The basis of the project was that according to schools’ curriculum analysis in all four schools children were learning entrepreneurship but in some schools this subject was part of curriculum (Austria, Germany, Romania) and in one of them children were learning it in a school club (Poland). All teachers involved in the project agreed that studentson learning connected with practice and after asking students they decided that that school companies would focus on local/regional food (Germany, Romania, Poland) and crafts (Austria-self-made products of metal or plastic, Poland-Kashubian pottery and embroidery, Romania-trinkets, masks, encrusted eggs). Most of the students had to choose their professional path at the end of the project so they were interested in labor market needs and local business. The main aim of the project was to start up a company in each school. 90 students (Austria-15, Germany-25, Poland-25, Romania-25) started four school businesses (one in each school) and ran it till the end of the project and after that. Students got practice and financial literacy. The same number of students created objects during the project and after that (Austria-products of metal and plastic, Germany-cooking book with recipes in different languages, Poland-ceramic pots, vases and tablecloths, Romania-trinkets, masks, encrusted eggs) and local /regional food (Poland and Romania). The products weren’t sold during the project. Students learnt how to estimate the cost of production, the profit margin and selling price etc. but accountancy was only virtual. The products will be sold after the end of the project (in September 2018) and the money will be used as start-up capital for continuation of running the companies after the end of the project. During the project 12 students (3 from each school) wrote articles for an e-book about process of starting school companies in each country ‘How to start a company’ introduction; short profiles of all students and teachers involved in the project; short description of our countries; short description of our regions; information about schools; information about our companies and its products, description of food or crafts. In May 2018, 25 e-books were printed by Romanian school and they were sent to other schools and local institutions as a way to disseminate the project results. During the project 12 students (3 from each school) made four presentations(one from each school) about the process of starting a company. During the project 12 students (3 from each school) made four presentations (one from each school) about the process of making products. Articles, presentation and films were uploaded on eTwinning platform and on project website. In June 2017 and in June 2018 12 students (3 from each school) prepared photo exhibitions about the progress of project and present it in a local cultural or educational centres or in a libraries. During the project 66 students who travelled to partner countries learnt about its lifestyle through food and crafts which were the main topics of the project but also by staying with the families and taking part in everyday life. At least 26 teachers broadened their knowledge about methodology of teaching entrepreneurship by comparing and contrasting their methods with those used by teachers in partner countries. During the project 90 students (13 - 18 years old) learnt how to start a company in their own and other countries and were able to compare and contrast this process in different countries They were open-minded and eager to learn new competences. They learnt English in everyday situations.

“Teaching and Learning Arduinos in Vocational Training” Technology is developing very rapidly day by day. It is a fact that technological developments force a human to develop himself / herself continuously in his/her profession. More than any other field, electronic and information and communication technology are developing more rapidly. These developments have led to the production of more complex control systems. Arduinos are now used to control these complex systems. Since we are educational institutions that teach technology, we have to follow the developments in the world. “Teaching and Learning Arduinos in Vocational Training” Project aims to adapt arduino applications to vocational training and to develop a more efficient training set and a guidebook for the laboratories and the workshops of vocational & technical education students. The main objective of this project is to develop a good practice guide book and a Arduino training set, to introduce arduino training models to other participants during their visits to the host country, to compare different educational systems and training methods with other participating schools and to share best practices.Participants of the projects; electrical, electronic, ICT, automation VET teachers. Participants are teaching arduino in VET schools. There are one coordinator and a total of 4 partners in the project and partners are vocational schools from Turkey, Italy, Romania, Austria, Greece. The total number of mobilities in the project is 40. A total number of 5 TPMs will be realized throughout the project and each partner will participate in each TPM with 2 participants. One TPM will be held in each country. With the project activities, it will be ensured that the best practices will be shared for arduino teaching and the partners will adapt them to their educational environments. The project partners will produce Arduino experimental kits and a best practice Guidebook. Our project activities aim to provide a successful learning and teaching environment for all VET teachers and students. As a condition of successful learning, teachers need to strengthen their role in facilitating learning. Teachers need new experimental kits and modules for innovation, teamwork, feedback and evaluation. Teachers should be given this opportunity for continuing professional development. Main outputs of the project are; an Arduino Training Set for arduino lessons in vocational education and a GuideBook for this set, a project website, a project DVD.The methodology to be used in the execution of the project is “Make-Develop-Share”. In our project, good practices will be made first, then developed, and finally shared. Everything is open and transparent in our Project. Each task and responsibility will be recorded or written in the project. The products of the project are not only written or documentary products, but also a practical Arduino training set and kits. In the long term, we aim to disseminate the project to teachers, students and vocational education schools, local educational institutions, electronic and ICT labor market. We believe that the results and products of our projects will have short and long-term impacts on vocational education and labor market by the dissemination activities. The total budget of the project with 5 partners is 59,000 Euros.

"The world today is facing serious environmental problems caused by multiple factors, but with clear and proven components motivated by human-induced activities and consumption patterns. Greenhouse gas emissions are causing and accelerating climate change and its impact around the world. As VET providers we understand our responsibility to train responsible citizens and future professionals committed to the strategy of the EU Environmental Action Programmes, to make the European Union a competitive economy, through inclusive and sustainable economic growth, promoting resource efficiency, encouraging eco-innovation, waste prevention, re-use of products and a strong low-carbon economy to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. CFTrain in VET (Carbon Footprint Training in VET schools) aims to raise awareness and prepare our students so that, as future professionals, they can be competent to actively promote sustainability management models in the companies and have more cohesive and more sustainable lifestyles.Taking this context into account, the main objective of this project is to train future professionals in sustainable skills based on the concept of Carbon Footprint calculation and reduction. This is the starting point to:-Develop a methodology for calculating and reducing the environmental impact of partner institutions in terms of greenhouse gas emissions and waste management-Encourage vocational schools to implement or improve their Environmental Policy within their Management Systems and Social Corporate Responsibility, transferable to other organisations.-Encourage curricula updates regarding low-carbon economic growth.-Provide companies with well-qualified professionals in the field of sustainable development (including social inclusion awareness) and ""green skills""Students and staff from 5 VET schools providing different studies and an Environmental Consultancy will take part in this project. Other target groups will be other VET providers, partner companies and educational bodies. The participants are future technicians of Transport and Logistics, Commerce and Marketing, Intern. Trade, IT, Administration, Industry, Automation, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering and Mechatronics. One of the school partners is a National Reference Centre on Renewable Energies and Energy Efficiency that together with the Environmental Consultancy will give us support and guidance to achieve the objectives. We will also promote social inclusion patterns working on Gender Equality and integrating special needs students in the activities. This partnership brings together very diverse VET specialities and promotes cooperation, peer learning and exchange of experiences at a European level. Main activities:-CF calculation-CF reduction proposals-involving companies-environmental policy designAbout the methodology used, starting from a common challenge consisting of ""reducing the schools´ environmental impact to mitigate the effects of climate change"", we will take the different learning outcomes of the different degrees and will present challenges and suggest activities to research and come out with ideas to reduce the CF at schools. Some participating schools are immersed in the PBCL methodology and this project is perfect to develop it: setting a real problem (Carbon Emissions), working on information gathering and sharing, looking for solutions, presenting a final product and evaluating performance. We will also work on Learning and Service Methodology and will have students from the expert school carrying out an energy efficiency study in the applicant school and supporting the other schools in their analysis. We are promoting the use of free-learning tools:Expected results:- development of a common methodology to calculate and reduce the CF of vocational training centres and their associated companies- promote integral systems of environmental management in our organizations - transferability of this project to other schools- cooperation between VET and enterprises resulting in better training of future employees in terms of sustainable development- curriculum updates in terms of ""green skills"": Integration of concepts such as responsible consumption, sustainable development, circular economy, corporate social responsibility, green economy, eco-innovation..., -the expertise of students and staff in the process of calculating, reducing and offsetting the CF schools and other companies, as a result of this first-hand experience-improvement of energy efficiency in education and vocational training centres.- promotion of social entrepreneurship and active citizenshipIn the long-term, we aim to achieve:-Reinforcement of internationalisation strategies of the VET schools which can lead to future projects-Curricula updates for future VET students ( green skills)-Availability of products: CF calculation methodology, CF calculator, toolkit, Carpool, Environmental Policy model and SCR assessment."

"<< Background >>The ECHOES project focus on two of the most significant recent development in VET: distance learning (methodologies, tools and resources) and online digital learning. COVID-19 has highlighted both the potential for digital technologies to play a greater role in VET and also the shortcomings in VET’s ability to embrace them (Innovation and digitalisation in Vocational Education and Training, EC, 2021). The frontier of digital learning now involves 5G, artificial intelligence and learning analytics. As a result of these developments of the last decade or so, an ‘average’ VET school or work-based learning environment is likely to contain a mix of digital technologies that are being used by teachers and trainers in a wide variety of ways. Nevertheless, many barriers impede to distance and online learning in VET systems to deploy all its potential. ECHOES project intends to address some of the main obstacles and needs linked to teachers, trainers and mentors engaged in distance learning and digital learning processes, and namely (Digital gap during COVID-19 for VET learners at risk in Europe, Cedefop, June 2020):•Lack of digital skills and competences to make efficient use of the platforms,•Poor experience in creating digital teaching content,•Lack of experience on e-learning and other distance learning effective pedagogies in VET, especially for teaching practical components. As for the specific needs, ECHOES will address the following aspects, which are all relevant in overcoming the technological, digital and learniing barriers:•To have a higher knowledge and understanding on: skills gaps of teachers, trainers and mentors in EU VET systems; learning environments and learning programs (including methodologies and tools) used in EU countries for the implementation of VET projects;•Availability of learning methodologies and tools, freely accessible, specifically tailored for VET and WBL systems and for the target of unemployed.•Availability of learning pathways and courses for the training of VET Educators (teachers, trainers, mentors), possibly inspired to the European Frameworks (European Framework on Digital Competences of Educators, DigComp, etc.) and covering the whole education cycle: preparation - teaching/learning – assessment – validation.•Availability of digital learning, open and freely accessible, supporting the education of VET professionals and learners and contributing to foster pedagogical innovation, avoid unnecessary replication, lessen costs related to producing and distributing course material and amplify access.Dealing with these needs might require some adjustments in VET systems across Europe. ECHOES project will also address this issue and the related need of setting-up and structuring train-the-trainers’ pathways for VET teachers, trainers and mentors who provide distance learning which could be in line with the type of activity (training, counselling, etc.), the related competencies (at different degrees) and the reference EU and National frameworks (included that on recognition or validation of the competences acquired, DgComp).<< Objectives >>ECHOES aims at bringing together Vocational Training Centers (VTC), Mentors, Intermediary Organizations, Incubation Centers, with the support of digital technologies specialists, to get professionals in the field of VET ready to manage virtual training and extended classrooms tailored for unemployed people or people with little job experience or education. The specific Objectives of the ECHOES project are:- to provide a comprehensive understanding on context, techonologies, skills gaps, training needs in the field of continuous training based on the use of ICT based solutions and online training for VET trainers, tutors, counsellors,curriculum planners and evaluators- to improve digital skills and abilities of VET teachers, trainers and mentors engaged in distance learning processes by offering them freely accessible learning pathways to make efficient use of the platforms, tools and educational resources for creation of digital teaching components- to contribute to the creation of learning pathways at local, regional and national levels (and, possibly, the related recognition systems) for VET teachers, trainers and mentors engaged in distance learning processes addressed to unemployed, inspired to the relevant European Frameworks.<< Implementation >>The aforementioned objectives will be achieved through implementation of the following core activities:A) Production of 4 Project Results:Research on the state of art on distance and virtual learning for VET and WBL projects (Project Result 1): - Review and analysis of the best practices (environments, programs, methodologies and tools) and skills gaps of trainers and staff in the field of virtual training and the extended classrooms for VET projects addressed to unemployed persons.- Classification and selection of the training programs and the didactical and technology resources and determination of the needs or conditions to meet for the implementation of the Pilot in different countries.ECHOES Toolkit (Project Result 2)- Development of virtual/online training resources and materials adapted for VET projects addressed to unemployed people in the three main fields of training/training on the job, mentorship and accompainment to job inclusion and/or business creation.ECHOES Pilot Training Course for the empowerment of digital skills of teachers, trainers and mentors supporting virtual learnings in VET and WBL systems (Project Result 3).- Design and implementation of the Pilot Course for the trainers and the staff involved, dedicated to online/virtual training processes in the field of VET projects for unemployed people in the countries of the partnership. The Pilot will be differentiated based on the different stages and levels of the VET courses: training sessions, job search assistance and mentorship for accompaniment to work/start-up of small businesses.ECHOES-OER (Project Result 4)- Design and Implementation of an Open Educational Resource-OER which might evolve into an open online center.B) 4 Transnational Multiplier Events are foreseen, and namely: - the first one, titled ""Distance and virtual learning: technologies, skills and training needs for VET and WBL projects"", has the objective of presenting and discussing the State of the Art Research (R1) to a wide range of audiences. Emphasis will be placed on the following main items: Emerging ICT solutions, technology gaps and skills gaps in VET and WBL systems; new skills, training programs and recognition of competences acquired by VET teachers/trainers/mentors - the second one, titled ""Digital methodologies, tools and resources for virtual learnings in VET and WBL"", pursued the objective of presenting and discussing the ECHOES Toolkit (R 2), receive feedbacks on its prospect use and implementation.- the third one, titled ""Empowerment of digital skills of teachers, trainers and mentors supporting virtual learnings in VET and WBL systems"", aims at presenting the Pilot Course, receive feedbacks for further implementation and animate a EU level debate around strategies for its adoption by CPD systems and recognition of the competences acquired.- the fourth one, titled ""The Open Educational Resources (OER) for the empowerment of digital skills: ECHOES OER for theachers/trainers/mentors in VET and WBL systems"", pursued the objective to present and discuss the OER - Open Educational Resource and receive feedbacks for further implementation in the wider context of the digital pedagogical innovation in Europe.C) Project Management and 4 Transnational Meetings in Italy, Spain and Austria.D) Communication and dissemination of the project results.<< Results >>The following project results and outcomes are expected from the ECHOES project:1. State of Art and Research Report on distance and virtual learning for VET and WBL projects.R1 is the analysis of the skills gaps of trainers and staff in the field of virtual training and mentorship programs for VET projects, based on best practices (environments, programs, methodologies and tools) in place in the EU and selected Member States, specifically MS represented by the partnership (Italy, Austria, Slovenia and Spain) and other countries representative of meaningful case studies (thee specific number and type of countries will be finalised in the preparation phase). R1 is innovative as it identifies dynamics of trainers and mentors’ access to training opportunities for improving their abilities and competencies in delivering distance learning to unemployed engaged in VET projects. At present, there is no taxonomy nor coherent definitions (at the EU evel, and in many cases within MS) concerning the training for online trainers and mentors. The Research findings and the methodology itself are poised to be immediately used in other contexts outside of the ECHOES project, and potentially in other fields of education (especially HES). The research findings and the methodology used will also be embedded in the R2 and R3 and made available without restrictions through the OER Platform – R4. 2. ECHOES ToolkitThe ECHOES Toolkit is aimed to be an useful resource of practical information for the direct implementation of innovative methods in VET projects delivered through virtual and extended classrooms to unemployed. It will contain a set of practical tools and methods adapted to the specific needs of trainers, mentors and staff implicated in virtual online training/mentoring processes. It will be structured reflecting the DigComp, the European Digital Competence Framework, and its proficiency levels, fine-tuned on existing specificities per country. The Toolkit is posed to generate positive impact at systemic level by introducing a complete set of tools for the proper management of the virtual training / mentorship VET courses addressed to unemployed specific for the type of skills concerned – i.e. communication, organization, results assessment, etc. Furthermore, the impact will be also on the possible recognition of the abilities and skills achieved by the trainers and mentors themselves, since possible systems will be outlined in the Toolkit 3. ECHOES Pilot Training Cours for the empowerment of digital skills of teachers, trainers and mentors supporting virtual learnings in VET and WBL systemsThe course has the objective of empowering VET teachers, trainers and mentors/WBL tutors engaged in the delivery of virtual online courses for unemployed with the support of a training which can be implemented by VET institutions (local level), by regional and national CPD systems and internationally as Erasmus+ courses. The course will be perfectly in line with the European Framework on Digital Competences of Educators and the Digital Competence Framework. Thus, it could will be offered to European/National/Local associations, communities, National and Regional Authorities to be used for the purposes of updating the reference frameworks on the acquisition and validation of the digital competences.4. The ECHOES-OER will be the open online center of the project.The OER will be used to make the contents of the Toolkit-R1- and of the Course for teachers, trainers and mentors -R2- developed through the ECHOES project available for free, downloadable and freely modifiable by the users. The ECHOSOER will respect the principles of the 5Rs - UNESCO, 2017. The documents relating to the ECHOES-Toolkit and the ECHOES Course for teachers, trainers and mentors will be fully published together with the metadata and online references. The documents will include video lessons, teaching materials and all additional resources, internal or external to the project."

The project “Digitalization goes Schools” focuses on the steadily rising importance of digitalization in the 21st century. European companies have been using digitalization as an indispensable tool in their daily work. This means that the next generation is expected to have respective skills in this area. What is more, as companies often work internationally, the workforce should have intercultural skills in order to perform well at an international level.In this project, our goal is to enhance our students´ competences in these fields. Thus, the overall aim is to prepare them for the current challenges in today`s and in the future world of work. This will be implemented in our project by the exchange of experiences, learning activities, research, practical work and workshops. All these types of activities focus on the three main areas school, culture and social life. The main focus lies on the digitalization of different contents. With the help of this project, we would like to use various digital tools - among them are apps, VR (Virtual Reality), AR (Augmented Reality). Moreover, we would like to improve our knowledge of Industry 4.0, which is becoming more important in today`s world of work. All in all, in this project we would like to connect cultural competences, language competences and digital competences. Apart from enhancing our students´ skills in these fields, the project also refers to teachers. Without doubt, students at school learn what they are being taught. Hence, it is essential that teachers improve their skills in the areas mentioned above as well in order to guarantee a well-founded base for education at our schools. This can be implemented by adopting new methods and tools. The participants in this project are teachers and students from six technical schools with IT departments. The partner schools are located in urban and rural areas in five European countries (Austria, Croatia, Italy, Portugal, Las Palmas and Valencia). Hence, different cultural backgrounds are involved in our project. Each school`s project team consists of a teachers` team and a students` team that cooperate with each other and work on the products. The students are all in their upper level of secondary education, while the teachers` team consists of experts for either IT., civics and foreign languages. This way, we believe to have the necessary variety and know-how in each team.The activities in the project “Digitalization goes Schools” include six core areas:1. Two transnational teachers meetings which at the beginning and at the end of the project, to agree on the implementation and the evaluation of project goals.2. Six learning activities where each partner school is the host of the other project members. In these learning activities we will have workshops focusing on the development of the products.3. In each learning activity a company visit is planned (digitalization of companies). The purpose is to investigate where the theoretical knowledge can be applied practically. 4. All activities in the project are evaluated. Our goal is to measure the participants` individual progress and to find out what competences are acquired.5. Another part of the activities is dissemination with the purpose of informing a broader audience about the current state of our international project.6. The development of products that can be used at all participating schools and their partner for school lessons, open days, guided tours etc.Our tangible products are based on digital know-how. We are planning to exchange our knowledge with all project participants before the development of the products. The necessary skills will be taught through e-learning platforms and learning activities. This will guarantee that each partner can be supported, no matter if certain programs are new for a specific partner school.In our project the following results are expected: TANGIBLE1. creation of a project logo2. creation of a reliable, digital evaluation survey in order to assess the results3. digitalization of a humanoid robot 4. virtual city guide through all partner cities with the help of a mobile device and an app5. virtual traditional dish and menu of each partner country6. digital brochure showing the details and results of the project 7. virtual instruction guide for the developed productsNON TANGIBLE8. development of skills in using virtual technology such as (MS HoloLens, virtual apps)9. knowledge of how to plan e-learning sessions and transmitting interactive contents10. improvement of linguistic competences11. improvement of cultural awareness and cultural understanding12. improvement of multimedia skills13. understanding how modern applications, software and Industry 4.0 are integrated in today`s world of work14. enhancement of students` employabilityDuring the project, all participants will have acquired relevant skills in these areas, and passing them on to other students is an important objective.