more sustainable practices and digital skills and competencies.Sustainable practices mean effectively promoting a way that tourism can be handled long-term without degrading natural and cultural environments. Sustainable travel should decrease the negative impacts of travel and ideally be beneficial to the area which affects. Moreover, tourism is an industry that has been at the forefront of digital disruption, to an extent that digital literacy is considered fundamental and should be embraced by travel professionals. Based on the above, the consortium is committed to working towards offering a set of tangible results during the project implementation. The results are key exploitable assets and a significant enabler for the success of the DGI TOURISM project.The tangible results of the project are:- Development of the methodology framework for VETs;- Preparation of the ECVET profile of the “Digital and Green Tourism Expert”;- Delivery of a novel training plan based on the lean model;- Deliver a lightweight ontology schema capturing the main aspects of the training plan and allowing VET students to easily navigate according to their individualized learning path;- Creation of a training course for DGI TOURISM experts;- Development of the Self-Diagnostic evaluation tools;- Preparation of an evaluation and validation plan;Intangible results during the implementation of the project comprise:- Raising awareness among VET centres in relation to the benefits of sustainable tourism and its contribution in the fight against climate change and economic growth in the travel sector;- Raising awareness among VET centres in relation to the benefits of evolving the digital literacy of travel professionals for meeting labour market needs;- Knowledge dissemination in regard to how the new training methodology can be turned into an opportunity of high potential for VET providers and trainers;- Better professional activity and employability among the target groups. Expected results at the end of the project:-The methodological framework for delivering sustainable tourism & digital competencies for VET.-A training course to prepare DGI TOURISM experts based on an ECVET profile.-Feedback offered to VET centres for adapting their curricula to incorporate the DGI TOURISM training framework in a proper and effective way.

FUNES [FUrniture New European Skills 2020] has stemmed from a latent need that wood and furniture companies are enduring. In the last 10 years, there has been a vast myriad of changes related to globalization, new ways of working, new consumer habits, product customization, etc. The rationale of the project was to solve this need that current and future workers bereft of, which was covering those skills that they are in need of acquiring, in order to develop a work with a optimum level of quality and standards required by their companies, due to new scenarios.Consequently, the aims of the project were to determine the emerging skills demanded by companies in the furniture industry regarding new scenarios, as well as developing an e-learning training material that will be facilitated to the target in order to achieve these new skills. As regards the partnership, it was ambitiously composed by seven multidisciplinary participants that create altogether an initiative with synergy: AIDIMME (Spain) and COSMOB, (Italy) which are Technology Institutes specialized in the wood and furniture sector, specialization that also shares the Technology Institute ITD (Poland), focused on the wood sector; Vocational Education and Training Centres, such as and CFPIMM (Portugal); Enaip Lombardia Foundation (Italy), an acknowledged training agency that delivers a wide variety of high quality training courses and services for the workforce; FEVAMA, a business association in the wood and furniture sector; and InnovaWood (Belgium), which is an umbrella organisation that integrates four European networks in the Forest, Wood-based and Furniture industries into a more effective mechanism to support innovation in these sectors. Thereupon, these activities carried out: - European mapping of the current situation in the furniture industry;- Definition and development of future scenarios; - Compilation of those skills demanded by companies in the furniture sector in the new scenarios;- Development of a self-assessment skills system; - E-learning training course;- Pilot test;- Pilot testing results and improvements.These activities will lead to European analyses and studies about what concerns the wood and furniture skills in the future scenarios, as well as potential training course with its validated pilot test with target members. The methodology used was through questionnaires for the research activities; an e-learning course hosted in a training Moodle platform for elaboration the training course and pilot testing.The impact envisaged has been multiple. From the sectoral point of view, this project has facilitated the knowledge that will constitute those new competencies that the current and futures workers of the furniture sector need to have to face new challenges, in the same way to the furniture Vocational Education and Training. This project provides information on the new needs of the market of work in the case of the furniture sector. The training material allows workers to expand their knowledge, and with this information, FUNES is promoting PROFESIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPORTUNITIES, leading to establish future strategies or activities that will allow companies to undertake in order to face prospective scenarios.